Monday's Expert - 2020 NRL Round 9

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Monday's Expert is back in 2020 - each week providing a full wrap of everything happening around the rugby league traps each Monday.

Each edition will include NRL match review charges & judiciary updates, our player of the year leaderboard, crowd stats, TV ratings and injury news.

First things first...

Our Round 9 wrap of NRL results can be found here. The full 2020 draw can be viewed here.

Match reports for NRL matches are here.

A huge thanks to the following legends for putting hard work into our weekly previews and live blogs of NRL games - Rob Crosby, Sam Bourke, Josh Robertson, Justin Davies, Andrew Jackson, Andrew Ferguson, Jeff Dickinson-Fox, Rick Edgerton, Paul Jobber, Jason Hosken, Adam Huxtable and Hamish Parker.

The Front Row - online rugby league magazine

Make sure you check out our exclusive match program & online magazine - THE FRONT ROW.

Last week's issue looked at how fantasy NRL fans fared during the COVID lockdown. You can check out the current edition plus back issues here.

Keep an eye out this Wednesday for Issue 8 (Round 10).

Match review

A number of charges from Round 9 of the NRL.

Peta Hiku (Warriors)
Grade 1 Tripping
70th min, on B Cartwright (Titans)
Base penalty $750 fine
Guilty / no contest = $750 fine
Guilty - early plea = $550 fine
PLEA: Guilty - early plea
OUTCOME: $550 fine

Josh Reynolds (Wests Tigers)
Grade 2 Dangerous Contact (head/neck)
6th minute, on C Graham (Rabbitohs)
Base penalty 300 points
Guilty / no contest = 300 points (3 matches)
Guilty - early plea = 225 points (2 matches)
PLEA: Guilty - early plea
OUTCOME: Suspended 2 matches. 25 carryover points accrued.

Latrell Mitchell (Rabbitohs)
Grade 2 Striking
6th minute, on J Reynolds (Wests Tigers)
Base penalty 300 points
Guilty / no contest = 300 points (3 matches)
Guilty - early plea = 225 points (2 matches)
PLEA: Guilty - early plea
OUTCOME: Suspended 2 matches. 25 carryover points accrued.

Mark Nicholls (Rabbitohs)
Grade 2 Dangerous Contact (head/neck)
59th minute, on J Aloiai (Wests Tigers)
Base penalty 300 points
Guilty / no contest = 300 points (3 matches)
Guilty - early plea = 225 points (2 matches)
PLEA: Guilty - contesting grading. Judiciary hearing Tuesday night.
OUTCOME: Successful. Downgraded to Grade 1, no suspension, 50 carryover points accrued.

Latrell Mitchell (Rabbitohs)
Grade 1 Careless High Tackle
62nd minute, on L Garner (Wests Tigers)
Base penalty $750 fine
Guilty / no contest = $750 fine
Guilty - early plea = $550 fine
PLEA: Guilty - early plea
OUTCOME: $550 fine.

Reimis Smith (Bulldogs)
Grade 1 Dangerous Contact (other)
54th minute, on A Glenn (Broncos)
Base penalty 100 points
2 x non-similar prior offences last 2 years (40% loading)
35 carryover points to add
Guilty / no contest = 140+35=175 points (1 match)
Guilty - early plea = 105+35=140 points (1 match)
PLEA: Guilty - early plea
OUTCOME: Suspended 1 match. 40 carryover points accrued.

Royce Hunt (Sharks)
Grade 1 Dangerous Contact (head/neck)
44th minute, on S Leniu (Panthers)
Base penalty 100 points
Guilty / no contest = 100 points (1 match)
Guilty - early plea = 75 points (0 matches)
PLEA: Guilty - early plea
OUTCOME: Free to play. 75 carryover points accrued.

Jordan Pereira (Dragons)
Grade 1 Shoulder Charge
45th minute, on Reuben Garrick
Base penalty 200 points
1 x non-similar prior offences last 2 years (20% loading)
25 carryover points to add
Guilty / no contest = 240+25=265 points (2 matches)
Guilty - early plea = 180+25=205 points (2 matches)
PLEA: Guilty - early plea
OUTCOME: Suspended 2 matches. 5 carryover points accrued.

The LU Leaderboard

At the conclusion of each match our reporters will 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 - Cameron Smith (Storm)
11 points - Tom Trbojevic (Sea Eagles), Adam Reynolds (Rabbitohs), Nathan Cleary (Panthers), Brett Morris (Roosters)
10 points - Shaun Johnson (Sharks), Cameron Munster (Storm)
9 points - Mitchell Pearce (Knights), Jack Wighton (Raiders)
8 points - Jason Taumalolo (Cowboys), Blake Green (Warriors), James Tedesco (Roosters)
7 points - Clinton Gutherson (Eels), Matthew Dufty (Dragons), Stephen Crichton (Panthers)
6 points - Latrell Mitchell (Rabbitohs), Matt Burton (Panthers), Luke Keary (Roosters), Dylan Brown (Eels)
5 points - Kodi Nikorima (Warriors), Mitchell Moses (Eels), Harry Grant (Storm), Jarrod Croker (Raiders), Sione Katoa (Bulldogs), Maika Sivo (Eels), Kalyn Ponga (Knights), Daniel Saifiti (Knights), Ashley Taylor (Titans), David Klemmer (Knights), Isaah Yeo (Panthers), Luke Brooks (Wests Tigers), Will Hopoate (Bulldogs), Jahrome Hughes (Storm), Benji Marshall (Wests Tigers)
4 points - Reed Mahoney (Eels), Kurt Mann (Knights), Jarome Luai (Panthers), Shaun Lane (Eels), Curtis Sironen (Sea Eagles), Anthony Milford (Broncos), Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (Bulldogs), George Williams (Raiders), David Nofoaluma (Wests Tigers), Daly Cherry-Evans (Sea Eagles), Tevita Pangai Junior (Broncos)
3 points - Jake Clifford (Cowboys), Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Roosters), Viliame Kikau (Panthers), Ryan Papenhuyzen (Storm), Cody Walker (Rabbitohs), Blayke Brailey (Sharks), Jamayne Isaako (Broncos), Addin Fonua-Blake (Sea Eagles), Waqa Blake (Eels), Corey Norman (Dragons), Young Tonumaipea (Titans), Josh Morris (Sharks), Joseph Leilua (Wests Tigers), Jesse Ramien (Sharks), Jake Trbojevic (Sea Eagles), Siosiua Taukeiaho (Roosters), Scott Drinkwater (Cowboys), Jamal Fogarty (Titans), Kotoni Staggs (Broncos), Charlie Staines (Panthers), Damien Cook (Rabbitohs), Ben Hunt (Dragons), Josh Papali'i (Raiders)
2 points - Mikaele Ravalawa (Dragons), Zac Lomax (Dragons), Adam Doueihi (Wests Tigers), Cameron McInnes (Dragons), Emre Guler (Raiders), Dane Gagai (Rabbitohs), Moeaki Fotuaika (Titans), Tohu Harris (Warriors), Reagan Campbell-Gillard (Eels), Corey Thompson (Wests Tigers), Wayde Egan (Warriors), James Fisher-Harris (Panthers), Matt Ikuvalu (Roosters), Braden Hamlin-Uele (Sharks), Nathan Brown (Eels), Michael Jennings (Eels), Nick Cotric (Raiders), Dale Finucane (Storm), Michael Morgan (Cowboys), Ronaldo Mulitalo (Sharks), Jorge Taufua (Sea Eagles), David Fifita (Broncos), Lindsay Collins (Roosters), Cameron Murray (Rabbitohs), Payne Haas (Broncos), Bradman Best (Knights)
1 point - Coen Hess (Cowboys), Wade Graham (Sharks), Thomas Flegler (Broncos), Andrew McCullough (Broncos), Connor Watson (Knights), Daniel Tupou (Roosters), Nelson Asofa-Solomona (Storm), Valentine Holmes (Cowboys), Tyrell Fuimaono (Dragons), Junior Paulo (Eels), Eliesa Katoa (Warriors), Jaydn Su'A (Rabbitohs), Adam Elliott (Bulldogs), Brian Kelly (Titans), Phillip Sami (Titans), Peta Hiku (Warriors), Josh Reynolds (Wests Tigers), Tui Kamikamica (Storm), Kyle Flanagan (Roosters), Herman Ese'ese (Knights), Elliott Whitehead (Raiders), Apisai Koroisau (Panthers), Sam Lisone (Titans), Tom Opacic (Cowboys), Chad Townsend (Sharks), Ethan Lowe (Rabbitohs), Alex Twal (Wests Tigers)

Sore points - injury update

Injury news that came out of Round 9

Jake Friend (SYD) - HIA - monitored
Alex Glenn (BRI) - MCL - 6-8 weeks
Daniel Saifiti (NEW) - PCL - 1-2 weeks
Mitchell Pearce (NEW) - knee - monitored
Josh Hodgson (CAN) - ACL - season
Bailey Simonsson (CAN) - shoulder - season
Andrew Fifita (CRO) - hamstring - 1-2 weeks
Liam Knight (SOU) - ankle - 1-4 weeks
Valentine Holmes (CRO) - ankle - scans
Jesse Bromwich (MEL) - medial - scans
Ryley Jacks (MEL) - medial - scans

The good news - who's back?

The following players are likely or possible to return from injury or suspension this weekend.

Broncos - Matt Lodge, Kotoni Staggs, Jake Turpin, Jesse Arthars, Joe Ofahengaue
Bulldogs - Chris Smith, Jake Averillo, 
Sharks - Ronaldo Mulitalo
Titans - Kevin Proctor
Storm - Cameron Munster
Knights - Connor Watson, Sione Mata'utia
Cowboys - John Asiata, Justin O'Neill
Eels - Mitchell Moses (more likely Round 11)
Dragons - Jacob Host, Brayden Wiliame
Roosters - Brett Morris, Boyd Cordner, Isaac Liu
Warriors - Kodi Nikorima, Eliesa Katoa
Wests Tigers - Sam McIntyre, Alex Twal

Metrics Metrics Metrics

Each week we'll also do our best to keep you across the crowd figures and TV ratings which are often the most talked-about parts of the game.

With crowds back at some games, we'll report figures we receive - any matches where no crowd is recorded are listed as N.R.

Crowds: Round 9

Ratings: Round 9