"They were hungrier and wanted it more".
For any fans of Rugby League, this is a quote you will hear by commentators, media-folk and even clung to the paint of dressing room corridors. In a modern era of professional sport where players are paid handsomely to perform their duties each week, how can one team show more desire and effort than the other?
The answer is motivation.
This is an important factor in sports handicapping and is often overlooked by the novice or general betting public. The NRL season is a grueling and tough war of attrition. A six month battle testing physical, mental and psychological attributes of both players and coaches. As such, it is only natural to have ups and downs where the intensity is not quite at the level it should be or expected.
The skill for us as bettors, is to better understand and identify match-ups where one team may be more motivated than the other.
A great example of this was on full display during Thursday night's blockbuster clash between the Panthers and Storm.
With the game in the balance in the final minutes, I want to highlight three crucial moments.
77th Minute: To'o getting to the loose ball
78th Minute: Capewell fighting to get to the in-goal
80th Minute: Kikau's effort to hold the ball up
For anyone questioning whether motivation plays a role, please take a look at these screenshots. The loss to Melbourne in last year's grand final hurt badly. The Panthers' incredible winning streak was undone by a first half where they were tentative, ill-disciplined and not themselves. They would've replayed that game in their heads during the off-season.
I can guarantee you that once the draw was released, this game was circled.
Whilst it doesn't come close to erasing the loss of last year's grand final, getting a little bit of revenge was a crucial element to the psyche of this game.
Yes, it's true the Storm wanted to win and came very close to doing so... however the truth is that Penrith were more motivated when it mattered.
This game illustrated the intangible benefit of how motivation can impact a result and I felt it important to highlight it to the punters out there! So please ensure before placing your next wager, that you look for any similar edges as part of your handicapping process.
Happy Monday punters, now go and grab that morning coffee! #besharp
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