League Player Ratings ? Elimination Semi Finals

And then there were four. After two one-sided semi finals over the weekend, the Newcastle Knights and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are no longer in the running for the 2006 Telstra Premiership. With their comprehensive victories the St.George Illawarra Dragons and Brisbane Broncos live to fight another day in the Preliminary Finals this weekend.

League Player Ratings is the only non-newspaper affiliated Ratings service covering the NRL and after completing the regular season for subscribers, NSC is covering the Finals for League Unlimited.

The LPR is a ranking out of 10, as a guide 3 is the lowest score and for a very early injury, 4 is for an mid-game injury if nothing significant was done or a player has a very poor performance, 5 is a poor performance below standard, 6 is a standard performance, 7 is a very good performance, 8 is an excellent performance, 9 is an outstanding performance and 10 is an unbelievable performance.

Here is the LPR for every player in Week Two of the Finals, and for those who like the 3-2-1 method it is included after each Team List incorporating the LPR.

1st Elimination Semi Final

ST.GEORGE-ILLAWARRA 28 def MANLY-WARRINGAH 0

Man of the Match ? Luke BAILEY, STI

And you thought Bailey had a superb game last weekend. This was the best performance from a front rower this season and even though his stats don?t have the gaudiness you?d think would accompany a statement like that ? just re-watch the game tape and see how the front row position should be played. Every hit-up had vigour in it, every hit-up had interest metres tacked on the end, every hit-up was a statement that Bailey was not prepared to end his career at the Dragons just yet. If the Dragons are to get by the Storm and into the Grand Final, they need Bailey (and his partners in crime ? Justin Poore and Jason Ryles) to reproduce another sterling effort like this.

POS DRAGONS LPR

FB GREENSHIELDS, Clint 7
WI NAIQAMA, Wes 7
CE MILLARD, Daryl 6
CE COOPER, Matt 7
WI MORRIS, Brett 8
FE BARRETT, Trent ? 7
HB HORNBY, Ben 7
PR BAILEY, Luke 9
HK GORRELL, Aaron 6
PR RYLES, Jason 7
SR BICKERSTAFF, Matt 7
SR SIMS, Ashton 7
LK TIMMINS, Shaun 6
BN CREAGH, Ben 7
BN WICKS, Danny 6
BN POORE, Justin 8
BN HEAD, Mathew 6
TEAM TOTALS 118


POS SEA EAGLES LPR

FB STEWART, Brett 5
WI ROBERTSON, Michael 6
CE HICKS, Chris 6
CE MATAI, Steve 6
WI STEPHENSON, Paul 5
FE BURNS, Travis 5
HB ORFORD, Matt 6
PR KING, Jason 6
HK MONAGHAN, Michael 5
PR KITE, Brent 7
SR MENZIES, Steven 7
SR WATMOUGH, Anthony 5
LK KENNEDY, Ben ? 7
BN DUNLEY, Shayne 6
BN WILLIAMSON, Luke 4
BN LEULUAI, Kylie 6
BN BRYANT, Mark 5
TEAM TOTALS 97

3 ? L Bailey (9/STI) 2 ? B Morris (8/STI) 1 ? J Poore (8/STI)

2nd Elimination Semi Final

BRISBANE BRONCOS 50 def NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS 6

Man of the Match ? Darren LOCKYER, BRI

In a game when the Broncos were ruthless after withstanding Newcastle?s opening 15 minutes, Lockyer was only one of six players who had excellent games. Just edged Shaun Berrigan for the award on the back of a strong kicking game and his constant movement to get into position for possession on both sides of the field. This is Lockyer?s greatest strength since moving to five-eighth. He lost an element of his support play shifting from fullback but he has evolved into a playmaker who touches the ball regularly on both sides of the field. His Try Involvement Ratio (Tries+Primary Assists+Secondary Assists/Total Team Tries) was an impressive 62.5% (from 1 Try, 2 Primary Assists and 2 Secondary Assists) ahead of Berrigan at 50% (2PA+2SA). We told you he was in great form entering the Finals and that the Dragons game may have been an aberration and Lockyer proved that correct.

POS KNIGHTS LPR

FB GIDLEY, Kurt 8
WI CARNEY, Brian 5
CE GIDLEY, Matthew 5
CE CARMONT, George 5
WI QUINN, Anthony 5
FE MULLEN, Jarrod 5
HB JOHNS, Andrew ? 6
PR PERRY, Josh 4
HK QUIGLEY, Luke 6
PR WOOLNOUGH, Adam 6
SR REYNOLDSON, Kirk 5
SR NEWTON, Clint 5
LK TANNER, Reegan 5
BN DAVICO, Luke 5
BN SMITH, Craig 6
BN BROWN, Riley 5
BN LOWRIE, Todd 5
TEAM TOTALS 91

POS BRONCOS LPR

FB HODGES, Justin 8
WI BOYD, Darius 7
CE TATE, Brent 7
CE STAGG, David 7
WI HUNT, Karmichael 8
FE LOCKYER, Darren ? 8
HB PERRY, Shane 6
PR WEBCKE, Shane 7
HK BERRIGAN, Shaun 8
PR CIVONICEVA, Petero 8
SR THAIDAY, Sam 5
SR THORN, Brad 7
LK CARROLL, Tonie 8
BN PARKER, Corey 7
BN CARLAW, Dane 6
BN HANNANT, Ben 5
BN McGUIRE, Casey 6
TEAM TOTALS 118

3 ? D Lockyer (8/BRI) 2 ? S Berrigan (8/BRI) 1 ? P Civoniceva (8/BRI)

CENTREBET PREMIERSHIP MARKET ? September 18, 2006

$3.20 Dragons (Last Week: $4.65)
$3.25 Bulldogs (LW: $3.00)
$3.75 Broncos (LW: $6.00)
$4.25 Storm (LW: $3.40)

The Player of the Finals [must play in 3 games (incl. Grand Final) to qualify and sorted on Average LPR]
After 2 Games Minium
8.5 - L Bailey (STI)
7.5 - P Civoniceva, S Webcke, J Hodges (BRI), C Greenshields, B Morris (STI)

League Player Ratings will return following the completion of next weekend?s Preliminary Finals.