Defensive effectiveness can be measured in many ways. NRL.com looks at which teams and players had the best defence in Round 3 of the NRL Telstra Premiership.
For the second week in a row the Brisbane Broncos made the most tackles of the round with 364 in their 14-12 loss to the Melbourne Storm.
The Broncos also had the most missed tackles of the round with 37, giving them a tackle effectiveness of 90 per cent.
The Parramatta Eels had the least missed tackle of the round with just 12 in their 26-14 loss to the Titans. The Eels made 316 tackles for a tackle effectiveness of 96 per cent.
The Canberra Raiders made the least amount of tackles in Round 3 – just 226 against Wests Tigers, but also conceded the least amount of points for the round in their 46-6 win. The Raiders only conceded one try, which came from an intercept.
Also for the second week in a row, Broncos hooker Andrew McCullough was the best defensive player, making 62 tackles with no misses in his side's loss to the Storm. Dragons hooker Cameron McInnes made 58 tackles with one miss, while Storm hooker Cameron Smith made 51 tackles with no misses.
Other players with no missed tackles in Round 3 included Warriors forward Simon Mannering (49 tackles), Bulldogs hooker Michael Lichaa (44) and Knights forward Jamie Buhrer (43).
A special mention this week to the Raiders and Sea Eagles for their big defensive turnarounds. The Raiders conceded a total of 62 points in the first two rounds of the season but allowed just 6 against the Tigers in Round 3.
The Sea Eagles conceded a total of 58 points in the first two rounds but let in just 8 points against the Cowboys in Round 3.
