Four Manly players picked up some valuable Dally M Points following the Round 8 win over the Parramatta Eels on Friday night.
Half-back/captain Daly Cherry-Evans picked up five points, second-rower Haumole Olakau'atu three points, full-back Tom Trbojevic two points, and centre Reuben Garrick one point.
Cherry-Evans and Trbojevic are equal on 20 points, two off leader Nicho Hynes.
Unfortunately for the Sea Eagles, Olakau'atu and Cherry-Evans were charged with a Grade 2 Dangerous Throw offence on Parramatta forward Shaun Lane last Friday night.
The Sea Eagles have taken the early guilty plea for Olakauátu, who will miss the next two games ahead of his return against the Brisbane Broncos in Magic Round.
The club will tonight attempt to get Cherry-Evans charge downgraded to a Grade 1 charge (fine) after pleading guilty. If unsuccessful, Cherry-Evans will miss the next three games.
Cherry-Evans has never been suspended in his illustrious 313 game career for Manly.
Dally M Rules
Under the new judging system (two judges per game), each match of suspension will invoke a 6-point deduction, rather than the previous 3-point deduction for each match.
This brings the suspension deduction in line with the maximum number of points a Player can receive in a given week, based on two judges and a three-point vote for each.
Eligibility rules will remain unchanged, with any player who is suspended from two (2) or more matches in any one season immediately becoming ineligible for the Dally M Awards.
Dally M Leaderboard after Round 8
22 points Nicho Hynes (Sharks)
21 points Dylan Edwards (Panthers)
20 points Daly Cherry-Evans (Sea Eagles), Tom Trbojevic (Sea Eagles)
19 points Zac Lomax (Dragons)
18 points Patrick Carrigan (Broncos), Viliame Kikau (Bulldogs)
17 points Kalyn Ponga (Knights)
16 points Isaiya Katoa (Dolphins)
14 points Reece Walsh (Broncos)
13 points Adam Reynolds (Broncos), Ben Hunt (Dragons), Jahrome Hughes (Storm), Ryan Papenhuyzen (Storm)
