What You Get Is What You See: A history of tactics in the full-time professional era of rugby league

project outline

To date, there has been no long-form, in-depth study of Rugby League as played on the field with a focus on strategy and tactics, and it is well overdue that this subject be studied. Our sport has often been neglected in this field, as few editors have ever seen it prudent to commission work on how the game is actually played and coached, for a variety of societal and cultural reasons. 

This project aims to create the first history of rugby league tactics, beginning with the advent of professionalism and moving forward to today, the data-driven era and the future of the sport. It will chart the development of on-field tactics since the advent of full-time professionalism in the 1990s and will include interviews with coaches and players as well as an examination of statistics and footage to chart the evolution oftactics and play styles within the sport on both sides of the world.

Mike Meehall Wood is a leading journalist working specifically in the field of tactics and statistics. His work has appeared in Forbes, The Roar, LoveRugbyLeague, VICE and elsewhere.