No coach likes seeing tries scored against his team but if you have to concede one, you at least want to make the opposition go around you rather than through the middle.
By the same token, a sieve-like edge presents an easy target for opponents who will keep taking advantage.
So which clubs had the leakiest fringes in 2017?
As the graphic shows, NRL.com stats reveal the 16th-finishing Knights conceded both the most overall tries and equal-most edge tries last season.
Wests Tigers coach Ivan Cleary has hopefully been drilling his charges on sliding defence over the off-season after they joined the Knights with 46 edge tries conceded last season.
While the Storm and Sharks were the best defensive sides overall, North Queensland and the Roosters actually did the best job of keeping their flanks intact.
What the graphic does highlight for Melbourne and Cronulla however is they have the highest percentage of edge tries as overall tries conceded, at 47% and 38% respectively. Combined with good overall defence this highlights just how much trouble teams had in putting points on the 2017 and 2016 premiers.