South Sydney make the most errors of any team in the NRL preliminary finals but the mistakes come as a trade-off to their point-scoring prowess.
Their attack has ignited with 144 points over the past three weeks but that scoring surge has coincided with a whopping 39 errors, including a season-high 18 in last week’s 38-24 win over Parramatta.
On average, the Rabbitohs are making two more errors per game than last year, but scoring at least six more points.
Across the last three weeks they have been down at various stages in every match but have fought back by throwing the ball around more – an option likely to prove risky against clinical Penrith.
“It’s not ideal that we’re making 18 errors but maybe through that part of the game (against the Eels) we were behind so we were chasing points,” said star five-eighth Cody Walker ahead of Saturday’s preliminary final.
“We understand that we can’t be making that many errors against Penrith, they’ll hurt us, they’ll put us to the sword and they’ve got strike all over the park.”
Walker’s words are especially true considering the Panthers are at the other end of the spectrum, with the fewest errors-per-game in the competition and the highest completion rate.
Powerful sets capped off by a pressure kick from halfback Nathan Cleary keep the Panthers in control as they frustrate opponents into errors.
It is a tactic they have employed all season leading to 16-straight wins heading into Saturday’s match at ANZ Stadium.
And while Souths have been encouraged to take their opportunities, playing catch-up football against a side as lethal as the Panthers will come at a risk.
Keeping ball in hand, halfback Adam Reynolds will be key to turning the screw with last-tackle options.
“It’s where you want to finish your sets … you want to be putting it deep inside their half,” Walker said.
“They have a fantastic kicker in Cleary, who has a great long kick, so you want to be putting them deep inside their half, putting the pressure on them and putting fatigue into the opposition.
“That’s what we’ve relied on doing this year.”