The reliance on a team’s ability to close out games is greater in the current game than ever before.

Some sides have a tag of chokers, as they are unable to secure victory when games go down to the wire, while others thrive and even play for tight contests as they have confidence to perform when games get tight.

So, which sides thrive in the pressure cooker of close games and which sides flop?

Since 2007, 11 games have been drawn, 137 have been decided by one point and 208 have had a margin of just 2 points.

Statistics are from 2007 - end of round 16, 2018

WHO HAS PLAYED IN THE MOST CLOSE GAMES?

The Sharks have played in 60 games that had a final margin of two points or less. Next comes the Tigers with 57 games, the Storm with 55 and the Broncos with 51. The Raiders have had the least, with just 31 games, the next least is the Eels with 37 and Knights 39

BEST WIN PERCENTAGE IN GAMES DECIDED BY TWO POINTS OR LESS

There is a tie for best win record. The Bulldogs have won 24 of 40 games at 60%, a record matched by the Sharks, who have 36 wins from 60 games, also at 60%. The Dragons come next with 25 wins from 43 games at 58.14%; Souths with 23 wins from 43 games at 53.49%; Manly has 22 wins from 43 games at 51.16%; Melbourne with 28 wins in 55 games at 50.91% and the Tigers who have 29 wins in 57 clashes at 50.88%.

Cronulla also has scored the most wins with 36, well clear of the second best Wests Tigers on 29 and the third best Melbourne with 28.

WORST WIN PERCENTAGE IN GAMES DECIDED BY TWO POINTS OR LESS

This dishonourable title belongs, emphatically, to Canberra. The Raiders have had the least number of close contests and clearly the least number of wins, a whopping nine less victories than the next worst. The Raiders record is 31 games for eight wins at 25.81%. The Broncos have the next worst success rate, as they have scored 20 wins in 51 games at 39.22%. The Cowboys then have 18 wins from 43 games at 41.86%. The Knights and Warriors both have 17 wins from 39 and 40 games respectively

BEST RECORD IN GAMES DECIDED BY ONE POINT

Four sides have won over 60% of their games decided by one point, with a further three sides faring better than 50%. The Storm has won 13 of 19 games at 68.42%; Penrith 15 wins from 22 at 68.18%; Sharks 14 wins from 22 matches at 63.64%; Bulldogs 10 wins in 16 clashes at 62.50%; Souths 10 wins in 17 games at 58.82%; Eels with seven wins in 12 games at 58.33% and the Wests Tigers 12 wins in 23 games at 52.17%.

WORST RECORD IN GAMES DECIDED BY ONE POINT

The Raiders record in one point games is abysmal, as they have scored two wins from 13 games at 15.38%. The next worst is the Warriors, who have 4 wins in 11 games at 36.36%

BEST RECORD IN GAMES DECIDED BY TWO POINTS

The Dragons have a magnificent record here, picking up 19 wins in 26 games at 73.08% with the Sharks a distant second with an impressive 22 wins in 36 games at 61.11%. The Bulldogs are then third with 14 wins from 24 matches at 58.33% while Manly are a close fourth with 15 wins in 26 games at 57.69%.

WORST RECORD IN GAMES DECIDED BY TWO POINTS

Penrith have a very poor record with seven wins from 23 games at 30.43% with the Raiders scoring six wins from 17 games at 35.29%. The Broncos are third worst with 11 wins in 29 games at 37.93%

It’s bad news for Raiders fans, who have a very bad record in tight games, a record which has been sustained across 11 and a half seasons. This is very telling and very worrying for the Raiders, given how far behind the rest of the competition they are in this aspect of the game.

On the flip side, the Sharks have a reputation for playing tight games and winning more often than not. This reputation fuels their belief that they can win games and builds a confidence in a side when games get close. A confidence that the Raiders clearly lack.