Monday's Expert - Round 5 wrap

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Monday's Expert is back - with a full wrap of everything happening around the rugby league traps this Monday 15 April 2019. Includes match review charges, POTY leaderboard, crowds, ratings and injury news.

First things first...

The results are in. Check out how Round 5 played out in our one-page results wrap.

Our match reports for the fifth round can be found here. And while we're on it, another massive thank you to our dedicated volunteer updaters - Andrew Jackson, Sam Bourke, Josh Robertson, Andrew Ferguson and Mick Radojkovic, as well as preview writers Rob Crosby and Justin Davies.

Match review

A whole bunch of players came under Match Review scrutiny in Round 5.

Mitch Rein (Titans). 10th minute, Grade 1 Dangerous Throw on Nathan Cleary.
Base penalty 100 points
No prior offences last two years.
Guilty / no contest 100 points (one matches)
Early guilty plea 75 points (no suspension)
OUTCOME: Early plea taken. No suspension. 75 carryover points accrued.

Jarrod Wallace (Titans). 55th minute, Grade 1 Shoulder Charge on Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
Base penalty 200 points
One similar & one non-similar prior offence last two years (70% loading)
Guilty / no contest 340 points (three matches)
Early guilty plea 255 points (two matches)
OUTCOME: Early plea taken. Suspended two matches. 55 carryover points accrued.

Josh McGuire (Cowboys). 17th minute, Grade 1 Contrary Conduct on Cameron Munster.
Base penalty $1,500 fine
Three similar prior offences last two years (150% loading)
Guilty / no contest $3,750 fine
Early guilty plea $3,350 fine
OUTCOME: Early plea taken. $3,350 fine.

Nene Macdonald (Cowboys). 26th minute, Grade 1 Dangerous Contact (head/neck) on Cameron Munster.
Base penalty 100 points
No prior offences last two years
Guilty / no contest 100 points (one match)
Early guilty plea 75 points (no suspension)
OUTCOME: Pleaded no contest. Suspended one match.

Kurt Baptiste (Cowboys). 76th minute, Grade 1 Dangerous Contact (other) on Cameron Munster.
Base penalty 100 points
No prior offences last two years
Guilty / no contest 100 points (one match)
Early guilty plea 75 points (no suspension)
OUTCOME: Early plea taken. No suspension. 75 carryover points accrued

Christian Welch (Storm). 79th minute, Grade 1 Dangerous Contact (other) on Te Maire Martin.
Base penalty 100 points
No prior offences last two years
Guilty / no contest 100 points (one match)
Early guilty plea 75 points (no suspension)
OUTCOME: Early plea taken. No suspension. 75 carryover points accrued.

Addin Fonua-Blake (Sea Eagles). 69th minute, Grade 1 Careless High Tackle on Mitchell Pearce.
Base penalty 100 points
1 similar and 2 non-similar prior offences last two years (90% loading)
70 carryover points to be added.
Guilty / no contest 260 points (two matches)
Early guilty plea 212 points (two matches)
OUTCOME: Pleaded not guilty at judiciary. Found guilty at judiciary, suspended two matches.

Joseph Manu (Roosters). 51st minute, Grade 1 Dangerous Contact (head/neck) on Sione Katoa.
Base penalty 100 points
1 similar and 1 non-similar prior offences last two years (70% loading)
Guilty / no contest 127 points (one match)
Early guilty plea 170 points (one match)
OUTCOME: Pleaded not guilty. Found guilty at judiciary, suspended one match.

Curtis Sironen (Sea Eagles). 15th minute, Grade 1 Careless High Tackle on Kalyn Ponga.
Base penalty 100 points
No prior offences last two years
Guilty / no contest $1,500 fine
Early guilty plea $1,150 fine
OUTCOME: Early plea taken. $1,150 fine.

Mikaele Ravalawa (Dragons). 10th, Grade 1 Dangerous Throw on Kerrod Holland.
Base penalty 100 points
No prior offences last two years
Guilty / no contest 100 points (one match)
Early guilty plea 75 points (no suspension)
OUTCOME: Early plea taken. No suspension. 75 carryover points accrued.

Sauaso Sue (Bulldogs). 37th minute, Grade 1 Dangerous Contact (head/neck) on Jordan Pereira.
Base penalty 100 points
Two non-similar prior offences last two years (40% loading)
55 carryover points to be added.
Guilty / no contest 195 points (one match)
Early guilty plea 160 points (one match)
OUTCOME: Early plea taken. Suspended two matches.

Sauaso Sue (Bulldogs). 52nd minute, Grade 1 Dangerous Contact (other) on Paul Vaughan.
Base penalty 100 points
One similar, one non-similar prior offence last two years (70% loading)
55 carryover points to be added
Guilty / no contest 225 points (two matches)
Early guilty plea 182 points (one match)
OUTCOME: Early plea taken. Suspended two matches.

The LU Leaderboard

At the conclusion of each match our reporters 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:

10 points - Cameron Munster (MEL)

9 points - Adam Reynolds (SOU), Daly Cherry-Evans (MAN)

7 points - Robbie Farah (WST)

6 points - Shaun Johnson (CRO), James Tedesco (SYD), Blake Green (WAR), Clint Gutherson (PAR), Paul Vaughan (SGI), Cody Walker (SOU), Luke Keary (SYD), John Bateman (CAN)

5 points - Blake Ferguson (PAR), Kenny Bromwich (MEL), Luke Brooks (WST), James Fisher Harris (PEN), Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (WAR), David Klemmer (NEW), Josh Papali'i (CAN)

4 points - Cameron Smith (MEL), Ben Hunt (SGI), Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (CAN)

3 points - Jason Taumalolo (NQL), Jarrod Croker (CAN), Sam Burgess (SOU), Corey Oates (BRI), Tevita Pangai Junior (BRI), Briton Nikora (CRO), James Maloney (PEN), Tom Trbojevic (MAN), Kieran Foran (CBY), Josh Reynolds (WST), Josh Hodgson (CAN), Mitchell Moses (PAR), Jahrome Hughes (MEL), Corey Norman (SGI)

2 points - Edrick Lee (NEW), Cameron Murray (SOU), Benji Marshall (WST), Michael Morgan (NQL), Dylan Brown (PAR), Suliasi Vunivalu (MEL), Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (SYD), Andrew McCullough (BRI), Isaac Liu (SYD), Chad Townsend (CRO), Brodie Croft (MEL), Jayden Okunbor (CBY), Martin Taupau (MAN), Siosiua Taukeiaho (SYD), Chanel Harris-Tavita (WAR), Nathan Cleary (PEN), Jordan Rapana (CAN), Daniel Alvaro (PAR), Lachlan Lewis (CBY), Kalyn Ponga (NEW), Michael Chee-Kam (WST), Ryan James (GLD), Jake Trbojevic (MAN), Latrell Mitchell (SYD)

1 point - Nathaniel Roache (WAR), Russell Packer (WST), John Asiata (NQL), Braidon Burns (SOU), Jack Bird (BRI), Jai Arrow (GLD), Mitch Barnett (NEW), Shaun Lane (PAR), Benji Marshall (WST), Manase Fainu (MAN), Matt Prior (CRO), Josh Addo-Carr (MEL), Anthony Don (GLD), Matt Ikuvalu (SYD), Alex Twal (WST), Joseph Leilua (CAN), Michael Gordon (GLD), Damien Cook (SOU), Josh Morris (CRO), James Graham (SGI)

Sore points

A quick look at the injury news to come out of Round 5:

Joseph Tapine (CAN) - ankle - 3 months

Blake Ferguson (PAR) - nose, ribs - scans

Nene Macdonald (NQL) - ankle - season

Aidan Guerra (NEW) - broken leg - Round 22

Mitchell Pearce (NEW) - concussion - monitored

Isaah Yeo (PEN) - shoulder - cleared

Paul Vaughan (SGI) - ankle - monitored

Ash Taylor (GLD) - ACL (minor) - monitored

Metrics Metrics Metrics

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

Round 5 attendance (times are AEST)

After five rounds last year (NRL season 2018), 645,326 had attended 40 matches at an average of 16,133 per game. However, Round 4 in 2018 was the Easter weekend, compared to Round 6 (next weekend) this year.

Round 5 ratings

Note: Ratings figures courtesy of Mediaweek Australia on Twitter and TV Tonight.

One last thing...

Congratulations to Greg Inglis on a wonderful career. After 263 NRL games for the Storm and Rabbitohs, 32 Origins for Queensland and 39 Tests for Australia, the legendary centre & fullback is hanging up his boots. Check out the full story on the Rabbitohs website.