Monday's Expert - Week 1 Finals wrap

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Monday's Expert is here - with a full wrap of everything happening around the rugby league traps this Monday 16 September 2019. Includes match review charges, POTY leaderboard, crowds, ratings and injury news.

First things first...

The results are in. Check out how the first weekend of the NRL Finals played out in our one-page results wrap. You can check out results from across the NSWRL and QRL competitions, as well as Super League and Championship here.

Our match reports for the first week of NRL Finals and the opening round of NRLW can be found here.

Our Road to Glory Finals Guide maps out how the NRL, NSWRL, QRL, BRL, and RFL finals series' proceed in the coming weeks. Check it out here.

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

Match review

Four players are on the charge sheet from the opening weekend of finals.

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Roosters)
71st minute, Grade 1 Tripping on James Roberts
Base penalty $1500 fine - not eligible for fine due to previous multiple charges in 2019
Replacement base penalty 100 points
3 x non-similar prior offence last 2 years (3 x 20% loading)
30 carryover points to add
Guilty / no contest 160+30=190 points (1 match)
Early guilty plea 120+30=150 points (1 match)
PLEA: Not guilty. Faces judiciary Tuesday night
OUTCOME: Guilty. Suspended 1 match. 90 carryover points accrued.

Joseph Tapine (Raiders)
40th minute, Grade 1 Dangerous Contact (other) on Brandon Smith
Base penalty 100 points
1 x non-similar prior offence last 2 years (20% loading)
Guilty / no contest 120 points (1 match)
Early guilty plea 90 points (0 matches)
PLEA: Guilty - early plea
OUTCOME: No suspension. 90 carryover points accrued.

Joe Ofahengaue (Broncos)
14th minute, Grade 1 Dangerous Contact (other) on Mitch Moses
Base penalty 100 points
1 x similar prior offence last 2 years (50% loading)
40 carryover points to add
Guilty / no contest 150+40=190 points (1 match)
Early guilty plea 112+40=152 points (1 match)
PLEA: Guilty - early plea
OUTCOME: 1 match suspension. 52 carryover points accrued.

Joe Ofahengaue (Broncos)
69th minute, Grade 1 Careless High Tackle on Blake Ferguson
Base penalty $1500 fine
1 x non-similar prior offence last 2 years (20% loading)
Guilty / no contest $1800 fine
Early guilty plea $1350 fine
PLEA: Guilty - early plea
OUTCOME: $1350 fine.

There was one charge from the opening weekend of the NRLW:

Teuila Fotu-Moala (Dragons)
27th minute, Grade 1 Dangerous Contact (head/neck) on Lavinia Gould
Base penalty 300 points
Guilty / no contest 300 points (3 matches)
Early guilty plea 225 points (2 matches)
PLEA: Guilty - seeking downgrade
OUTCOME: Unsuccessful. Suspended 3 matches. 

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:

35 points - James Tedesco (Roosters)
31 points - Cameron Smith (Storm)
25 points - Mitchell Moses (Eels)
24 points - Cameron Munster (Storm)
22 points - Jason Taumalolo (Cowboys), Cody Walker (Rabbitohs), Daly Cherry-Evans (Sea Eagles)
21 points - Josh Papalii (Raiders), John Bateman (Raiders)
20 points - Luke Keary (Roosters)
19 points - Cameron Murray (Rabbitohs), Payne Haas (Broncos), Mitchell Pearce (Knights), James Maloney (Panthers), Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (Warriors)
18 points - Anthony Milford (Broncos), Shaun Johnson (Sharks)
17 points - Luke Brooks (Wests Tigers)
16 points - Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (Raiders), Damien Cook (Rabbitohs)
15 points - Benji Marshall (Wests Tigers), David Klemmer (Knights), Michael Morgan (Cowboys), James Fisher-Harris (Panthers)
14 points - Clint Gutherson (Eels), Kalyn Ponga (Knights)
13 points - Kenneath Bromwich (Storm), Ryan Papenhuyzen (Storm)
12 points - Josh Hodgson (Raiders), Robbie Farah (Wests Tigers), Blake Green (Warriors), Tom Trbojevic (Sea Eagles), Ben Hunt (Dragons), Addin Fonua-Blake (Sea Eagles)
11 points - Latrell Mitchell (Roosters), Adam Reynolds (Rabbitohs)
10 points - Tyrone Roberts (Titans), Nathan Cleary (Panthers), Nelson Asofa-Solomona (Storm)
9 points - Paul Vaughan (Dragons), Kieran Foran (Bulldogs), Paul Gallen (Sharks), David Fifita (Broncos), Josh Jackson (Bulldogs)
8 points - Jake Trbojevic (Sea Eagles), Jahrome Hughes (Storm), Corey Thompson (Wests Tigers), Josh Morris (Sharks), Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (Panthers), Manase Fainu (Sea Eagles), Corey Norman (Dragons), Martin Taupau (Sea Eagles), Siosiua Taukeiaho (Roosters), Maika Sivo (Eels), Will Hopoate (Bulldogs)
7 points - Chanel Harris-Tavita (Warriors), John Asiata (Cowboys), Bronson Xerri (Sharks), Briton Nikora (Sharks)
6 points - Reed Mahoney (Eels), Issac Luke (Warriors), Brian To'o (Panthers), Jack Cogger (Bulldogs), Viliame Kikau (Panthers), Brandon Smith (Storm), Michael Gordon (Titans)
5 points - Brian Kelly (Titans), Corey Oates (Broncos), Wade Graham (Sharks), Ryan Matterson (Wests Tigers), Aiden Tolman (Bulldogs), Corey Harawira-Naera (Bulldogs), Reuben Garrick (Sea Eagles), Jack Wighton (Raiders), Blake Ferguson (Eels), Mitchell Barnett (Knights), Boyd Cordner (Roosters), Aidan Sezer (Raiders), Lachlan Lewis (Bulldogs), Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Roosters), Nathan Brown (Eels)
4 points - Jesse Bromwich (Storm), Ken Maumalo (Warriors), Matthew Lodge (Broncos), Liam Martin (Panthers), Mason Lino (Knights), Kane Elgey (Sea Eagles), Ryan Sutton (Raiders), Jake Clifford (Cowboys), Chad Townsend (Sharks), Josh Addo-Carr (Storm), Jayden Okunbor (Bulldogs), Andrew Fifita (Sharks), Brodie Croft (Storm), Manu Ma'u (Eels), Michael Jennings (Eels), Gareth Widdop (Dragons)
3 points - Kyle Feldt (Cowboys), Jamayne Isaako (Broncos), John Sutton (Rabbitohs), Joseph Manu (Roosters), Matt Moylan (Sharks), Angus Crichton (Roosters), Sam Verrills (Roosters), Brendan Elliot (Sea Eagles), Cooper Cronk (Roosters), Joel Thompson (Sea Eagles), Justin Olam (Storm), Victor Radley (Roosters), Dylan Brown (Eels), Brett Morris (Roosters), Jake Turpin (Broncos), Kodi Nikorima (Broncos), Connor Watson (Knights), Curtis Sironen (Sea Eagles), Moses Mbye (Wests Tigers), Jarrod Croker (Raiders), Kyle Flanagan (Sharks), James Graham (Dragons), Sam Burgess (Rabbitohs), Lachlan Croker (Sea Eagles), Joe Ofahengaue (Broncos), Tevita Pangai (Broncos), Josh McGuire (Cowboys), Braden Hamlin-Uele (Sharks), Jai Arrow (Titans), Josh Reynolds (Wests Tigers), Brandon Wakeham (Bulldogs), Jarome Luai (Panthers), Aaron Woods (Sharks)
2 points - Joseph Leilua (Raiders), Daniel Alvaro (Eels), Herman Ese'ese (Knights), Jayden Brailey (Sharks), Jazz Tevaga (Warriors), Josh Dugan (Sharks), Phillip Sami (Titans), Paul Momirovski (Wests Tigers), Isaac Liu (Roosters), Scott Drinkwater (Storm), Jordan Rapana (Raiders), Joseph Tapine (Raiders), Esan Marsters (Wests Tigers), Michael Chee-Kam (Wests Tigers), Cameron McInnes (Dragons), Matt Burton (Panthers), Waqa Blake (Panthers), Ryan James (Titans), Kotoni Staggs (Broncos), Edrick Lee (Knights), Campbell Graham (Rabbitohs), Blake Lawrie (Dragons), Josh Mansour (Panthers), Matt Scott (Cowboys), Moeaki Fotuaika (Titans), Jarrod Wallace (Titans), Alex Twal (Wests Tigers), Connor Tracey (Rabbitohs), Danny Levi (Knights), Suliasi Vunivalu (Storm), Andrew McCullough (Broncos), Josh Hoffman (Eels), Joe Lovodua (Dragons), Liam Knight (Rabbitohs), Reagan Campbell-Gillard (Panthers), Bailey Simonsson (Raiders), Junior Paulo (Eels)
1 point - Jake Granville (Cowboys), Alexander Brimson (Titans), Anthony Don (Titans), Agnatius Paasi (Warriors), Peta Hiku (Warriors), Braidon Burns (Rabbitohs), Jack Bird (Broncos), Shaun Kenny-Dowall (Knights), Renouf To'omaga (Bulldogs), Matt Ikuvalu (Roosters), Luciano Leilua (Dragons), Sione Mata'utia (Knights), James Tamou (Panthers), David Nofoaluma (Wests Tigers), Reimis Smith (Bulldogs), Nathaniel Roache (Warriors), Thomas Burgess (Rabbitohs), Adam Elliott (Bulldogs), Shaun Lane (Eels), Tariq Sims (Dragons), Jacob Host (Dragons), Matthew Dufty (Dragons), Russell Packer (Wests Tigers), Jack Williams (Sharks), Christian Crichton (Bulldogs), Daniel Tupou (Roosters), Cade Cust (Sea Eagles), Jesse Ramien (Knights), Tepai Moeroa (Eels), Sitili Tupouniua (Roosters), Matt Prior (Sharks), Brad Takairangi (Eels), Jack Gosiewski (Sea Eagles), Gavin Cooper (Cowboys), Dylan Napa (Bulldogs), Moses Suli (Sea Eagles)

And here's the leaderboard for the NRL Women's Premiership:

3 points - Rona Peters (Broncos), Charntay Poko (Warriors)
2 points - Corban McGregor (Roosters), Botille Vette-Welsh (Dragons)
1 point - Tamika Upton (Broncos), Jules Newman (Warriors)

Sore points

A quick look at some of the injury news to come out of the Week 1 Finals:

Nick Cotric (Raiders) - facial lacerations, concussion - monitored

Boyd Cordner (Roosters) - quad - TBC

Daniel Tupou (Roosters) - groin - TBC

Joey Leilua (Raiders) - foriegn object in eye - monitored

The good news

Here's who clubs could be expecting back in the second weekend of the finals, returning either from suspension, resting or injury - keep an eye out for their names on Tuesday as teamlists are named:

Sea Eagles: Morgan Boyle, Martin Taupau

Eels: Kane Evans

Rabbitohs: Sam Burgess, Braidon Burns, Dane Gagai

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.

Finals Week 1 attendance (times are AEST)

In 2019, the opening weekend of the finals attracted 95,373 (average per game 23,843)

Last year (NRL season 2018), the opening weekend of the Finals attracted 106,358 (average per game 26,590)

Finals Week 1 ratings

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

One more thing...

Props to the crowd in Melbourne on Saturday evening - a generous and respectful moment's silence was observed prior to the Storm-Raiders qualifying final in memory of prominent AFL identity Danny 'Spud' Frawley, who died last Monday aged 56.

What a fantastic gesture by the @NRL to an acknowledge the passing of @AFL ‘s Spud Frawley. #NRLStormRaiders#RUOK
— Luke (@LukeToully) September 14, 2019