Monday's Expert - 2020 NRL Round 2

Monday's Expert is back in 2020 - each week providing a full wrap of everything happening around the rugby league traps each Monday.

Each edition will include NRL match review charges & judiciary updates, our player of the year leaderboard, crowd stats, TV ratings and injury news.

First things first...

Our Round 2 wrap of the NRL results can be found easily here.

Match reports for NRL matches are here.

A huge thanks to the following legends for putting hard work into our weekly previews and live blogs of NRL games - Rob Crosby, Sam Bourke, Josh Robertson, Justin Davies, Andrew Jackson, Andrew Ferguson, Adam Huxtable and Hamish Parker.

COVID-19 - stay updated

We've got rolling of coverage of what the COVID-19 pandemic means for the NRL and rugby league in general.

As events unfold, keep across it here.

Match review

Only five players were charged in Round 2.

Sia Soliola (Raiders)

• Grade 1 Careless High Tackle
• 39th minute
• on Adam Blair (Warriors)
• Base penalty $1500 fine
• 1 similar prior offence last 2 yrs (50% loading)
• Guilty / no contest $2250 fine
• Early plea $1700 fine
• PLEA: Guilty - early plea
• OUTCOME: $1700 fine

Kalyn Ponga (Knights)

• Grade 1 Shoulder Charge
• 72nd minute
• on Corey Thompson (Wests Tigers)
• Base penalty 200 points
• 1 non-similar prior offence last 2 yrs (20% loading)
• Guilty / no contest 240 points = 2 matches
• Early plea 180 points = 1 match
• PLEA: Guilty - early plea
• OUTCOME: Suspended 1 match. 80 carryover points accrued

Luciano Leilua (Wests Tigers)

• Grade 1 Dangerous Contact (head/neck)
• 76th minute
• on Kalyn Ponga (Knights)
• Base penalty 100 points
• No prior offences last two years
• Guilty / no contest 100 points = 1 match
• Early plea 75 points = no suspension
• PLEA: Guilty - early plea
• OUTCOME: No suspension. 75 carryover points accrued

Nathan Brown (Eels)

• Grade 2 Dangerous Contact (other)
• 15th minute
• on Dale Copley (Titans)
• Base penalty 200 points
• One non-similar prior offence (20% loading)
• 42 carryover points to be added
• Guilty / no contest 240+42=282 points = 2 matches
• Early plea 180+42=222 points = 2 matches
• PLEA: Guilty - early plea
• OUTCOME: Suspended 2 matches. 22 carryover points accrued.

Moeaki Fotuaika (Titans)

• Grade 1 Dangerous Contact (head/neck)
• 30th minute
• on Mitch Moses (Eels)
• Base penalty 100 points
• One similar prior offence (50% loading)
• Guilty / no contest 150 points = 1 match
• Early plea 112 points = 1 match
• PLEA: Not guilty.
• OUTCOME: Not guilty. Charge dismissed.

The LU Leaderboard

At the conclusion of each match our reporters will choose their best three players from the match. You can views those points in each match in their respective match reports. Each week we'll update the leaderboard.

5 points - Mitchell Pearce (Knights)

4 points - Mitchell Moses (Eels)

3 points - Kotoni Staggs (Broncos), Adam Reynolds (Rabbitohs), Jarrod Croker (Raiders), Isaah Yeo (Panthers), Nathan Cleary (Panthers), Jason Taumalolo (Cowboys), Cameron Smith (Storm), Dylan Brown (Eels), Benji Marshall (Wests Tigers), Cameron Munster (Storm), Jack Wighton (Raiders), David Klemmer (Knights), Jamayne Isaako (Broncos), Tom Trbojevic (Sea Eagles)

2 points - Michael Morgan (Cowboys), Stephen Crichton (Panthers), Michael Jennings (Eels), Anthony Milford (Broncos), Nick Cotric (Raiders), Sione Katoa (Bulldogs), Daly Cherry-Evans (Sea Eagles), David Nofoaluma (Wests Tigers), Kalyn Ponga (Knights), David Fifita (Broncos), Emre Guler (Raiders), Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (Bulldogs), Viliame Kikau (Panthers), Shaun Johnson (Sharks), Jahrome Hughes (Storm)

1 point - Tevita Pangai Junior (Broncos), Tyrell Fuimaono (Dragons), Connor Watson (Knights), Alex Twal (Wests Tigers), Reed Mahoney (Eels), Phillip Sami (Titans), Tui Kamikamica (Storm), Daniel Saifiti (Knights), George Williams (Raiders), James Tedesco (Roosters), Coen Hess (Cowboys), Ethan Lowe (Rabbitohs), Thomas Flegler (Broncos), Daniel Tupou (Roosters), Jake Trbojevic (Sea Eagles)

Sore points - injury update

Injury news that came out of Round 2 in March

Brodie Croft (Broncos) - shoulder - scans - 1/2 weeks
Corey Oates (Broncos) - ribs - monitored
Thomas Mikaele (Tigers) - MCL - scans
Dale Copley (Titans) - ribs - scans
Kevin Proctor (Titans) - hamstring - scans
Reed Mahoney (Eels) - ankle - scans
Mitch Barnett (Knights) - neck - July return

And those who've picked up injuries during the COVID-19 break:

Marcelo Montoya (Bulldogs) - hamstring - 8-12 weeks
David Fifita (Broncos) - knee - indefinite
Michael Morgan (Cowboys) - shoulder - 3 weeks

The good news - who's back?

The following players are likely or possible to return from injury or suspension this weekend.

Broncos - Alex Glenn, Corey Oates, Brodie Croft, Matt Lodge, Joe Ofahnegaue
Raiders - Siliva Havili, John Bateman
Bulldogs - Kerrod Holland, Kieran Foran
Sharks - Briton Nikora, Josh Dugan, Bronson Xerri, Wade Graham, Chad Townsend, Matt Moylan
Titans - AJ Brimson, Shannon Boyd, Kevin Proctor, Dale Copley, Keegan Hipgrave
Sea Eagles - Taniela Paseka
Storm - Brandon Smith, Tui Kamikamica, Nelson Asofa-Solomona
Knights - Sione Mata'utia, Herman Ese'ese, Bradman Best, Phoenix Crossland
Eels - Reed Mahoney
Panthers - Dylan Edwards, Kurt Capewell, Spencer Leniu
Dragons - Tariq Sims, Cameron McInnes, Mikaele Ravalawa, Korbin Sims
Roosters - Boyd Cordner
Warriors - Gerard Beale
Wests Tigers - Moses Mbye, Thomas Mikaele, Luke Brooks

The bad news - season over

A quick refresh on the players who are set to miss the 2020 campaign through injury

Jack Bird (Broncos) - ACL
Joe Stimson (Bulldogs) - shoulder
Cam King (Sharks) - ACL
Ryan James (Titans) - knee
Jayden Brailey (Knights) - knee
Billy Smith (Roosters) - knee
Taane Milne, Jackson Frei & Bunty Afoa (Warriors) - knee
Leeson Ah Mau (Warriors) - pectoral

Metrics Metrics Metrics

Each week we'll also do our best to keep you across the crowd figures and TV ratings which are often the most talked-about parts of the game.

Attendance

No attendance figures for the forseeable future!

Ratings

Footy's back!

We're ridiculously excited to have footy back this week. It's been a long and arduous road back to this point since March but we can't wait to bring you every NRL teamlist, preview, live update blog and match report, every round.

And keep an eye out later this week for some very special news from the LeagueUnlimited family!