Monday's Expert - Round 15 wrap

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Monday's Expert is here - with a full wrap of everything happening around the rugby league traps this Monday 1 July 2019. Includes match review charges, POTY leaderboard, crowds, ratings and injury news.

First things first...

The results are in. Check out how Round 15 played out in our one-page results wrap.

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

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

Match review

Four players charged in Round 15:

Tariq Sims (Dragons). 45th minute, Grade 2 Dangerous Contact (head/neck) on Michael Morgan
Base penalty 300 points
Guilty / no contest 300 points (3 matches)
Early guilty plea 225 points (2 matches)
PLEA: Not guilty. To face jucidiary Tuesday.
OUTCOME: Guilty at judiciary - charge downgraded to Grade 1. One (1) match suspension.

Jesse Bromwich (Storm). 15th minute, Grade 1 Dangerous Contact (head/neck) on Siosiua Taukieaho
Base penalty 100 points
Guilty / no contest 100 points (1 match)
Early guilty plea 75 points (0 matches)
PLEA: Early guilty plea.
OUTCOME: No suspension, 75 carryover points accrued.

Peni Terepo (Eels). 28th minute, Grade 2 Reckless High Tackle on Jordan Rapana
Base penalty 400 points
Guilty / no contest 400 points (four matches)
Early guilty plea 300 points (three matches)
PLEA: Early guilty plea
OUTCOME: Three (3) match suspension.

George Burgess (Rabbitohs). 7th minute, Dangerous Contact (head/neck - eye contact) on Robbie Farah
Referred to judiciary
One (1) similar prior offences (50% loading)
PLEA: Guilty at judiciary.
OUTCOME: Nine (9) match suspension.

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:

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

Sore points

A quick look at the injury news to come out of Round 15:

Nathaniel Roache (Warriors) - ACL - TBC

Edrick Lee (Knights) - broken arm - 6 weeks

Richie Kennar (Broncos) - shoulder - TBC

Kalyn Ponga (Knights/QLD) - calf - 2 weeks

Michael Morgan (Cowboys/QLD) - concussion - monitored

Kieran Foran (Bulldogs) - hamstring - monitored

Josh Aloiai (Wests Tigers) - illness - monitored 

Jahrome Hughes (Storm) - back - 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 15 attendance (times are AEST)

After fifteen rounds last year (NRL season 2018), 1,754,323 had attended 116 matches at an average of 15,123 per game.

Round 15 ratings

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

One last thing...

The Queensland team was named this morning for next Wednesday's third and deciding State of Origin clash. NSW are expected to name their squad this afternoon.

State of Origin III teamlists