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NRL Analysis: The Importance of a Consistent Kick Chase
A good kick chase isn't the most exciting element of an NRL match, but it's a key factor in deciding who wins and loses each week.
Jason
March 28, 2025
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks scored two long-range tries against the South Sydney Rabbitohs in Round 3. They were labelled Try of the Season contenders and will undoubtedly be part of the conversation after Round 27.
They’re exciting tries because they shouldn’t really happen; they occur deep in yardage on the first tackle. While we can sit back and applaud the attacking element, we should also dig into how the defence let it happen.
Breaking Down The Kick Chase
Kick-chase is a hot topic at the moment. Some teams are happy to kick to the corners and land on the catcher, while others want to contest everything and send someone into the air. Regardless of how teams approach the contest around the ball, the importance of the rest of the line is huge.
It’s not something we get to see very often, given the tight TV angles, but the next time you’re at a game, look at how teams approach their kick chase. You’ll know the good teams when you see them.
For the Rabbitohs, they got caught out twice last week. Once closer to the line defending an attacking kick…
The kick chase is so important for the defensive side. Unfortunately for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, they were exposed twice for their lack of movement through the middle.
And another further out when kicking from deep in their own end.
Triangles are a dangerous shape for defensive lines at the best of times, and the Rabbitohs got caught out on this one2 .
Kick chase and contesting kicks have been a talking point for several seasons now. Every week, a commentator will wonder out loud why a team doesn’t contest a kick, regardless of the field position or game state. But after the Sharks showed precisely why a consistent approach, whether it be to contest or not contest, is essential, there is no better game to provide further examples of a quality and consistent kick chase than Melbourne Storm vs. Penrith Panthers.
The Kick Chase Kings vs. Dark Art Disruptors
The Panthers are the best kick-chase team in the NRL. It’s the foundation of their premiership-winning game model and stands up regardless of how many quality players they lose every off-season. Meanwhile, the Storm disrupt a kick chase better than any team. Keep an eye on how difficult they make things for opposing players to get up the field in a line this week and beyond.
