Rugby
Indiscipline Issues: Ranking Super League Teams by Most Penalties Conceded
The Super League is an environment characterized by a fast-paced, physical and intense nature. With every team hungry to find success and the margins for error incredibly small – indiscipline in a team can have dire consequences. Teams who concede frequent penalties essentially heap pressure onto themselves. Not only does it give opponents easy territory gains, its asks for an even greater defensive effort from players. This more often than not leads to sinbins and a numerical disadvantage. SportsBoom seeks to identify teams struggling with discipline and in particular, the penalties they have conceded.
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Teams Struggling with Discipline: Most Penalties Conceded
Staying on the right side of the referee is crucial, but these teams have found themselves frequently penalized:
| Rank (By most penalties) | Team | Penalties | Players with penalty points | Sinbins |
| 1 | Salford Red Devils | 44 | 9 | 4 |
| 2 | Castleford Tigers | 38 | 4 | 1 |
| 3 | Hull FC | 33 | 8 | 4 |
| 4 | Catalans Dragons | 32 | 6 | 3 |
| 5 | Wakefield Trinity | 31 | 5 | 1 |
| 6 | St Helens | 29 | 7 | 0 |
| 7 (tie) | Huddersfield Giants | 25 | 5 | 0 |
| 7 (tie) | Hull KR | 25 | 8 | 1 |
| 9 (tie) | Leeds Rhinos | 24 | 3 | 2 |
| 9 (tie) | Leigh Leopards | 24 | 2 | 0 |
**Our SportsBoom rank reflects position from most penalties conceded to the fewest. Higher rank = more penalties.
Spotlight on Teams with High Penalty Counts
Salford Red Devils
Salford currently top our list for the worst discipline, racking up a staggering 44 penalties, which is a long way ahead of the other teams on the list. With closer inspection, you find that nine of their players have earned penalty points and with 4 sinbins (the joint highest total), the suggestion can be made that theirs is not an isolated issue.
There is certainly a team-wide issue, struggling with discipline and costing them both momentum and positive results.
Castleford Tigers & Hull FC
Although they are second with just 38 penalties, only four of their players have been penalized. This would indicate that a small group is possibly responsible for repeated infringements. They do match Salford though for time spent down a player on the field, and their issues are also possibly more widespread, with eight different players picking up points in this regard.
Contrast with Lower Penalty Teams
The more disciplined sides like Leigh Leopards and Leeds Rhinos stand in stark contrast to the teams at the top of the list. They currently average around 20 penalties less across the same span and tend to have next to no sinbin worthy infringements.
Granted, the discipline gap is highlighted here, but one has to then also wonder how much of a role composure in difficult moments plays as a key differentiator. Players are less likely to commit infringements when playing with composure and calm – aspects which are often the first to go under immense pressure.
Conclusion
It goes without saying then that a high penalty count is a major red flag for team discipline and often significantly hampers their performance in Super League. Teams are unable to perform at their level best with consistent infringements and a high player count being sent off the field of play.
Salford, Castleford and Hull are teams in grave need of improvement with their discipline, especially if they are to improve their overall results and consistency. The more they are able to identify and respect discipline as a core feature in their team, the more likely they would be to find a degree of success.
SportsBoom Suggests: The Bottom Line
Teams that consistently rank high in penalties conceded are often considered higher risk by bettors, as frequent infringements can disrupt gameplay, lead to sin-bins, and offer opponents easy advantages, impacting live odds and handicap considerations.
Ryan Liberty is an experienced sports writer whose articles have featured in some of the biggest sports publications in South Africa. With a strong understanding of all major sports and an in-depth understanding of betting, Ryan consistently delivers insightful content. He's also known for his ability to break down complex topics into engaging, reader-friendly pieces.