Both marksmen currently sit alongside each other as the leading points scorer in the Premiership after 18 rounds of action with 179 points apiece.
The two players’ individual battle is replicated on the team front as O’Brien’s Newport side and Maynard’s Llandovery outfit can’t be separated on the points table either. Both have 57 points but the Black & Ambers superior points difference sees them nudging ahead of the Drovers in fifth place.
Maynard will have an opportunity to get a jump on O’Brien as he heads to 13th placed Llanelli tomorrow with Llandovery while the Newport marksman isn’t in the match day squad for the clash against Bedwas.
O’Brien and Maynard may have amassed the most points so far, but Cardiff fly half Gareth Thompson, who sits in third place overall with 146 points, is the most accurate kicker with a 84% success rate as opposed to O’Brien’s 76% and Maynard’s 74%.
Merthyr may be top of the pile in the Principality Premiership but it’s Pontypridd’s Dale Stuckey leading the way on the try scoring front.
Fleet footed Stuckey is in front of the trailing pack with 17 tries while team mate Alex Webber, along with Merthyr’s Jay Baker, are in second place having crossed the whitewash on 11 occasions each.
The only other player to have reached double figures is Newport’s Elliott Frewen who has claimed 10 tries.
Second row Craig Locke is setting a captain’s example in the ball carrying stakes having tucked the ball into his chest for an impressive 180 carries. Merthyr’s engine room is also stoked by No 8 Phil Rees who is second in the list with 173 ball carries next to his name.
Twenty-one-year-old Carmarthen Quins flanker Lewys Millin is making his mark in the heart of defence.
Not only is he the joint-leading tackler in the Premiership with 189 victims alongside Cardiff’s Zach O’Driscoll, he is also second to Newport’s Kyle Tayler who has snaffled an impressive 38 turnovers. The Quins tearaway is some distance behind though, having gained 25.
As expected the defensive efforts are monopolised by back rows with RGC’s Tim Grey (24), Aberavon’s Joe-Tomalin-Reeves (23) and Quins Ed Siggery (21) hot on the heels of Tayler and Millin in turnovers while Newport winger Elliott Frewen is upholding the backs reputations by being in fifth equal position alongside Siggery, edging ahead of Pontypridd’s experienced flanker, Rhys Shellard (20).
