Most tackles in a game: McInnes’ 81 and Houghton’s 85 explained

Cameron McInnes holds the NRL record for most tackles in a game with 81, made for Cronulla against Penrith on 29 July 2023. The NRL’s official profile still identifies him as the record holder as of 10 October 2026. Official NRL profile

A higher total was reported in Super League: Danny Houghton made 85 tackles for Hull FC against Warrington on 18 April 2021—but that match lasted 90 minutes, including golden-point extra time. The Rugby Football League reported it as a Super League record. Neither performance was in an international Test or Rugby League World Cup match. RFL record report

Why 81 and 85 are different answers

The number needs a competition label and a match-length qualification before it can be compared.

Player	Tackles made	Match	Time counted	Record scope
Cameron McInnes, Cronulla	81	Penrith 28–0 Cronulla, 29 July 2023	80 minutes	NRL single-match record
Danny Houghton, Hull FC	85	Hull FC 14–14 Warrington, 18 April 2021	90 minutes	Reported in 2021 as the Super League record, including extra time

McInnes’ date, total and 80-minute playing time appear in the NRL match centre. Houghton’s club report supplies the 85-tackle total and 90-minute duration.

Houghton’s breakdown is particularly important: 67 tackles in normal time, followed by 18 in the additional ten minutes. His 85 therefore should not be described as an 80-minute record. At the time, Hull FC distinguished his whole-match total from Morgan Smithies’ Super League regulation-time record of 72 against Salford in 2019. Hull FC’s breakdown

The historical coverage also matters. The RFL report states that Opta began recording tackling statistics in 2003. That qualification belongs to the published Super League record; it does not establish a complete tackle register for every earlier rugby league match.

What about international Tests and the World Cup?

These club records do not establish an all-time international single-game tackle maximum. They measure club performances, not appearances for national sides. Similarly, State of Origin is a separate representative category, not a Test competition.

International match statistics must also be read at the correct level. For example, the NRL’s record of the 2017 men’s World Cup final, which Australia won 6–0 against England, lists 374 tackles made by Australia and 379 by England. Those are team totals—not individual records, and not evidence of a World Cup maximum. 2017 final match centre

A defensible international record would need the player, national team, opponent, date and match status, alongside a consistent statistical definition and a stated period of coverage. No all-time international individual maximum is claimed in this article. A tournament total accumulated across several matches answers a different question again.

What counts as a tackle—and what does the total tell us?

The NRL defines “tackles made” as a defensive player successfully completing a tackle. It records missed and ineffective tackles separately, so these should not be added to the successful-tackle figure. Official NRL statistics definitions

A high total demonstrates defensive workload, not necessarily team dominance. McInnes’ record came in a 28–0 defeat; Penrith held 60 per cent of possession. His teammate Braden Hamlin-Uele put the distinction plainly: “It means we’re doing too much defence.” NRL’s post-match report

Use the tackle count alongside minutes played, possession and missed tackles—not as a standalone ranking of defensive quality.