NRL NRL 2021 Season - Round 18

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Friday 16th July
Gold Coast vs Parramatta (Cbus Super Stadium - 18:00)
Manly-Warringah vs St.George-Illawarra (Cbus Super Stadium - 19:55)

Saturday 17th July
North Queensland vs Sydney Roosters (QCB Stadium - 15:00)
Canberra vs Cronulla-Sutherland (Cbus Super Stadium - 17:30)
Melbourne vs Newcastle (Cbus Super Stadium - 19:35)

Sunday 18th July
New Zealand vs Penrith (Suncorp Stadium - 13:50)
Brisbane vs Wests Tigers (Suncorp Stadium - 16:05)
South Sydney vs Canterbury-Bankstown (Cbus Super Stadium - 18:15)

 

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NRL round 18 squad announcements

Official team lists, updates and injury news for round 18 of the 2021 Telstra Premiership season.

www.nrl.com

Titans: Coach Justin Holbrook has the luxury of naming the same 17 which performed so strongly in Canberra in round 16 and will be hoping Moeaki Fotuaika, Tino Fa'asumaleaui and AJ Brimson get through Origin III and are able to back up.
David Fifita missed Origin due to his one-game suspension for dangerous contact but he'll be on deck and ready to rip into the Eels pack.
Eels: The Eels are coming off the bye and welcome back hooker Reed Mahoney from the shoulder injury he suffered in round 13 while damaging back-rower Isaiah Papali'i should be right to go after copping a head knock against the Panthers in round 16.
Junior Paulo and Mitch Moses have both been named to back up from Origin III.

Sea Eagles: Superstar fullback Tom Trbojevic and skipper Daly Cherry-Evans have been named to back up after Origin III but 'Turbo' may yet be rested given the short three-day turnaround.
If Trbojevic does play then Reuben Garrick goes back to the wing and Moses Suli drops out. DCE's return sees Dylan Waker move to the interchange bench.
Jake Trbojevic (hip) remains sidelined but Josh Schuster (calf) has been named to return for his first game since round 11 so Karl Lawton moves to the bench.
Bench forward Toafofoa Sipley suffered a shoulder injury against the Raiders but has been named to play.
Cade Cust and Jack Gosiewski drop out of the side that lost to Canberra.
Dragons: Matt Dufty, Tyrell Fuimaono and Kaide Ellis will serve their one-game suspension this week for breaching biosecurity rules.
Young gun Tyrell Sloan will line up at fullback while Jack de Belin shifts to prop and Jackson Ford comes in at lock.
Skipper Ben Hunt and forward Tariq Sims will be determined to back up from Origin and help out their undermanned team.
Warriors forward Jamayne Taunoa-Brown has joined the club on a loan deal for the month of July and has been named on the bench. Poasa Faamausili is the other new face on the bench.

Raiders: Jack Wighton and Josh Papalii are named to back up after Origin III but Elliott Whitehead is out after suffering a head gash against the Titans in round 16 and also picking up a minor shoulder injury.
Wighton's return sees Matt Frawley drop out of the squad.
Prop Dunamis Lui suffered a calf strain against Manly on Thursday and is expected to miss two games.
Sharks: Josh Hannay has stuck with the same 17 that knocked off the Warriors.
Matt Moylan remains sidelined with a calf injury so Braydon Trindall stays in the halves alongside Shaun Johnson.
Will Chambers is sidelined again as he quarantines after a trip to Victoria for the birth of his third child.
Royce Hunt (knee) is listed among the reserves as he nears a return.

Cowboys: Origin reps Francis Molo, Val Holmes and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow will have three days to recover and have all been named to play.
Daejarn Asi makes way at fullback for Holmes' return while Javid Bowen drops to the reserves and Coen Hess moves to the bench.
With Heilum Luki out suspended Peter Hola is the new face on the interchange.
Reuben Cotter (foot) and Ben Hampton (pectoral) are expected back in round 19.
Roosters: No injuries to report from their hard fought win over the Bulldogs on Saturday. The cavalry is coming in the form of Origin reps James Tedesco and Angus Crichton, while Victor Radley will be all the better for his first hit-out last weekend after a five-week absence.
Centre Billy Smith impressed in his first game since 2019 but he drops to the reserves with Tedesco back and Manu moving to the centres.
Crichton's return pushes Isaac Liu up to the front row and Siosiua Taukeiaho is out of the side.
Fletcher Baker is out of isolation and back on the bench after missing last week's game so Ben Thomas drops out.

Storm: Coach Craig Bellamy has opted to hold back star fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen (concussion) and gun hooker Harry Grant (hamstring) for at least another week to ensure the Storm will have a fully fit first-choice squad for the run to the finals.
That means 2021 revelation Nicho Hynes gets another game in the No.1 jersey and Brandon Smith the chance to extend his try-scoring streak from dummy-half.
Bellamy will monitor the progress of Origin stars Cameron Munster, Josh Addo-Carr, Dale Finucane, Felise Kaufusi and Christian Welch in the days following the final interstate clash.
Tui Kamikamica has been named on the interchange with Welch down to start but the pair swapped places in a late change before their round 16 clash with the Roosters after Welch was selected in the No.10.
Knights: A couple of huge ins for the Knights with Tyson Frizell (ankle) and Daniel Saifiti (ribs), who withdrew from Origin III, making their return from injury. Frizell comes into the second row, pushing Mitch Barnett to lock and Sauaso Sue out of the squad.
Kalyn Ponga was devastating in his comeback match in round 16. The Knights will be hoping he comes through his Maroons duties unscathed and is on deck to tackle the competition front-runners.

Warriors: Back-rower Josh Curran has been named on the interchange but centre Euan Aitken has to be satisfied with a spot on the extended bench after the pair completed their 14-day isolation period. They were passengers on a Virgin Australia flight on June 26 from the Gold Coast to Sydney in which a cabin crew member tested positive to COVID-19.
Aitken and Curran were able to re-join their teammates for a recovery session on Monday and the squad’s last field session at the Tuggerah Sports Complex before leaving the Central Coast on Wednesday.
Coach Nathan Brown

22

Nathan Brown

Age

35

Ht

196cm

Wt

99kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.8

2star

K

3.9

2star

HB

4.9

4star

M

2.7

3star

T

1.8

4star

No current season stats available

D

6.4

2star

K

3.2

2star

HB

3.2

3star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.8

5star

has named the same 13 starters who fell to the Sharks in round 17. The only changes to the 17 are Curran and prop Kane Evans replacing Ben Murdoch-Masila and Jack Murchie on the bench, both drop out of the squad.
Tohu Harris (shoulder) and Chad Townsend (shoulder) have been listed among the reserves as they look to work their way back from injuries suffered in round 16.
Panthers: Fullback Dylan Edwards returns from a foot injury so Charlie Staines shifts to the wing and Brent Naden into the centres. Matt Burton will play five-eighth in Jarome Luai's absence and Tyrone May has been named at No.7.
Brian To'o, Isaah Yeo, Kurt Capewell and Liam Martin have all been named to back up from Origin III.
Centre Paul Momirovski (hip) and winger Robert Jennings (foot) are listed among the reserves as they near a return from injury.

Broncos: Payne Haas, Xavier Coates and Maroons first-timer Thomas Flegler have been named to back up from Origin III. Haas was magnificent against the Sharks in round 16 and coach Kevin Walters will be hoping the big man is good to go.
Kobe Hetherington has retained the No.13 jersey after getting a late chance to start in round 16 while Cory Paix and Flegler come on to the interchange with centre Jesse Arthars (head knock) and forward Ethan Bullemor dropping to the extended bench.
Veteran halfback Albert Kelly (hamstring) has missed a place in the 21-man squad with Kevin Walters retaining Tyson Gamble and Brodie Croft in the halves.
Wests Tigers: Moses Mbye is the biggest name to pay the price for a horror three-week stretch which saw the joint-venture club outscored 144 to 50 by the Storm, Eels and Rabbitohs. Adam Doueihi switches back to five-eighth and Fetalaiga Pauga makes his debut in the centres with Mbye on the interchange.
Blues squad member Stefano Utoikamanu has been promoted to start along with Thomas Mikaele, relegating Alex Twal to the bench and Alex Seyfarth to reserves.
Coach Michael Maguire has named a second debutant, Tuki Simpkins, to start on the interchange.

Rabbitohs: Wayne Bennett has named all four of his Origin stars - Latrell Mitchell, Cameron Murray, Damien Cook and Dane Gagai - to back up against the bottom side after strutting their stuff on Wednesday night at Cbus Super Stadium on four days recovery.
Stand-ins Blake Taafe, Braidon Burns and Peter Mamouzelos sit waiting on the extended bench if any of the Origin players is unable to back up.
Winger Taane Milne (high tackle) and prop Liam Knight (dangerous contact) both took early guilty pleas to charges arising from the clash against the Cowboys and are available to play.
Bulldogs: Ava Seumanufagai, returning from a one-game suspension incurred against Manly in round 16, has been named to start on the interchange in place of Ofahiki Ogden.
In the only other change to the 17 who did so well against the Roosters lock Josh Jackson swaps places with Renouf Atoni, who started in the second row in a late switch with Joe Stimson last round.
Matt Doorey (head knock) and Jayden Okunbor (knee) return to places on the extended bench after spending time on the sideline.
Jeremy Marshall-King still has one more match to serve of the suspension he incurred against the Sea Eagles.

 

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[acm21]

ROUND 18 SCHEDULE BELOW:

FRIDAY, JULY 16

Titans v Eels Cbus Super Stadium 6.00pm

Sea Eagles v Dragons Cbus Super Stadium (Nine) 8.05pm

SATURDAY, JULY 17

Raiders v Sharks Cbus Super Stadium 3.00pm

Cowboys v Roosters QCB Stadium 5.30pm

Storm v Knights AAMI Park 7.35pm

SUNDAY, JULY 18

Warriors v Panthers Suncorp Stadium 1.50pm

Broncos v Tigers Suncorp Stadium (Nine) 4.05pm

Rabbitohs v Bulldogs Cbus Super Stadium 6.15pm

 

[Greenstar5]

No reason why Canberra couldn't stay and play at home this weekend. Then make their way to the Gold Coast hub. Play their next 2 away games against NSW sides In SEQ. If the border between Victoria & the ACT is still closed then play the Raiders home game against the Dragons in SEQld, then travel to Melbourne to play the Storm and return home to Canberra as long as everything is still covid free.

 

[balmainforever]

Storm are going to be lucky if they get one game in Melbourne if current trends are a guide.
Expecting a border closure from Anna by Friday and all 16 teams will be in Queensland by then.

 

[balmainforever]

Storm have run up to Queensland today.
Pretty sure the game will be on the Sunshine Coast now.

 

[Aucklander]

Casualty Ward: Your club's pre-season injury list

All the latest info on who's in, who's out, injuries and unavailability for all rosters for 2022.

www.nrl.com

 

[Aucklander]

V'landys hopeful of quick approval for family travel exemptions

ARL Commission chairman Peter V'landys has promised to expedite exemption applications for NRL players' Sydney-based families to ensure they are approved to enter Queensland as soon as possible.

www.nrl.com

 

[sosos]

Rapt Shcuster is back for the Sea Eagles. But my new favourite player is Olakau'atu. Steam roller.

 

[DEVO]

Well that was terrible. After a pretty good first half, Parramatta's last 30 minutes was the worst I've seen them play this season, they looked totally disinterested and disorganized and sloppy.

 

[balmainforever]

Well that was terrible. After a pretty good first half, Parramatta's last 30 minutes was the worst I've seen them play this season, they looked totally disinterested and disorganized and sloppy.

Wouldn’t read too much into it. No Moses there to guide the ship.

 

[DEVO]

Wouldn’t read too much into it. No Moses there to guide the ship.

They showed in the first half they can play without him, and Paulo, but that second half was putrid.

 

[balmainforever]

They showed in the first half they can play without him, and Paulo, but that second half was putrid.

Most of their points in the first half was 13 on 12 though.

 

[Aucklander]

Disgraceful decision by Perenara to award an 8 point try. Just give the game away.

 

[Aucklander]

Oh man. What a shocking error.

 

[balmainforever]

Shire being shire.

 

[royboy2]

Someone at the NRL has been to the AFL school of jumper clashes

 

[balmainforever]

Really liking how the warriors are matching up with the panthers.

 

[balmainforever]

Nice to see the ponies are still crap.
Even the wests tigers can beat them.
How Isaako gets a game is beyond me.

 

[Aucklander]

Really gutsy effort by the Warriors. Playing well over half the game with no bench. Massive injury concerns with Harris and an ACL, and Egan gone for the year by the sounds of it.

 

[royboy2]

Getting sent off during the halftime break is such a Bulldogs thing to do

 

[acm21]

Getting sent off during the halftime break is such a Bulldogs thing to do

How?

 

[Aucklander]

How?

 

[moto748]

That was kinda crazy, wasn't it? Lewis didn't even look like he freaked out or anything, he was laughing, But yeah, sub-par from the Bunnies. Enormous credit to the Warriors obviously, after a terrific effort.