Monday's Expert - Round 8 wrap

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Monday's Expert is back - with a full wrap of everything happening around the rugby league traps this Monday 6 May 2019. Includes match review charges, POTY leaderboard, crowds, ratings and injury news.

First things first...

The results are in. Check out how Round 8 played out in our one-page results wrap.

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

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

Match review

Seven players have received charges in Round 8, with one player copping two charges.

James Maloney (Panthers). 11th minute, Grade 1 Dangerous Contact (other) on John Bateman
Base penalty 100 points
No prior offences last two years
Guilty / no contest 100 points (one match)
Early guilty plea 75 points (no suspension)
OUTCOME: Challenged at judiciary. Found not guilty - no suspension.

James Maloney (Panthers). 54th minute, Grade 1 Dangerous Throw on Josh Hodgson
Base penalty 100 points
No prior offences last two years
Guilty / no contest 100 points (one match)
Early guilty plea 75 points (no suspension)
OUTCOME: Early guilty plea. No suspension, 75 carryover points added.

Note: Maloney will be suspended for one match if found guilty at the judiciary.

Liam Martin (Panthers). 54th minute, Grade 1 Dangerous Throw on Josh Hodgson
Base penalty 100 points
One similar prior offence last two years (50% loading)
Guilty / no contest 150 points (one match)
Early guilty plea 112 points (one match)
OUTCOME: Early guilty plea. Suspended one match. 12 carryover points added.

Ben Matulino (Wests Tigers). 18th minute, Grade 1 Dangerous Contact (other) on Joseph Manu
Base penalty 100 points
No prior offences last two years
Guilty / no contest 100 points (one match)
Early guilty plea 75 points (no suspension)
OUTCOME: Early guilty plea. No suspension. 75 carryover points added

Lachlan Burr (Warriors). 5th minute, Grade 1 Dangerous Throw on David Klemmer
Base penalty 100 points
No prior offences last two years
Guilty / no contest 100 points (one match)
Early guilty plea 75 points (no suspension)
OUTCOME: Early guilty plea. No suspension. 75 carryover points added

Kalyn Ponga (Knights). 11th minute, Grade 1 Tripping on Chanel Harris-Tavita
Base penalty $1,500 fine
No prior offences last two years
Guilty / no contest $1,500 fine
Early guilty plea $1,150 fine
OUTCOME: Early guily plea. $1,150 fine.

Adam Blair (Warriors). 28th minute, Grade 1 Dangerous Throw on Hymel Hunt
Base penalty 100 points
Two (2) non-similar prior offences last two years (40% loading)
Guilty / no contest 140 points (one match)
Early guilty plea 105 points (one match)
OUTCOME: Early guilty plea. Suspended one match. 5 carryover points added

Tepai Moeroa (Eels). 12th minute, Grade 1 Dangerous Contact (other) on Corey Norman
Base penalty 100 points
One (1) non-similar prior offence last two years (20% loading)
Five carryover points to be added
Guilty / no contest 125 points (one match)
Early guilty plea 95 points (no suspension)
OUTCOME: Early guilty plea. No suspension. 95 carryover points added

No charges were issued for matches on Thursday or Friday

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:

14 points - Cody Walker (SOU)

11 points - Daly Cherry-Evans (MAN), Clint Gutherson (PAR)

10 points - Cameron Munster (MEL)

9 points - Adam Reynolds (SOU), John Bateman (CAN), James Tedesco (SYD), Cameron Smith (MEL), David Klemmer (NEW)

8 points - Latrell Mitchell (SYD), Luke Keary (SYD)

7 points - Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (CAN), Robbie Farah (WST), Ben Hunt (SGI), Luke Brooks (WST)

6 points - Shaun Johnson (CRO), Blake Green (WAR), Paul Vaughan (SGI), James Maloney (PEN), Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (WAR), Mitchell Moses (PAR), Josh Papali'i (CAN), Mitchell Pearce (NEW)

5 points - Blake Ferguson (PAR), Kenny Bromwich (MEL), James Fisher Harris (PEN), Michael Morgan (NQL), Siosiua Taukeiaho (SYD), Corey Oates (BRI), Damien Cook (SOU), Briton Nikora (CRO)

4 points - Chanel Harris-Tavita (WAR), Cameron Murray (SOU), Martin Taupau (MAN), John Asiata (NQL), Manase Fainu (MAN)

3 points - Jason Taumalolo (NQL), Jarrod Croker (CAN), Sam Burgess (SOU), Tevita Pangai Junior (BRI), Tom Trbojevic (MAN), Kieran Foran (CBY), Josh Reynolds (WST), Josh Hodgson (CAN), Jahrome Hughes (MEL), Corey Norman (SGI), Tyrone Roberts (GLD), Corey Harawira-Naera (CBY), Josh McGuire (NQL), Nathan Cleary (PEN), Ryan Matterson (WST), Anthony Milford (BRI), Lachlan Croker (MAN), Jai Arrow (GLD), Kyle Flanagan (CRO), Kane Elgey (MAN), Kalyn Ponga (NEW)

2 points - Edrick Lee (NEW), Benji Marshall (WST), Dylan Brown (PAR), Suliasi Vunivalu (MEL), Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (SYD), Andrew McCullough (BRI), Isaac Liu (SYD), Chad Townsend (CRO), Brodie Croft (MEL), Jayden Okunbor (CBY), Jordan Rapana (CAN), Daniel Alvaro (PAR), Lachlan Lewis (CBY), Michael Chee-Kam (WST), Ryan James (GLD), Jake Trbojevic (MAN), Jayden Brailey (CRO), Aiden Tolman (CBY), Michael Gordon (GLD), Ryan Sutton (CAN), Joseph Leilua (CAN), Josh Jackson (CBY), Alex Twal (WST), Jack Wighton (CAN), Reed Mahoney (PAR)

1 point - Nathaniel Roache (WAR), Russell Packer (WST), Braidon Burns (SOU), Jack Bird (BRI), Mitch Barnett (NEW), Shaun Lane (PAR), Benji Marshall (WST), Matt Prior (CRO), Josh Addo-Carr (MEL), Anthony Don (GLD), Matt Ikuvalu (SYD), Josh Morris (CRO), James Graham (SGI), Andrew Fifita (CRO), Blake Lawrie (SGI), Phillip Sami (GLD), Michael Jennings (PAR), Matthew Dufty (SGI), Ken Maumalo (WAR), Joe Ofahengaue (BRI), Danny Levi (NEW), Thomas Burgess (SOU), Jason Taumalolo (NQL), Jack Williams (CRO), Jack Cogger (CBY), Sitili Tupouniua (SYD), Tepai Moeroa (PAR)

Sore points

A quick look at the injury news to come out of Round 8:

John Bateman (CAN) - eye socket - 6-8 weeks

Corey Norman (SGI) - cheekbone - 4-5 weeks

Tyson Frizell (SGI) - eye - monitored

Viliame Kikau (PEN) - ankle /knee - monitored

Isaah Yeo (PEN) - shoulder - scans

Malakai Watene Zelezniak (PEN) - ribs - scans

Lachlan Croker (MAN) - hamstring - scans

Addin Fonua-Blake (MAN) - knee - scans

Josh McGuire (NQL) - calf - 1-3 weeks

Te Maire Martin (NQL) - brain bleed - indefinite

Phillip Sami (GLD) - ankle - 4-6 weeks

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 8 attendance (times are AEST)

After eight rounds last year (NRL season 2018), 1,026,844 had attended 64 matches at an average of 16,042 per game. Note: ANZAC Round in 2018 was Round 8, while this year it was Round 7.

Round 8 ratings

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

One last thing...

Every Monday morning on our Twitter account it's the Monday Morning GIF party. Basically - we post the ladder and ask fans to reply with a GIF (a short, looped moving image for those unacquainted with the term) to describe how they're feeling about their team's progress and position.

Hit the tweet below and check out the replies for the efforts of fans this week:

Monday morning. How's the mood #nrl fans?

? ?

Its GIF PARTY time pic.twitter.com/1xfWj9Ka5G
— LeagueUnlimited Rugby League News (@LeagueUnlimited) May 5, 2019