Leagueunlimited.com player of the
year awards, round 21

Cowboys? forward Paul Rauhihi has extended his lead and is firming as favourite to take out the 2004 Leagueunlimited.com player of the year awards. With just five rounds remaining, the powerhouse front rower is sitting on 23 points and three points clear of the field. Last year?s winner, Storm half back Matt Orford remains on 20 points.

Eels back rower Nathan Hindmarsh has bolted into equal third place with Roosters half back Brett Finch, both players well in contention on 19 points.

Skippers Danny Buderus (Knights) and Steve Price (Bulldogs) remain anchored on 18 points. Meanwhile, there?s a log jam of players on 17 points while Sharks? skipper Danny Nutley is still hanging in there on 16 points.

Big movers this week include Brett Hodgson (Tigers) and Brett Sherwin (Bulldogs) who join Andrew Walker (Sea Eagles) on 15 points.

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 21

BULLDOGS 46 Tries: Sherwin 2, Tonga 2, Lolesi 2, Ryan, Utai Goals: El Masri 7/8 defeated PANTHERS 20 Tries: Lewis, Waterhouse, Campbell Goals: Roberts 4/4 Telstra Stadium, Crowd: 21,644 Referee: Paul Simpkins Video Referee: Stephen Clark Touch Judges: Steve Chiddy, Paul Kalina Leagueunlimited.com players of the match: 3 - B Sherwin (Bulldogs) 2 - W Tonga (Bulldogs) 1 - SB Williams (Bulldogs)

SHARKS 12 Tries: Kent, Nutley Goals: Hilder 1/1, Bird 1/1 defeated by BRONCOS 16 Tries: Carroll, Webb, Tate Goals: Lockyer 2/2 Toyota Park, Crowd: 12,565 Referee: Jason Robinson Video Referee: Chris Ward Touch Judges: Jason Weinstein, Shayne Hayne Leagueunlimited.com players of the match: 3 - S Berrigan (Broncos) 2 - D Stagg (Broncos) 1 - P Gallen (Sharks)

COWBOYS 34 Tries: Bowen 2, Williams 2, Bowman, Hannay Goals: Hannay 5/8 defeated DRAGONS 10 Tries: Creagh, Youngquest Goals: Head 0/1, Riddell 1/1 Dairy Farmers Stadium, Crowd: 17,262 Referee: Tim Mander Video Referee: Graeme West Touch Judges: Russell Turner, Gavin Badger Leagueunlimited.com players of the match: 3 - N Fien (Cowboys) 2 - M Bowen (Cowboys) 1 - P Rauhihi (Cowboys)

EELS 2 Tries: Goals: Burt 1/1 defeated by WESTS TIGERS 18 Tries: Elford, Mears, Fitzhenry Goals: Hodgson 3/3 Parramatta Stadium, Crowd: 14,196 Referee: Steve Lyons Video Referee: Mick Stone Touch Judges: Allen Foster, Steve Nash Leagueunlimited.com players of the match: 3 - B Hodgson (Tigers) 2 - N Hindmarsh (Eels) 1 - D Fitzhenry (Tigers)

SEA EAGLES 36 Tries: Hicks 2, Torrens, Menzies, Monaghan, Donald 2 Goals: Walker 3/5, Hicks 1/3 defeated RAIDERS 22 Tries: Gafa, Croker, N.Smith, T.Smith Goals: Schifcofske 3/4 Brookvale Oval, Crowd: 10,035 Referee: Stephen Clark Video Referee: Paul Simpkins Touch Judges: Paul Holland, Steve Carrall Leagueunlimited.com players of the match: 3 - M Monaghan (Sea Eagles) 2 - S Menzies (Sea Eagles) 1 - M Weyman (Raiders)

RABBITOHS 22 Tries: Hookey 2, Marteene, Minichiello Goals: Williams 3/4 defeated by KNIGHTS 31 Tries: Buderus, Witt, Woolnough, Hall, M.Kennedy Goals: K Gidley 5/6, K Gidley FG Aussie Stadium, Crowd: 10,972 Referee: Tony Archer Video Referee: Phil Cooley Touch Judges: Glen Jackson, David Abood Leagueunlimited.com players of the match: 3 - B Kennedy (Knights) 2 - A Woolnough (Knights) 1 - J Perry (Knights)

STORM 10 Tries: King, Smith Goals: Orford 1/2 defeated by ROOSTERS 26 Tries: Walker 3, Flannery, Cross Goals: Fitzgibbon 4/6 Olympic Park Melbourne, Crowd: 10,291 Referee: Sean Hampstead Video Referee: Chris Ward Touch Judges: Pat Reynolds, Matt Cecchin Leagueunlimited.com players of the match: 3 - R Cross (Roosters) 2 - M King (Storm) 1 - C Fitzgibbon (Roosters)

THE LEADER BOARD Leagueunlimited.com Player of the Year Tally

23 points P Rauhihi (Cowboys)

20 points M Orford (Storm)

19 points B Finch (Roosters), N Hindmarsh (Eels)

18 points D Buderus (Knights), S Price (Bulldogs)

17 points M Head (Dragons), B Kimmorley (Sharks), D Lockyer (Broncos)

16 points D Nutley (Sharks)

15 points B Hodgson (Tigers), B Sherwin (Bulldogs), A Walker (Sea Eagles)

12 points A Roberts (Panthers), R Wiki (Raiders)

11 points K Gidley (Knights), C Gower (Panthers), R Kearns (Storm), J Williams (Rabbitohs)

10 points R Cross (Roosters), B Kennedy (Knights), M O'Meley (Bulldogs)

9 points S Berrigan (Broncos), P Campbell (Panthers), C Fitzgibbon (Roosters), M McLinden (Raiders), L Thompson (Dragons)

8 points L Priddis (Panthers), S Sattler (Tigers), C Schifcofske (Raiders), W Tonga (Bulldogs)

7 points T Barrett (Dragons), L Burt (Eels), A Dykes (Eels), N Fien (Cowboys), P Gallen (Sharks), K Hunt (Broncos), A Morley (Roosters), A Ryan (Bulldogs), J Skandalis (Tigers), B Slater (Storm), M Sullivan (Sharks), G Tallis (Broncos)

6 points M Bowen (Cowboys), M Cooper (Dragons), B Fittler (Roosters), S Jones (Warriors), M Monaghan (Sea Eagles), S Prince (Tigers), S Webcke (Broncos)

5 points P Civoniceva (Broncos), B Fletcher (Rabbitohs), M Gasnier (Dragons), M King (Storm), W Mason (Bulldogs), J Morris (Eels), T Puletua (Panthers), S Timmins (Dragons)

4 points 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), W Koopu (Warriors), M Lang (Panthers), S Menzies (Sea Eagles), L Macdougall (Rabbitohs), T Norton (Cowboys), R O'Davis (Knights), R O'Hara (Raiders), I Paleaaesina (Warriors), M Parsons (Knights), L Patten (Bulldogs), A Payne (Cowboys), J Perry (Knights), 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), M Weyman (Raiders), D Widders (Eels), L Williamson (Sea Eagles), A Woolnough (Knights)

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), W Peters (Rabbitohs), M Peterson (Eels), A Quinn (Knights), J Ryles (Dragons), D Stagg (Broncos), T Tahu (Knights), D Thompson (Rabbitohs), W Tillott (Rabbitohs), A Torrens (Sea Eagles), T Waterhouse (Panthers), R Wesser (Panthers), SB Williams (Bulldogs), 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), D Fitzhenry (Tigers), 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), 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), D Williams (Storm), T Williams (Cowboys)