PAUL Cullen believes a new statistics system available to all 12 Super League clubs is helping to make the league more competitive.

The majority of Super League matches so far this season have been tight affairs and Cullen has praised the RFL for providing every club with the Opta system for a cost of around £15,000.

"This year all 12 clubs are using the Opta stats system, which is a fantastic system," he said.

"In the past, depending on your budget and what system you used, the level of information being fed to each team varied.

"These days we all have exactly the same system, the same salary cap in theory and the same overseas quota.

"We see as much of the opposition in preparation as they see of us, and the referees are watching as many videos as we are now.

"But any data is only as good as the information put in and taken out.

"Last year we ran an independent stats and video system and would input all our own information into our own stats system.

"With Opta it's a completely independent stats system so the same people watch all the tapes and type in the same information.

"You're then delivered the same system by the same people. All you do is put in and take out what you want.

"It's the same quality of information being given and the only variable is your ability as a coach to pick up certain issues from the video.

"It means that everyone has equal access to the same data and that's another reason why games are so tight this year.

"The RFL don't get much praise but they need to be praised because they have put that information in front of all 12 clubs. It's a centralised contract.

"It's for the benefit of the game in general. The big call from the NRL is that the games are more competitive there and thus it is more intense and the standard is higher every week.

"The RFL are saying if you are not at this level, you should be.

"I think it's a fantastic package and at Warrington we now operate two systems.

"We use the one that everyone uses and we still run the old one that we had so we can do anything we specifically want on it."

And Cullen is convinced that Super League is a more even competition this year.

"The results speak for themselves," he said.

"There are no easy games at all, as proven by Hull KR and the Catalans.

"Anyone who thinks they are going to get a day off is kidding themselves."