Penrith punish rusty Roosters
12 hours ago | Aidan Edgecomb
Following another stand-out performance on the weekend, Cowboy?s forward Paul Rauhihi has maintained his lead in this year?s Leagueunlimited.com player?s awards. The powerhouse front rower picked up one competition point to move up to 22 points overall.
But last year?s winner, Melbourne halfback Matt Orford has thrown down the challenge with a three-point effort to storm into second place on 20 points.
Roosters? halfback Brett Finch is in third position on 19 points. Meanwhile skippers Danny Buderus (Knights) and Steve Price (Bulldogs) have bolted into contention and sit on 18 points.
Mathew Head (Dragons), Nathan Hindmarsh (Eels), the injured Brett Kimmorley (Sharks) and Darren Lockyer (Broncos) are all seemingly anchored on 17 points while Danny Nutley (Sharks) isn?t far away on 16 points. Sea Eagles play maker Andrew Walker is on 15 points but with just six rounds to go, will have to get a move on if he is to make impression on this year?s awards.
The Leagueunlimited.com players of the match are decided by our live score updaters and tallied here each week on Mondays Expert?s NRL wrap.
NRL wrap round 20
WESTS TIGERS 20 Tries: Hodgson, Richards, Laffranchi, Elford Goals: Hodgson 2/4 defeated by BULLDOGS 24 Tries: Perry, Tonga, El Masri, Anasta Goals: El Masri 4/5 Campbelltown Stadium Crowd: 16,540 Referee: Tony Archer Video Referee: Graeme West Touch Judges: Pat Reynolds, Steve Carrall Leagueunlimited.com players of the match: 3 - S Price (Bulldogs) 2 - B Hodgson (Tigers) 1 - M O'Meley (Bulldogs)
BRONCOS 26 Tries: Webb, Lockyer, Ryan, Mapp Goals: Lockyer 5/6 defeated SEA EAGLES 12 Tries: Donald, Bradley Goals: Walker 2/2 Suncorp Stadium, Crowd: 23,726 Referee: Gavin Badger Video Referee: Phil Cooley Touch Judges: Paul Kalina, Matt Cecchin Leagueunlimited.com players of the match: 3 - C Webb (Broncos) 2 - C McGuire (Broncos) 1 - S Menzies (Sea Eagles)
RABBITOHS 12 Tries: Minichiello, Sutton Goals: Williams 2/2 defeated by ROOSTERS 22 Tries: Cross 2, Minichiello, Flannery Goals: Fitzgibbon 2/3, Walker 1/1 Aussie Stadium, Crowd: 13,564 Referee: Steve Lyons Video Referee: Tim Mander Touch Judges: Allen Foster, Jason Weinstein Leagueunlimited.com players of the match: 3 - R Cross (Roosters) 2 - J Williams (Rabbitohs) 1 - C Fitzgibbon (Roosters)
STORM 22 Tries: Orford 3, King Goals: Orford 3/5 defeated EELS 16 Tries: Burt, Moi Moi, Hopkins Goals: Burt 2/3 Olympic Park Melbourne, Crowd: 8,067 Referee: Paul Simpkins Video Referee: Chris Ward Touch Judges: Darren Gocher, Tony DeLasHeras Leagueunlimited.com players of the match: 3 - M Orford (Storm) 2 - S Hill (Storm) 1 - F Moi Moi (Eels)
KNIGHTS 24 Tries: Hughes, M Gidley, Quinn, K Gidley Goals: K Gidley 4/4 defeated by COWBOYS 28 Tries: Southern, Williams, Norton (2), Myles Goals: Hannay 4/5 EnergyAustralia Stadium, Crowd: 14,031 Referee: Jason Robinson Video Referee: Mick Stone Touch Judges: David Abood, Paul Holland Leagueunlimited.com players of the match: 3 - S Tronc (Cowboys) 2 - D Buderus (Knights) 1 - P Rauhihi (Cowboys)
DRAGONS 26 Tries: Simmonds 2, Barrett, Withers, Riddell Goals: Head 3/5, Riddell 0/1 defeated SHARKS 14 Tries: Rieck, Vagana, McGoldrick Goals: Hilder 1/3 Oki Kogarah Jubilee, Crowd: 16,436 Referee: Sean Hampstead Video Referee: Stephen Clark Touch Judges: Russell Turner, Steve Chiddy Leagueunlimited.com players of the match: 3 - A Sims (Dragons) 2 - T Barrett (Dragons) 1 - R Simmonds (Dragons)
RAIDERS 30 Tries: Gafa 3, Smith 2 Goals: Gafa 4/5 Field Goals: Schifcofske 2 defeated WARRIORS 29 Tries: Webb, Meli, Ropati, Paleaaesina, Jones Goals: Jones 4/5 Field Goal: Jones Canberra Stadium, Crowd: 8,535 Referee: Tim Mander Video Referee: Steve Carrall Touch Judges: Glen Jackson, Steve Nash Leagueunlimited.com players of the match: 3 - I Paleaaesina (Warriors) 2 - M Weyman (Raiders) 1 - B Webb (Warriors)
THE LEADER BOARD Leagueunlimited.com Player of the Year Tally
22 points P Rauhihi (Cowboys)
20 points M Orford (Storm)
19 points B Finch (Roosters)
18 points D Buderus (Knights), S Price (Bulldogs)
17 points M Head (Dragons), N Hindmarsh (Eels), B Kimmorley (Sharks), D Lockyer (Broncos)
16 points D Nutley (Sharks)
15 points A Walker (Sea Eagles)
12 points B Hodgson (Tigers), A Roberts (Panthers), B Sherwin (Bulldogs), R Wiki (Raiders)
11 points K Gidley (Knights), C Gower (Panthers), R Kearns (Storm), J Williams (Rabbitohs)
10 points M O'Meley (Bulldogs)
9 points P Campbell (Panthers), M McLinden (Raiders), L Thompson (Dragons)
8 points C Fitzgibbon (Roosters), L Priddis (Panthers), S Sattler (Tigers), C Schifcofske (Raiders)
7 points T Barrett (Dragons), L Burt (Eels), R Cross (Roosters), A Dykes (Eels), B Kennedy (Knights), K Hunt (Broncos), A Morley (Roosters), A Ryan (Bulldogs), J Skandalis (Tigers), B Slater (Storm), M Sullivan (Sharks), G Tallis (Broncos)
6 points S Berrigan (Broncos), M Cooper (Dragons), B Fittler (Roosters), P Gallen (Sharks), S Jones (Warriors), S Prince (Tigers), W Tonga (Bulldogs), S Webcke (Broncos)
5 points P Civoniceva (Broncos), B Fletcher (Rabbitohs), M Gasnier (Dragons), W Mason (Bulldogs), J Morris (Eels), T Puletua (Panthers), S Timmins (Dragons)
4 points M Bowen (Cowboys), N Fien (Cowboys), J Hannay (Cowboys), L Hookey (Rabbitohs), A Minichiello (Roosters), A Mogg (Raiders), G Morrison (Cowboys), B Stewart (Sea Eagles), J Thurston (Bulldogs), S Tronc (Cowboys), R Villasanti (Warriors), D Young (Dragons)
3 points D Abraham (Knights), L Anderson (Warriors), R Asotasi (Bulldogs), B Berrigan (Broncos), T Carroll (Broncos), N Catic (Roosters), N Costigan (Broncos), M Crocker (Roosters), J Croker (Raiders), H El Masri (Bulldogs), H Fa'afili (Warriors), S Faumuina (Warriors), C Flannery (Roosters), A Harrison (Rabbitohs), S Hill (Storm), M King (Storm), W Koopu (Warriors), M Lang (Panthers), L Macdougall (Rabbitohs), M Monaghan (Sea Eagles), T Norton (Cowboys), R O'Davis (Knights), R O'Hara (Raiders), I Paleaaesina (Warriors), M Parsons (Knights), L Patten (Bulldogs), A Payne (Cowboys), F Pritchard (Panthers), D Senter (Tigers), C Sheppard (Cowboys), A Sims (Dragons), C Smith (Storm), P Stephenson (Sea Eagles), J Stevens (Sharks), C Toopi (Warriors), S Turner (Storm), A Watmough (Sea Eagles), C Webb (Broncos), D Widders (Eels), L Williamson (Sea Eagles)
2 points L Bailey (Dragons), M Beetham (Warriors), P Bowman (Cowboys), K Campion (Cowboys), J Cayless (Roosters), N Cayless (Eels), A Chan (Storm), L Covell (Tigers), B Creagh (Dragons), De Vere (Broncos), I Hindmarsh (Raiders), J Hodges (Roosters), L Hohaia (Warriors), B Hornby (Dragons), A Johns (Knights), B Kite (Dragons), A Laffranchi (Tigers), E Lauaki (Warriors), A Lomu (Sharks), A Macdougall (Rabbitohs), C McGuire (Broncos), R Mears (Tigers), J Monaghan (Raiders), J Mullane (Sea Eagles), M O'Neill (Tigers), J Perry (Knights), W Peters (Rabbitohs), M Peterson (Eels), A Quinn (Knights), J Ryles (Dragons), T Tahu (Knights), D Thompson (Rabbitohs), W Tillott (Rabbitohs), A Torrens (Sea Eagles), T Waterhouse (Panthers), R Wesser (Panthers), M Weyman (Raiders), G Wood (Rabbitohs)
1 point B Anasta (Bulldogs), V Anderson (Warriors), D Cooper (Storm), J Crocker (Raiders), L Davico (Raiders), S Donald (Sea Eagles), B Drew (Raiders), M Gafa (Raiders), J Galuvao (Panthers), R Girdler (Panthers), A Guttenbeil (Warriors), P Graham (Raiders), D Halatau (Tigers), C Hall (Knights), D Heckenberg (Sea Eagles), C Hicks (Sea Eagles), M Hilder (Sharks), J Hopoate (Sea Eagles), M Hughes (Knights), S Kearney (Storm), D Kidwell (Storm), B Marshall (Tigers), W McKinnon (Eels). V Mellars (Warriors), S Menzies (Sea Eagles), F Moi Moi (Eels), C Parker (Broncos), K Reynoldson (Storm), J Ropati (Warriors), R Simmonds (Dragons), S Simpson (Knights), C Stapleton (Eels), B Stuart (Sea Eagles), N Sweeney (Cowboys), M Tony (Broncos), A Topou (Roosters), M Vella (Eels), C Walker (Roosters), B Watts (Rabbitohs), B Webb (Warriors), S Webb (Roosters), A Woolnough (Knights), D Williams (Storm), SB Williams (Bulldogs), T Williams (Cowboys)