Monday's Expert - Week 2 Finals wrap

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Monday's Expert is here - with a full wrap of everything happening around the rugby league traps this Monday 23 September 2019. Includes match review charges, POTY leaderboard, crowds, ratings and injury news.

First things first...

The results are in. Check out how the second weekend of the NRL Finals played out in our one-page results wrap. You can check out results from across the NSWRL and QRL competitions, as well as Super League and Championship here.

Our match reports for the second week of NRL Finals and Round 2 of NRLW can be found here.

Our Road to Glory Finals Guide maps out how the NRL, NSWRL, QRL, BRL, and RFL finals series' proceed in the coming weeks. Check it out here.

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

Match review

Five players are on the charge sheet from the second weekend of finals.

Brad Parker (Sea Eagles)

• Grade 1 Tripping
• 54th minute, on James Roberts
• Base penalty $1500 fine
• 1 similar prior offence (last 2 years) - 50% loading
• Guilty / no contest = $2250 fine
• Guilty (early plea) = $1700 fine
• PLEA: Guilty - early plea
• OUTCOME: $1700 fine

Dane Gagai (Rabbitohs)

• Grade 1 Contrary Conduct
• 29th minute, on Jack Gosiewski
• Base penalty $1500 fine
• Guilty / no contest = $1500 fine
• Guilty (early plea) = $1150 fine
• PLEA: Guilty - early plea
• OUTCOME: $1150 fine

Cody Walker (Rabbitohs)

• Grade 1 Contrary Conduct
• 29th minute, on Jack Gosiewski
• Base penalty $1500 fine
• Guilty / no contest = $1500 fine
• Guilty (early plea) = $1150 fine
• PLEA: Guilty - early plea
• OUTCOME: $1150 fine

Maika Sivo (Eels)

• Grade 1 Shoulder Charge
• 10th minute, on Ryan Papenhuyzen
• Base penalty 200 points
• 1 non-similar prior offence (last 2 years) - 20% loading
• Guilty / no contest = 240 points (2 matches)
• Guilty (early plea) = 180 points (1 match)
• PLEA: Guilty - early plea
• OUTCOME: Suspended 1 match. 80 carryover points accrued.

Cameron Smith (Storm)

• Grade 1 Contrary Conduct
• 30th minute, on Reed Mahoney
• Base penalty $1500 fine
• 1 non-similar prior offence (last 2 years) - 20% loading
• Guilty / no contest = $1800 fine
• Guilty (early plea) = $1350 fine
• PLEA: Guilty - early plea
• OUTCOME: $1350 fine

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:

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

And here's the leaderboard for the NRL Women's Premiership:

4 points - Rona Peters (Broncos), Botille Vette-Welsh (Dragons)
3 points - Charntay Poko (Warriors), Ali Brigginshaw (Broncos), Kezie Apps (Dragons)
2 points - Amber Pilley (Broncos), Corban McGregor (Roosters)
1 point - Tamika Upton (Broncos), Maddie Studdon (Dragons), Jules Newman (Warriors)

Sore points

A quick look at some of the injury news to come out of the Week 2 Finals:

Alex Johnston, Adam Doueihi, Sam Burgess (Rabbitohs) - concussion - monitored

James Roberts (Rabbitohs) - hand - TBC

Clint Gutherson, Marata Niukore, Tepai Moeroa (Eels) - concussion

The good news

Here's who clubs could be expecting back in the second weekend of the finals, returning either from suspension, resting or injury - keep an eye out for their names on Tuesday as teamlists are named:

Roosters: Jake Friend

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.

Finals Week 2 attendance (times are AEST)

Finals Week 2 ratings

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

Grand Finals await!

Next weekend sees six Grand Finals take place across three venues in the NSWRL and QRL major competitions.

Check out our Finals Guide for all the updates on each competition, or head to the NSWRL and QRL websites for more details.

And indeed congratulations to Wynnum Manly Seagulls who were crowned Brisbane Rugby League A Grade premiers on Saturday, taking out the 2019 In Safe Hands Cup with a 22-20 win over Valleys.