Tuesday's Expert - NRL 2013 Round 2

We look back at the Round 2 of the 2013 NRL Telstra Premiership, and a look at the Round 2 leader of the 2013 LeagueUnlimited.com Player of the Year.

Round 2 saw the Melbourne Storm and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles surge ahead with their second wins of the season, while the South Sydney Rabbitohs joined them atop the ladder with a gritty second round win. The Canberra Raiders and St. George Illawarra Dragons bring up the other end of the table after disappointing losses.

Below you'll find the results, player of the match points and match details for each Round 2 fixture.

CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS 20 defeated PARRAMATTA EELS 16
National Rugby League - Round 2 - Thursday 14 March 2013, 8:05pm
Venue: Stadium Australia (ANZ Stadium)
Crowd: 25,068
Halftime: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 20 Parramatta Eels 16

REPORT: "Bulldogs defend halftime lead"

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:
3 Points - Josh Reynolds (1 try)
2 Points - Michael Ennis
1 Point - Chris Sandow (2 goals)

CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS 20
Tries: Josh Jackson, Josh Reynolds, Mitch Brown, Sam Perrett
Goals: Krisnan Inu 2/4

PARRAMATTA EELS 16
Tries: Cheyse Blair 2, Matthew Ryan
Goals: Chris Sandow 2/3

Holden Cup: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 32-24

BRISBANE BRONCOS 22 defeated ST. GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS 6
National Rugby League - Round 2 - Friday 15 March 2013, 8:05pm
Venue: WIN Stadium, Wollongong
Crowd: 13,156
Halftime: St. George Illawarra Dragons 6 Brisbane Broncos 6

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:
3 Points - Peter Wallace
2 Points - Justin Hodges
1 Point - Trent Merrin

BRISBANE BRONCOS 22
Tries: Josh Hoffman, David Stagg, Ben Hannant, Corey Norman
Goals: Scott Prince 3/4

ST. GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS 6
Tries: Michael Weyman
Goals: Jamie Soward 1/1

Holden Cup: St. George Illawarra Dragons 40-28

SYDNEY ROOSTERS 16 defeated NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS 14
National Rugby League - Round 2 - Saturday 16 March 2013, 5:30pm AEDT
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
Crowd: 32,740
Halftime: Sydney Roosters 6 New Zealand Warriors 0

REPORT: "Roosters hold out fast finishing Warriors"

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:
3 Points - James Maloney (2 goals)
2 Points - Shaun Johnson (1 try, 1 goal)
1 Point - Anthony Minichiello (1 try)

SYDNEY ROOSTERS 16
Tries: Anthony Minichiello, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Mitchell Aubusson
Goals: James Maloney 2/3

NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS 14
Tries: Shaun Johnson, Pita Godinet, Bill Tupou
Goals: Shaun Johnson 1/3

Holden Cup: Sydney Roosters 24-20

MELBOURNE STORM 32 defeated NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 10
National Rugby League - Round 2 - Saturday 16 March 2013, 7:30pm AEDT
Venue: Willows Sports Complex (1300SMILES Stadium)
Crowd: 19,288
Halftime: Melbourne Storm 16 North Queensland Cowboys 6

REPORT: "Clinical Storm dispatch of plucky Cowboys"

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:
3 Points - Cooper Cronk (2 tries)
2 Points - Ryan Hoffman (1 try)
1 Point - Billy Slater

MELBOURNE STORM 32
Tries: Cooper Cronk 2, Will Chambers 2, Ryan Hoffman, Ryan Hinchcliffe
Goals: Cameron Smith 4/6

NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 10
Tries: Kane Linnett, Ashley Graham
Goals: Johnathan Thurston 1/2

Holden Cup: North Queensland Cowboys 26-16

GOLD COAST TITANS 36 defeated CANBERRA RAIDERS 0
National Rugby League - Round 2 - Sunday 17 March 2013, 2:00pm AEDT
Venue: Skilled Park, Robina
Crowd: 12,267
Halftime: Gold Coast Titans 30 Canberra Raiders 0

REPORT: "Titans run roughshod over Raiders"

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:
3 Points - Albert Kelly (2 tries)
2 Points - Greg Bird (1 try)
1 Point - Matt Srama (2 tries)

GOLD COAST TITANS 36
Tries: Albert Kelly 2, Matt Srama 2, Greg Bird, Kevin Gordon
Goals: Aidan Sezer 6/7

CANBERRA RAIDERS 0
Tries: None
Goals: None

Holden Cup: Canberra Raiders 38-24

WESTS TIGERS 28 defeated PENRITH PANTHERS 18
National Rugby League - Round 2 - Sunday 17 March 2013, 3:00pm
Venue: Campbelltown Stadium, Leumeah
Crowd: 9,715
Halftime: Wests Tigers 12 Penrith Panthers 6

REPORT: "Tigers' second half show downs Panthers"

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:
3 Points - Benji Marshall (1 try, 4 goals)
2 Points - Aaron Woods (2 tries)
1 Point - Robbie Farah

WESTS TIGERS 28
Tries: Aaron Woods 2, Benji Marshall, Marika Koroibete, Jacob Miller
Goals: Benji Marshall 4/5

PENRITH PANTHERS 18
Tries: Sika Manu 2, David Simmons
Goals: Luke Walsh 3/3

Holden Cup: Penrith Panthers 30-18

MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES 32 defeated NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS 0
National Rugby League - Round 2 - Sunday 17 March 2013, 6:30pm
Venue: Brookvale Oval
Crowd: 12,263
Halftime: Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 10 Newcastle Knights 0

REPORT: "Manly batter Knights into submission"

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:
3 Points - Jamie Lyon (1 try, 4 goals)
2 Points - Brett Stewart (1 try)
1 Point - Jorge Taufua (3 tries)

MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES 32
Tries: Jorge Taufua 3, Jamie Lyon, Anthony Watmough, Brett Stewart
Goals: Jamie Lyon 4/6

NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS 0
Tries: None
Goals: None

Holden Cup: Newcastle Knights 26-14

SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS 14 defeated CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS 12
National Rugby League - Round 2 - Monday 18 March 2013, 7:00pm
Venue: Stadium Australia (ANZ Stadium)
Crowd: 14,128
Halftime: South Sydney Rabbitohs 14 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 6

REPORT: "Rabbitohs outgrind gallant Sharks"

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:
3 Points - Issac Luke
2 Points - Paul Gallen
1 Point - Michael Gordon (1 try, 2 goals)

SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS 14
Tries: Andrew Everingham, Dylan Farrell
Goals: Adam Reynolds 3/3

CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS 12
Tries: Michael Gordon, Beau Ryan
Goals: Michael Gordon 2/2

Holden Cup: South Sydney Rabbitohs 32-18

2013 LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM Player of the Year leaderboard
Updated after Round 2

6 Points
Cooper Cronk (Storm)

5 Points
Paul Gallen (Sharks)

4 Points
Chris Sandow (Eels)

3 Points
George Burgess (Rabbitohs), Daly Cherry-Evans (Sea Eagles), Johnathan Thurston (Cowboys), James Segeyaro (Panthers), Darius Boyd (Knights), Josh Reynolds (Bulldogs), Peter Wallace (Broncos), James Maloney (Roosters), Albert Kelly (Titans), Benji Marshall (Tigers), Jamie Lyon (Sea Eagles), Issac Luke (Rabbitohs)

2 Points
Sam Burgess (Rabbitohs), Steve Matai (Sea Eagles), Jarryd Hayne (Eels), Brent Tate (Cowboys), Matt McIlwrick (Raiders), Jesse Bromwich (Storm), Todd Carney (Sharks), Akuila Uate (Knights), Michael Ennis (Bulldogs), Justin Hodges (Broncos), Shaun Johnson (Warriors), Ryan Hoffman (Storm), Greg Bird (Titans), Aaron Woods (Tigers), Brett Stewart (Sea Eagles)

1 Point
Greg Inglis (Rabbitohs), Brent Kite (Sea Eagles), Ken Sio (Eels), Drury Low (Bulldogs), Luke Walsh (Panthers), Justin O'Neill (Storm), Andrew Fifita (Sharks), Jarrod Mullen (Knights), Trent Merrin (Dragons), Anthony Minichiello (Roosters), Billy Slater (Storm), Matt Srama (Titans), Robbie Farah (Tigers), Jorge Taufua (Sea Eagles), Michael Gordon (Sharks)

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