Monday's Expert - Round 18 wrap

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Monday's Expert is here - with a full wrap of everything happening around the rugby league traps this Monday 22 July 2019. Includes match review charges, POTY leaderboard, crowds, ratings and injury news.

First things first...

The results are in. Check out how Round 18 played out in our one-page results wrap. You can check out results from any competition across the NSWRL and QRL, as well as Super League and Championship here.

Our match reports for the eighteenth round can be found here.

And while we're on it, thank you as always to our dedicated volunteer updaters and writers - Justin Davies, Rob Crosby, Andrew Jackson, Andrew Ferguson, Sam Bourke and Josh Robertson.

Match review

Seven players charged in Round 18:

Viliame Kikau (Panthers). 64th minute, Grade 1 Shoulder Charge on Darren Nicholls
Base penalty 200 points
One (1) non-similar prior offence last 2 yrs (20% loading)
Guilty / no contest 240 points (2 matches)
Early guilty plea 180 points (1 match)
PLEA: Not guilty - faces judiciary Tuesday night.
OUTCOME: Guilty. Suspended 2 matches. 40 carryover points accrued.

Andrew Fifita (Sharks). 68th minute, Grade 1 Contrary Conduct on Lachlan Burr
Base penalty 200 points
One (1) non-similar prior offence last 2 yrs (20% loading)
Guilty / no contest 240 points (2 matches)
Early guilty plea 180 points (1 match)
PLEA: Guilty - early plea
OUTCOME: Suspended 1 match. 80 carryover points accrued.

Thomas Flegler (Broncos). 7th minute, Grade 1 Dangerous Contact (head/neck) on Marcelo Montoya
Base penalty 100 points
One (1) similar prior offence last 2 yrs (50% loading)
Guilty / no contest 150 points (1 match)
Early guilty plea 112 points (1 match)
PLEA: Guilty - early plea
OUTCOME: Suspended 1 match. 12 carryover points accrued.

Kotoni Staggs (Broncos). 30th minute, Grade 1 Dangerous Contact (other) on Corey Harawira-Naera
Base penalty 100 points
Guilty / no contest 100 points (1 match)
Early guilty plea 75 points (0 matches)
PLEA: Guilty - early plea
OUTCOME: No suspension. 75 carryover points accrued.

Suliasi Vunivalu (Storm). 41st minute, Grade 1 Dangerous Contact (other) on Philip Sami
Base penalty 100 points
One (1) similar prior offence last 2 yrs (50% loading)
Guilty / no contest 150 points (1 match)
Early guilty plea 112 points (1 match)
PLEA: Guilty - early plea
OUTCOME: Suspended 1 match. 12 carryover points accrued.

Brenko Lee (Titans). 49th minute, Grade 1 Dangerous Contact (other) on Suliasi Vunivalu
Base penalty 100 points
Guilty / no contest 100 points (1 match)
Early guilty plea 75 points (0 matches)
PLEA: Guilty - early plea
OUTCOME: No suspension. 75 carryover points accrued.

Joe Stimson (Storm). 62nd minute, Grade 1 Dangerous Contact (other) on Tyrone Roberts
Base penalty 100 points
Guilty / no contest 100 points (1 match)
Early guilty plea 75 points (0 matches)
PLEA: Guilty - early plea
OUTCOME: No suspension. 75 carryover points accrued.

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:

21 points - James Tedesco (Roosters)
20 points - Cameron Smith (Storm), Cameron Munster (Storm)
19 points - James Maloney (Panthers)
18 points - Cody Walker (Rabbitohs)
17 points - Mitchell Pearce (Knights), Jason Taumalolo (Cowboys)
16 points - Mitchell Moses (Eels), Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (Raiders)
15 points - David Klemmer (Knights), Josh Papalii (Raiders), Anthony Milford (Broncos)
14 points - Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (Warriors), Daly Cherry-Evans (Sea Eagles)
13 points - Damien Cook (Rabbitohs)
12 points - Payne Haas (Broncos), Blake Green (Warriors), John Bateman (Raiders)
11 points - Clint Gutherson (Eels), Robbie Farah (Wests Tigers), Ryan Papenhuyzen (Storm), Adam Reynolds (Rabbitohs), Luke Keary (Roosters), James Fisher-Harris (Panthers), Kalyn Ponga (Knights), Shaun Johnson (Sharks)
10 points - Cameron Murray (Rabbitohs), Tyrone Roberts (Titans), Ben Hunt (Dragons), Latrell Mitchell (Roosters), Tom Trbojevic (Sea Eagles)
9 points - Michael Morgan (Cowboys), Luke Brooks (Wests Tigers)
8 points - Manase Fainu (Sea Eagles), Jake Trbojevic (Sea Eagles), Kenneath Bromwich (Storm), Benji Marshall (Wests Tigers), Corey Norman (Dragons), Martin Taupau (Sea Eagles), Siosiua Taukeiaho (Roosters)
7 points - Jahrome Hughes (Storm), Nathan Cleary (Panthers), John Asiata (Cowboys)
6 points - Kieran Foran (Bulldogs), Josh Hodgson (Raiders), Paul Vaughan (Dragons), Viliame Kikau (Panthers)
5 points - Ryan Matterson (Wests Tigers), Brian Kelly (Titans), Aiden Tolman (Bulldogs), Josh Morris (Sharks), Corey Oates (Broncos), Briton Nikora (Sharks), Blake Ferguson (Eels), Brian To'o (Panthers)
4 points - Will Hopoate (Bulldogs), Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (Panthers), Ryan Sutton (Raiders), Issac Luke (Warriors), Matthew Lodge (Broncos), Corey Thompson (Wests Tigers), Reed Mahoney (Eels), Nelson Asofa-Solomona (Storm), Jesse Bromwich (Storm), Kane Elgey (Sea Eagles), Andrew Fifita (Sharks), Chanel Harris-Tavita (Warriors), Josh Addo-Carr (Storm), Jayden Okunbor (Bulldogs), Chad Townsend (Sharks), Brodie Croft (Storm), Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Roosters), Brandon Smith (Storm)
3 points - Lachlan Croker (Sea Eagles), Sam Burgess (Rabbitohs), Joe Ofahengaue (Broncos), Manu Ma'u (Eels), Josh Jackson (Bulldogs), Liam Martin (Panthers), Joseph Manu (Roosters), Kyle Flanagan (Sharks), Paul Gallen (Sharks), Boyd Cordner (Roosters), Kodi Nikorima (Broncos), Ken Maumalo (Warriors), Braden Hamlin-Uele (Sharks), Jack Wighton (Raiders), Matt Moylan (Sharks), Corey Harawira-Naera (Bulldogs), Moses Mbye (Wests Tigers), James Graham (Dragons), Josh Reynolds (Wests Tigers), Jarrod Croker (Raiders), Brendan Elliot (Sea Eagles), Michael Gordon (Titans), Tevita Pangai (Broncos), Jai Arrow (Titans), Aidan Sezer (Raiders), Nathan Brown (Eels), Connor Watson (Knights), David Fifita (Broncos), John Sutton (Rabbitohs), Josh McGuire (Cowboys), Brandon Wakeham (Bulldogs), Jarome Luai (Panthers)
2 points - Jarrod Wallace (Titans), Reuben Garrick (Sea Eagles), Josh Mansour (Panthers), Mason Lino (Knights), Jazz Tevaga (Warriors), Curtis Sironen (Sea Eagles), Moeaki Fotuaika (Titans), Bronson Xerri (Sharks), Connor Tracey (Rabbitohs), Jake Clifford (Cowboys), Josh Hoffman (Eels), Scott Drinkwater (Storm), Kyle Feldt (Cowboys), Wade Graham (Sharks), Herman Ese'ese (Knights), Jake Turpin (Broncos), Blake Lawrie (Dragons), Jayden Brailey (Sharks), Ryan James (Titans), Phillip Sami (Titans), Michael Jennings (Eels), Isaac Liu (Roosters), Michael Chee-Kam (Wests Tigers), Jordan Rapana (Raiders), Andrew McCullough (Broncos), Lachlan Lewis (Bulldogs), Addin Fonua-Blake (Sea Eagles), Alex Twal (Wests Tigers), Joseph Leilua (Raiders), Danny Levi (Knights), Suliasi Vunivalu (Storm), Matt Scott (Cowboys), Daniel Alvaro (Eels), Edrick Lee (Knights), Dylan Brown (Eels), Joe Lovodua (Dragons)
1 point - Brad Takairangi (Eels), Mitchell Barnett (Knights), Jacob Host (Dragons), Nathaniel Roache (Warriors), Shaun Lane (Eels), Jack Bird (Broncos), Adam Elliott (Bulldogs), Russell Packer (Wests Tigers), Braidon Burns (Rabbitohs), Brett Morris (Roosters), Tariq Sims (Dragons), Tepai Moeroa (Eels), Sitili Tupouniua (Roosters), Jack Cogger (Bulldogs), Jack Gosiewski (Sea Eagles), Jake Granville (Cowboys), James Tamou (Panthers), Agnatius Paasi (Warriors), Peta Hiku (Warriors), Jack Williams (Sharks), Cade Cust (Sea Eagles), Liam Knight (Rabbitohs), Anthony Don (Titans), Daniel Tupou (Roosters), Matt Ikuvalu (Roosters), Matthew Dufty (Dragons), Thomas Burgess (Rabbitohs), Christian Crichton (Bulldogs), Matt Prior (Sharks)

Sore points

A quick look at the injury news to come out of Round 18:

Matt Moylan (Sharks) - hamstring - monitored

Blake Ferguson (Eels) - knee - 1-2 weeks

AJ Brimson (Titans) - corked buttock - monitored

Jake Friend (Roosters) - forearm - TBC

Kodi Nikorima (Warriors) - ankle - TBC

David Fusitu'a (Warriors) - hamstring - 1-2 weeks

Marcelo Montoya (Bulldogs) - MCL - 3-4 weeks

The good news

Here's who clubs could be expecting back this week either from suspension or injury - keep an eye out for their names on Tuesday as teamlists are named:

Broncos: Matt Gillett

Raiders: Hudson Young

Bulldogs: Aiden Tolman, Kieran Foran, Lachlan Lewis

Sharks: Matt Moylan, Josh Morris

Titans: Ryley Jacks

Sea Eagles: Cade Cust

Storm: Cameron Munster, Josh Addo-Carr, Felise Kaufusi, Will Chambers, Christian Welch

Knights: Kalyn Ponga, Mitchell Barnett

Cowboys: Michael Morgan

Eels: Waqa Blake

Panthers: Liam Martin

Rabbitohs: Kyle Turner, Sam Burgess, Thomas Burgess

Dragons: Ben Hunt, Zac Lomax

Roosters: Zane Tetevano

Warriors: Patrick Herbert, Ken Maumalo, Karl Lawton

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 18 attendance (times are AEST)

After eighteen rounds last year (NRL season 2018), 2,055,578 had attended 136 matches at an average of 15,115 per game.

Round 18 ratings

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

One last thing...

This coming weekend is Beanies for Brain Cancer Round in the NRL. Head on over to the Mark Hughes Foundation and get behind this wonderful cause.