Why is the skill of the place kick important in rugby league?

In the sport of Rugby League, the place kick is an extremely important aspect of the game and is frequently the difference between winning and losing (Owens & Schwetman 1995). Once a try has been successfully scored in a game, the kicker has the opportunity to take a place kick on the angle from which the try was scored to score an additional two points (Crilly & Pryor 2010). The optimal position for a successful conversion of a place kick is midway between the sides and directly in front of the target area. However, the rules and natures of the game keep the attempts of this particular shot to a minimum (Owens & Schwetman 1995).