Facebook picks an unexpected winner for NRL final Newcastle Knights winger Akuila Uate was named by Facebook as the most buzzed about player of the NRL finals season. MANLY and Sydney are poised to battle for NRL dominance this Sunday, but it is Canberra that has won the hearts and status updates of social media users this year. A study of Australia's Facebook users, exclusive to News Corp, shows 13th placed Canberra Raiders won the popularity contest on the leading social network this season, growing its Facebook fanbase by 181 per cent despite not making the finals. The second most popular team by Facebook page growth, the New Zealand Warriors, trailed by a large margin, boosting its fans by just 59 per cent. Meanwhile, the Sydney City Roosters and Manly Sea Eagles placed third and a lowly eighth respectively, with the Eagles only seeing a rise in mentions of 17 per cent. Finals season is a different story, though, with both final teams earning a higher ranking on the most-talked-about scale. But neither team won top-of-the-table honours, with the Parramatta Eels earning the most Facebook mentions since semi-finals began on September 20. The Roosters did claim second spot during finals season, however, while Manly earned fifth place. Recently rejected finals hopefuls, Melbourne Storm and Newcastle Knights, rounded out the top five places. And despite its growing fanbase, the Canberra Raiders came in very last place during finals season, at 16th, beaten by other teams which didn't make the finals, including the Brisbane Broncos (13th). Facebook Australia and New Zealand policy head Mia Garlick said the social network played host to more than 12 million Australian users each month, with nine million people - almost 40 per cent of the population - logging on daily. Ms Garlick said sport was a popular topic for posts, with many users showing their colours in the lead-up to the NRL finals. "Among all types of content, sports is perhaps the most social," she said. Whether it's live at a game or while watching a sport on TV, Australians are taking to Facebook to post updates about the sports they love. When it comes to individual players, Australia's Facebook users seem more interested in off-field drama than accolades, however. While Newcastle winger Akuila Uate won the most buzz on Facebook this year, controversial players Ben Barba and Benji Marshall earned second and third place. Dally M Player of the Year Cooper Cronk scored just sixth place, proving for all of its talk, social networks can't pick a winner. Sydney Roosters South Sydney Rabbitohs Melbourne Storm Manly Sea Eagles Cronulla Sharks Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Newcastle Knights North Queensland Cowboys Gold Coast Titans Penrith Panthers Canberra Raiders New Zealand Warriors Cronulla Sharks / South Sydney Rabbitohs Parramatta Eels Wests Tigers St George Illawarra Dragons