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NRL predictions: Walsh returns but improving Roosters should be too strong
Who said tipping was particularly tough this NRL season? Fresh on the back of our perfect eight-from-eight in Round 8, we are brimming with confidence here in the ESPN bunker.
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TOP HEADLINES
ROUND 9
FRIDAY NIGHT GAMES
Dolphins dazzle to hand Storm worst losing streak
Melbourne have slumped to a club record seventh loss in a row as the Dolphins stormed home for a stunning 28-10 comeback win.
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Cowboys fire, hand Bulldogs third-straight loss
Canterbury's spluttering attack failed to fire once more as the Bulldogs slumped to a 28-12 NRL defeat at the hands of North Queensland.
Benji said it best, but deep down Luai is yet another Tigers heartbreak
ROUND 9
PREVIEW
Panthers sure to topple Manly, Tigers to upset Sharks
Round 8 turned out to be a walk in the park for some tippers, but Round 9 looks like it is throwing up the usual challenges.
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Mail: Bunnies' Smith out for a month; Doueihi plays down Origin 'distraction'
The 2026 NRL season rolls on to Round 9, and as the Roosters reflect on their mammoth victory over the Dragons, there are still areas they are keen to work on.
ROUND 8
REVIEW
The Bunnies are hopping, the Bulldogs are flopping
The depleted Broncos continued to impress, dismissing the dismal Bulldogs, the Tigers were sensational in their Leichhardt Oval victory over the Raiders, and the Storm slumped to yet another heavy defeat, this time at the hands of the Rabbitohs.
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Mail: Roosters laud Robson, Kikau sent for scans
The 2026 NRL season rolls on to Round 9, and as the Roosters reflect on their mammoth victory over the Dragons, there are still areas they are keen to work on.
OFF-CONTRACT STAR
National Rugby League
What to make of Jarome Luai's PNG Chiefs visit?
1:57
SUPER SUNDAY
Foran breaks coaching record in Manly win
Kieran Foran has started his Manly tenure better than any interim coach on record thanks to a 33-18 defeat of Parramatta at Brookvale Oval.
ANZAC DAY GAMES
ROUND 8
FRIDAY NIGHT GAMES
Top Headlines
- 'Fire in the belly': Bellamy to stick with Storm
- Dolphins dazzle to hand Storm worst losing streak
- Cowboys fire, hand Bulldogs third-straight loss
- NRL teams: Reece Walsh and Kalyn Ponga return
- Cleary 'not really' worried by cashed-up PNG
- Stuart's message of support to friend Bellamy
- Blues draw first blood with Game 1 Origin win
- Mail: Dogs future half sidelined; De Belin firing
- Shock health diagnosis for Storm coach Bellamy
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ESPN's way-too-early NRL predictions
ESPN's NRL experts have turned their attention to 2026 for their way-too-early predictions.
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Must-see games of the first four rounds of the 2026 season
The 2026 NRL draw has been released. So, to whet your appetite for the upcoming season, we've picked out the must-watch games from the opening four rounds.
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Rugby's rebel league explained: Everything you need to know about R360
R360's start date has officially been kicked down the road to 2028. Perhaps now we will start to see some of the detail it currently lacks. So what exactly do, and don't we know about, it?
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State of Origin: The all-time records and statistics
The State of Origin series started in 1980 and since that very first encounter we have witnessed 129 games and seen plenty of amazing rugby league.
