ABSTRACT
It has been suggested that tackling is one of the most arduous and challenging aspects of rugby league (Austin et al., 2011) with tackling effectiveness identified as an important skill related, in part, to the success of rugby league games (Gabbett et al., 2010; Austin et al., 2011). Gabbett et al. (2011) found that an average of 300 tackles are made within a professional rugby league match, with forwards making approximately 39 tackles per game and backs a slightly lower average of 16 tackles per game (Gissane et al., 2001; Gabbett et al., 2010). Wheeler et al. (2011) further demonstrated the importance of defence through their analysis of ball-offloading strategies in rugby league, showing that the defending team's ability to employ the right tackle technique could be effective in preventing offloads by the ball carrier. This paper will investigate the different factors involved in determining the success or failure of a tackle, as just one missed tackle or offload by a team can lead to a try that could win or lose a game of rugby league.
