Welcome to the another installment of a series of 2023 NRL Stats in depth, where we take a certain NRL stat or event and take a deep dive into the relative performance of the NRL teams and players. This edition looks into some 2023 NRL Magic Round Stats ahead of the big weekend.
Is there an invincible team on Magic Weekend? Does winning in Magic Week lead to making the finals? And has one team scored exactly the same score in each Magic Round game?
Those questions and more will be answered, along with some accompanying visuals, and some general Suncorp Stadium stats.
2023 NRL Magic Round Stats – Overall Results & Form
- Old Rivals South Sydney and Roosters are the only unbeaten teams.
- Fellow Sydney clubs Dragons and Bulldogs are the only winless clubs.
- The nominated home teams leads the Magic Round H2H by 13-11.
- Only eight teams have won consecutive matches.
- South Sydney have scored exactly 32 point in all three Magic Round games. Roosters are 2/2 at Magic Weekend on a Sunday.
- Manly hold the record for lowest score (0) and second highest score (50) at Magic Round.
- Results by Region is quite even.
NSW/ACT = Newcastle/Canberra
2023 NRL Magic Round Stats – Do NRL Magic Round Winners Make the Finals?
NO MORE THAN YOU WOULD THINK
The strike rate is better than half, but it also helps that serial final competitors South Sydney and Roosters have won all three Magic Round games.
The Wests Tigers winning their first two Magic Round games hurt the percentage.
| Season | Finals Y |
| 2019 | 63% |
| 2021 | 75% |
| 2022 | 63% |
2023 NRL Magic Round Stats – Does the Team Higher on the Ladder Heading Into Magic Round Win More Often?
NOPE, IT’S 50-50.
So because it is a carnival-type atmosphere we wondered whether ladder positions means for Magic Round.
So we took the ladder position of each team heading into Magic Round to determine whether the higher or lower team wins. And it is split.
And you could argue that 2019 and 2022 were more like normal seasons that the Covid affected misery of 2021, so perhaps there’s upsets a-plenty coming this weekend again.
| Season | Higher | Lower |
| 2019 | 3 | 5 |
| 2021 | 7 | 1 |
| 2022 | 2 | 6 |
| Total | 50% | 50% |
2023 NRL Magic Round Stats – Point Scoring
- Sunday is the day to see the most points, noting the Thursday night game was a stupid idea and only lasted one season.
- South Sydney have scored exactly 32 points in all three Magic Round games.
2023 NRL Magic Round Stats – Remember When….
THE NRL’S CRACKDOWN SORT OF RUINED THE 2021 EDITION
As always the NRL thought they were doing the right thing, but a rule crackdown just in time for the showpiece game? Absurd. Although, there were a few sickening moments that deserved a harsh penalty.
So below are a few visuals to remind you how off the charts the 2021 Magic Round was. Although almost defying belief that game four that season was the third least penalised game in the three Magic Round weekends.
NRL Magic Round Stats – Suncorp Stadium Record
Some teams are simply better at Suncorp Stadium than others.
For some teams, their form is quite worrying. Although, the worst team at Suncorp Stadium is the Canberra Raiders and they won their most recent encounter at The Cauldron.
As ever Melbourne have a better record in Queensland than anyone, perhaps they are more appreciative of the sunshine when they leave their home state. Or that half of their side are Quenslanders.
Interestingly, the two best teams at Suncorp Stadium since 2013 – Melbourne and South Sydney face each other. Which is welcome relief for Bunnies fans as it avoids a trip to the results graveyard that is AAMI Park in Melbourne.
At the other end, the two teams with the worst record at Suncorp Stadium since the Stadium was re-opened for the NRL are facing each other in the Magic Round opener.
For general interest Brisbane’s record at Suncorp Stadium as the away team in W5 L7. It’s W3 L3 on a Friday.
Melbourne have actually lost their last three games at Suncorp Stadium in games not featuring the Broncos.
2023 NRL Magic Round Stats – Team Stats
Want to know the most penalised teams at Magic Round. Perhaps the team with the most tackle breaks. Or the less disciplined team to avoid this weekend.
Well below are all the teams stats from the first three Magic Rounds at Suncorp Stadium.
2023 NRL Magic Round Stats – Player Stats
To round out the 2023 NRL Magic Round Stats, here are the best of the best playing stats from the three seasons of the Magic Round.
