Penalties are a weekly talking point.
They can swing results, give teams opportunities to score and potentially rob sides of important wins.
Rugby league fans often believe their side is given a rough run from the referees, but we have the table to end any debate so far this season.
Taking a look at penalties for and against, it’s South Sydney who have been on the better side of the penalty count thus far, receiving 101 while only conceding 65, a +36 differential.
At the other end of the table, Canterbury are at the bottom having given away 97 penalties while only being awarded 64, a -33 differential.
We have Newcastle, Manly, Parramatta, Penrith, Gold Coast, Cronulla, and the Wests Tigers in the positive, while the rest are in the negative.
Check out the penalties for, against and differential ladder below.
| Position | Club | Penalties For | Penalties Against | Differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rabbitohs | 101 | 65 | 36 |
| 2 | Knights | 85 | 63 | 22 |
| 3 | Sea Eagles | 94 | 77 | 17 |
| 4 | Eels | 78 | 63 | 15 |
| 5 | Panthers | 97 | 87 | 10 |
| 6 | Titans | 96 | 86 | 10 |
| 7 | Sharks | 82 | 76 | 6 |
| 8 | Tigers | 91 | 88 | 3 |
| 9 | Dragons | 69 | 72 | -3 |
| 10 | Raiders | 82 | 87 | -5 |
| 10 | Storm | 73 | 78 | -5 |
| 12 | Warriors | 67 | 79 | -12 |
| 13 | Broncos | 64 | 77 | -13 |
| 14 | Cowboys | 66 | 84 | -18 |
| 15 | Roosters | 66 | 96 | -30 |
| 16 | Bulldogs | 64 | 97 | -33 |
In terms of players who concede the most penalties, we have a three-way tie between Canterbury hard man Jack Hetherington, Canberra dummy-half Josh Hodgson and veteran Sydney prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
Check out the players who have conceded the most penalties below.
| Player | Club | Penalties Against |
|---|---|---|
| Jack Hetherington | CBY | 13 |
| Josh Hodgson | CBR | 13 |
| Jared Waerea-Hargreaves | SYD | 13 |
| Luke Brooks | WST | 11 |
| Corey Harawira-Naera | CBR | 11 |
| Matthew Lodge | WAR | 11 |
| Daly Cherry-Evans | MAN | 10 |
| Felise Kaufusi | MEL | 10 |
| Viliame Kikau | PEN | 10 |
| Siosiua Taukeiaho | SYD | 10 |