NRL NRL 2025 - Round 18

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https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/pickem/picks/2025-official-bigfooty-nrl-tipping.183/?week_id=442

Friday 4th July
Canterbury-Bankstown vs Brisbane (Accor Stadium - 20:00)

Saturday 5th July
Canberra vs St.George-Illawarra (GIO Stadium - 17:30)
North Queensland vs Melbourne (Queensland Country Bank Stadium - 19:35)

Sunday 6th July
Sydney Roosters vs Wests Tigers (Allianz Stadium - 14:00)
Manly-Warringah vs South Sydney (4 Pines Park - 16:05)

Byes: Cronulla-Sutherland, Dolphins, Gold Coast,
New Zealand, Newcastle, Parramatta, Penrith

 

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NRL Team Lists: Round 18

Official team lists, updates and injury news for Round 18 of the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership.

www.nrl.com

 

[balmainforever]

As long as the bunnies don't lose by 30+, the tigers could be op the bottom of the ladder after this round.
It's not unlikely that the chooks could beat us by 61+

 

[moto748]

Should be a good contest to start the round at least. Looking forward to it.

 

[PhatBoy]

As long as the bunnies don't lose by 30+, the tigers could be op the bottom of the ladder after this round.
It's not unlikely that the chooks could beat us by 61+

I know it comes as absolutely no comfort for fans who just want wins. That’s what they want.
But you undoubtedly have a vastly improved team on those spoon sides

Tigers supporters will be sick to death of hearing it but they need to ride it out because they are on the up it’s just a matter of turning those ‘good’ performances into winning ones. 3 losses on the bounce by a try at one stage - imagine if they were wins

 

[balmainforever]

I know it comes as absolutely no comfort for fans who just want wins. That’s what they want.
But you undoubtedly have a vastly improved team on those spoon sides

Tigers supporters will be sick to death of hearing it but they need to ride it out because they are on the up it’s just a matter of turning those ‘good’ performances into winning ones. 3 losses on the bounce by a try at one stage - imagine if they were wins

I’m not complaining about their improvement this year. You have to realise that ever team improves on their previous years performance.
It’s just the lack of depth at the club which is hurting. You can’t lose your starting 1,6,7 and 9 and expect to be competitive.

 

[Jatz]

I know it comes as absolutely no comfort for fans who just want wins. That’s what they want.
But you undoubtedly have a vastly improved team on those spoon sides

Tigers supporters will be sick to death of hearing it but they need to ride it out because they are on the up it’s just a matter of turning those ‘good’ performances into winning ones. 3 losses on the bounce by a try at one stage - imagine if they were wins

That's not really good enough though. That squad is too good to still be where it is.

Since round 5 they're 3 wins, 8 losses. They've won 6 points, another 4 via byes.

I'm seriously unconvinced Benji is the coach to get them out of this mess. Throw in the early releases of Galvin and TDS (that one is absolutely bizarre) and I can absolutely understand the pessimism continuing around the club.

 

[PhatBoy]

That's not really good enough though. That squad is too good to still be where it is.

Since round 5 they're 3 wins, 8 losses. They've won 6 points, another 4 via byes.

I'm seriously unconvinced Benji is the coach to get them out of this mess. Throw in the early releases of Galvin and TDS (that one is absolutely bizarre) and I can absolutely understand the pessimism continuing around the club.

I don’t get the TDS release either. Galvin they were between a rock and a hard place. Regardless of the extra-curricular (for want of a better term) stuff that went on around it, they really were left with no choice. But yes with TDS they made a bizarre decision. I used to have a lot of respect for Richardson as a manager but his approach is getting stranger and stranger and whoever is looking after their list is getting more and more culpable.

They do have a good list and probably should be a bit better than what it is but they can look towards a team like the Bulldogs for some inspiration:

People probably don’t remember this now but when Ciraldo first came in, they finished with the same record as the previous year (7-17)
But their for-and-against actually went from -192 to -331. They were easybeats.
They didn’t really lose a lot of good players either. Paul Vaughan was probably it.
In fact they picked some good ones up: Kikau, Kiraz, Mahoney - who I don’t rate but they seem to. They all joined.
This was under a guy in Ciraldo who had done a huge apprenticeship.

Then it clicked. Absolutely getting Crichton made a huge impact and to me that’s what getting Luai should have probably helped do but he’s not the leader Crichton is. That’s fairly clear.
They are one half short of being able to make that jump, IMO. They have a lot of really good foot soldiers, and I think they play with a fair bit of ticker basically every week with the odd fade out

I too am not convinced about Marshall but I also think he probably deserves another season to see whether with a bit of stability he can produce

 

[Jatz]

I don’t get the TDS release either. Galvin they were between a rock and a hard place. Regardless of the extra-curricular (for want of a better term) stuff that went on around it, they really were left with no choice. But yes with TDS they made a bizarre decision. I used to have a lot of respect for Richardson as a manager but his approach is getting stranger and stranger and whoever is looking after their list is getting more and more culpable.

They do have a good list and probably should be a bit better than what it is but they can look towards a team like the Bulldogs for some inspiration:

People probably don’t remember this now but when Ciraldo first came in, they finished with the same record as the previous year (7-17)
But their for-and-against actually went from -192 to -331. They were easybeats.
They didn’t really lose a lot of good players either. Paul Vaughan was probably it.
In fact they picked some good ones up: Kikau, Kiraz, Mahoney - who I don’t rate but they seem to. They all joined.
This was under a guy in Ciraldo who had done a huge apprenticeship.

Then it clicked. Absolutely getting Crichton made a huge impact and to me that’s what getting Luai should have probably helped do but he’s not the leader Crichton is. That’s fairly clear.
They are one half short of being able to make that jump, IMO. They have a lot of really good foot soldiers, and I think they play with a fair bit of ticker basically every week with the odd fade out

I too am not convinced about Marshall but I also think he probably deserves another season to see whether with a bit of stability he can produce

It just defies logic to me. The squad is thin as it is and they've got nothing in return for him. Richardson will blab on about reasons but I seriously can't see a justification for it.

I don't disagree with the Bulldogs comparison but I think there's a few key differences for the Tiges:

• The baggage of the last 5 odd years. The Dogs were bad but not as bad as the Tiges have been. That's a lot to try and move past.
• The club in general still often feels split to me. The old Tigers crew and the Magpies don't (and haven't) feel aligned. It makes it so difficult to succeed on field when there's issues bubbling away off field.
• I don't think having multiple home grounds is helpful. I understand why they do but it would be better to try and build a fortress somewhere.
• And arguably most importantly, I don't know how the Dogs have done it but they've managed to sign players without blowing the cap to hell. It's allowed them to get Kikau/Burton/Crichton/Mahoney etc etc. I haven't seen figures but the general consensus has been that the Tigers have generally had to overpay players to get them to sign...of course meaning the rest of the squad has a worse floor to it.

Then as we touched on, Ciraldo > Benji.

 

[PhatBoy]

It just defies logic to me. The squad is thin as it is and they've got nothing in return for him. Richardson will blab on about reasons but I seriously can't see a justification for it.

I don't disagree with the Bulldogs comparison but I think there's a few key differences for the Tiges:

• The baggage of the last 5 odd years. The Dogs were bad but not as bad as the Tiges have been. That's a lot to try and move past.
• The club in general still often feels split to me. The old Tigers crew and the Magpies don't (and haven't) feel aligned. It makes it so difficult to succeed on field when there's issues bubbling away off field.
• I don't think having multiple home grounds is helpful. I understand why they do but it would be better to try and build a fortress somewhere.
• And arguably most importantly, I don't know how the Dogs have done it but they've managed to sign players without blowing the cap to hell. It's allowed them to get Kikau/Burton/Crichton/Mahoney etc etc. I haven't seen figures but the general consensus has been that the Tigers have generally had to overpay players to get them to sign...of course meaning the rest of the squad has a worse floor to it.

Then as we touched on, Ciraldo > Benji.

I think reputation has a bit to do with the cap thing.

In reality, aside from the Dogs one off grand final appearance against Souths, the Tigers have actually had success more recently than the Dogs but the Dogs carry that ‘air’ of being a destination club. They are popular with a big, rusted on fan base of loyal supporters, a lot of carry over from the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s when they were a strong club and had a lot of big names. The Tigers (and magpies) don’t have that residual aura. Between them in my entire lifetime they’ve had two small peaks: the 88/89 sides that lost, and the 2005 team. It’s not a modern history that speaks to having a culture of success that attracts players.

I suppose you could say the same about South Sydney and wonder why they manage to attract players but when they’re getting Wayne Bennett to coach them and have won a recent-ish premiership and made a grand final 4 years ago it gives a decent explanation.

The Tigers don’t have that so players aren’t I guess as immediately drawn to it: ‘oh yeah let’s go play for the black and gold army and everything that goes with it and all the fans and everything.’ I think that would contribute to the amount they are paying for a lot of their players.

Agree with the multiple home ground factor. I understand why they have to do it but it’s not helping them. Especially when you see the disparity between their performances as Leichhardt compared to everywhere else.


I think one more good forward - a good edge forward to compliment May in the middle - and as I said a good half, would have them really close to being a genuinely good side. They’ve got decent strike in the outside backs, Luai is still decent enough but you can see he misses having Cleary to straighten things up. Api is outstanding. Bula is a gun. Toa is very good in the centres and has a good combination with Turuva. Doueihi is decent enough, Twal is a decent enough back rower or wherever they want to stuff him in the pack. They’re not THAT far off, there are just a few pieces of the puzzle they need to align I think

 

[Jatz]

I think reputation has a bit to do with the cap thing.

In reality, aside from the Dogs one off grand final appearance against Souths, the Tigers have actually had success more recently than the Dogs but the Dogs carry that ‘air’ of being a destination club. They are popular with a big, rusted on fan base of loyal supporters, a lot of carry over from the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s when they were a strong club and had a lot of big names. The Tigers (and magpies) don’t have that residual aura. Between them in my entire lifetime they’ve had two small peaks: the 88/89 sides that lost, and the 2005 team. It’s not a modern history that speaks to having a culture of success that attracts players.

I suppose you could say the same about South Sydney and wonder why they manage to attract players but when they’re getting Wayne Bennett to coach them and have won a recent-ish premiership and made a grand final 4 years ago it gives a decent explanation.

The Tigers don’t have that so players aren’t I guess as immediately drawn to it: ‘oh yeah let’s go play for the black and gold army and everything that goes with it and all the fans and everything.’ I think that would contribute to the amount they are paying for a lot of their players.

Agree with the multiple home ground factor. I understand why they have to do it but it’s not helping them. Especially when you see the disparity between their performances as Leichhardt compared to everywhere else.


I think one more good forward - a good edge forward to compliment May in the middle - and as I said a good half, would have them really close to being a genuinely good side. They’ve got decent strike in the outside backs, Luai is still decent enough but you can see he misses having Cleary to straighten things up. Api is outstanding. Bula is a gun. Toa is very good in the centres and has a good combination with Turuva. Doueihi is decent enough, Twal is a decent enough back rower or wherever they want to stuff him in the pack. They’re not THAT far off, there are just a few pieces of the puzzle they need to align I think

The bolded is not true, surely. The Tigers haven't even made the 8 in the last 14 years (and only 3 times since the merger). The Bulldogs last premiership was in '04, 1 year before the Tigers.

Agree with most of what you're saying. Api being 32 worries me and I think ultimately they're more than just a player or two away from being finals candidates but they're certainly a lot closer than they were.

I'd actually be trying to clear some more of the Twal/Douehi type players. Try and push junior development (and clearly work on retention) and bring in more fresh faces.

 

[PhatBoy]

The bolded is not true, surely. The Tigers haven't even made the 8 in the last 14 years (and only 3 times since the merger). The Bulldogs last premiership was in '04, 1 year before the Tigers.

Agree with most of what you're saying. Api being 32 worries me and I think ultimately they're more than just a player or two away from being finals candidates but they're certainly a lot closer than they were.

I'd actually be trying to clear some more of the Twal/Douehi type players. Try and push junior development (and clearly work on retention) and bring in more fresh faces.

They won a comp in 2005 - the dogs in 2004. They really haven’t done a lot since. The Tigers haven’t done anything at all, I know that.
But what I mean is, the history of the Dogs seems to give them an aura that they’re a ‘successful’ club when really for 21 seasons they’ve been very mediocre. They’ve made the finals 8 times by my count but only finished higher than 5th three times.
Apologies they actually made two grand finals in that time though so that was an oversight on my part.

Tigers have only made finals three times in the same period so it’s unquestionably been better for the Dogs anyway, no denying that, but yeah the Tigers had a title more recently and the Dogs have had a pretty ordinary two decades relative to their reputation as a bit of a destination club.

There is certainly a limit to how many ‘Everyman’ types you can carry so I agree with you there, but clubs trying to build culture need to be really careful with who they choose to keep and to cut in those scenarios. You don’t want to alienate more people by cutting those guys because they’re pretty popular, so if they can still offer something even if it’s maybe off the bench? Doueihi is a pretty handy utility.

 

[Jatz]

They won a comp in 2005 - the dogs in 2004. They really haven’t done a lot since. The Tigers haven’t done anything at all, I know that.
But what I mean is, the history of the Dogs seems to give them an aura that they’re a ‘successful’ club when really for 21 seasons they’ve been very mediocre. They’ve made the finals 8 times by my count but only finished higher than 5th three times.
Apologies they actually made two grand finals in that time though so that was an oversight on my part.

Tigers have only made finals three times in the same period so it’s unquestionably been better for the Dogs anyway, no denying that, but yeah the Tigers had a title more recently and the Dogs have had a pretty ordinary two decades relative to their reputation as a bit of a destination club.

There is certainly a limit to how many ‘Everyman’ types you can carry so I agree with you there, but clubs trying to build culture need to be really careful with who they choose to keep and to cut in those scenarios. You don’t want to alienate more people by cutting those guys because they’re pretty popular, so if they can still offer something even if it’s maybe off the bench? Doueihi is a pretty handy utility.

Funnily enough I think we're about to have this problem at Carlton.

I get the culture/sentimentality of it all but if you're not being successful, I do think that needs to take a back seat. The Douehi's/Twal's of the Tigers have been there throughout - maybe breaking that losing culture isn't the worst thing in the world...

 

[PhatBoy]

Funnily enough I think we're about to have this problem at Carlton.

I get the culture/sentimentality of it all but if you're not being successful, I do think that needs to take a back seat. The Douehi's/Twal's of the Tigers have been there throughout - maybe breaking that losing culture isn't the worst thing in the world...

It’s a real balancing act.

At the roosters I look at how many really good dynamic young forwards we’ve suddenly got growing out of nowhere in Wong and Whyte (reminds me of a David Brent song if you’re an Office fan haha) and others but still see a place for a player like Nat Butcher just for the short term at least - though we are already in a better place than the tigers which I never would have predicted after 6 rounds.

 

[nobbyiscool]

I really feel like the Dragons are getting the Raiders at the best possible time this week, I'm very nervous. Especially after the Raiders sent a member email today with a code for GF tickets (although I suspect all club members probably got that.)

 

[royboy2]

I really feel like the Dragons are getting the Raiders at the best possible time this week, I'm very nervous. Especially after the Raiders sent a member email today with a code for GF tickets (although I suspect all club members probably got that.)

Yeah I'm a Rabbitohs member and we got one too haha

 

[Jatz]

Yeah I'm a Rabbitohs member and we got one too haha

Sending them to Knights fans was just cruel haha.

 

[nobbyiscool]

Cooper Cronk just strafing Cobbo for the Dogs second try, when he's playing out of position and had to run from one side of the field to the other on the one play to get a play at the ball.

That Qld mafia is brutal when they turn on you.

 

[nobbyiscool]

Wild second half. The Dogs are going to have some inevitable collapses I think - their halves/hooker trio was going as well as anyone in the league over the first half the season. Now they feel they have to insert Galvin, and while it will be for long term gain, I think it's causing them some short term pain.

Although... maybe I shouldn't assume, cos if the end result is taking their best player out of 6 into the centres to accomodate Galvin, I don't see how that makes them better off.

 

[benbrown]

Good win from broncos,I turned it over at 18 to zip with the game going nowhere,just caught last 5

 

[moto748]

Cooper Cronk just strafing Cobbo for the Dogs second try, when he's playing out of position and had to run from one side of the field to the other on the one play to get a play at the ball.

That Qld mafia is brutal when they turn on you.

I'm remarked before that CC really bugs me on commentary. Of course he knows the game inside out, but you'd think he never made a bad kick or pass in his career to hear him talk, and he focuses especially on young halves, always with the portentious advice. I always noticed that the older, experienced halves like Cleary, Reynolds, even Mitchell Pearce back in the day, get a much easier ride from him.

I tihnk Cobbo is a cracking player, but it's surely fair to say his form hasn't been the best lately.

 

[nobbyiscool]

I'm remarked before that CC really bugs me on commentary. Of course he knows the game inside out, but you'd think he never made a bad kick or pass in his career to hear him talk, and he focuses especially on young halves, always with the portentious advice. I always noticed that the older, experienced halves like Cleary, Reynolds, even Mitchell Pearce back in the day, get a much easier ride from him.

I tihnk Cobbo is a cracking player, but it's surely fair to say his form hasn't been the best lately.

Cobbo made another error later in the first half. I said out loud for my dog to hear "GIVE HIM ANOTHER BULLET COOP!"

And he did.

Probably gave him another couple in reality.

 

[moto748]

Raiders/Dragons was a lot more fun than I expected. Quite a day for Weekes.

 

[moto748]

Didn't expect much from Cowboys/Storm, with a lot of stars missing. And Val Holmes. But again, a great contest, with the Cowboys at least showing a bit more defensive solidity than they have lately. For all the talk about the Raiders and the Dogs this year, I still kinda expect to see one of the usual suspects coming out on top, the Storm, or Penrith.