NRL 2026 Round 13 Discussion

[Big Pete]

Cronulla Sharks vs. Manly Sea Eagles
Ocean Protect Stadium, Friday 29 May 2026
Kick Off: 8:00pm

CRONULLA SHARKS

1. William Kennedy 2. Samuel Stonestreet 3. Jesse Ramien 4. KL Iro 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Braydon Trindall 7. Niwhai Puru 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Toby Rudolf 11. Briton Nikora 12. Teig Wilton 13. Cameron McInnes

14. Jesse Colquhoun 15. Siosifa Talakai 16. Billy Burns 17. Thomas Hazelton 18. Hohepa Puru 19. Oregon Kaufusi

20. Braden Hamlin-Uele 21. Jayden Berrell 22. Riley Jones 23. Mawene Hiroti

MANLY SEA EAGLES

1. Clayton Faulalo 2. Jason Saab 3. Josh Feledy 4. Reuben Garrick 5. Lehi Hopoate 6. Luke Brooks 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Taniela Paseka 9. Jake Simpkin 10. Kobe Hetherington 11. Jackson Shereb 12. Ben Trbojevic 13. Jake Trbojevic

14. Brandon Wakeham 15. Nathan Brown 16. Ethan Bullemor 17. Simione Laiafi 18. Blake Wilson 19. Joey Walsh

20. Hugo Hart 21. Haumole Olakau'atu 22. Tolutau Koula

Newcastle Knights vs. Parramatta Eels
McDonald Jones Stadium, Saturday 30 May 2026
Kick Off: 3:00pm

NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS

1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Dominic Young 3. Dane Gagai 4. Fletcher Sharpe 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Sandon Smith 7. Dylan Brown 8. Jacob Saifiti 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Trey Mooney 11. Dylan Lucas 12. Jermaine McEwen 13. Mathew Croker

14. Harrison Graham 15. Tyson Frizell 16. Pasami Saulo 17. Cody Hopwood 18. Thomas Cant 19. Fletcher Hunt

20. Francis Manuleleua 21. James Schiller 22. Elijah Leaumoana 23. Kyle McCarthy

PARRAMATTA EELS

1. Isaiah Iongi 2. Brian Kelly 3. Jordan Samrani 4. Sean Russell 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. Joash Papali'i 7. Ronald Volkman 8. Luca Moretti 9. Tallyn Da Silva 10. Jack Williams 11. Kelma Tuilagi 12. Kitione Kautoga 13. Jack de Belin

14. Dylan Walker 15. Charlie Guymer 16. Toni Mataele 17. Harrison Edwards 18. Apa Twidle 19. Teancum Brown

20. Sam Tuivaiti 21. Lorenzo Talataina 22. Araz Nanva

Wests Tigers vs. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
CommBank Stadium, Saturday 30 May 2026
Kick Off: 5:30pm

WESTS TIGERS

1. Jahream Bula 2. Jeral Skelton 3. Sunia Turuva 4. Heamasi Makasini 5. Faaletino Tavana 6. Jarome Luai 7. Jock Madden 8. Terrell May 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. Fonua Pole 11. Sione Fainu 12. Kai Pearce-Paul 13. Alex Twal

14. Latu Fainu 15. Alex Seyfarth 16. Royce Hunt 17. Charlie Murray 18. Mavrik Geyer 19. Starford To'a

20. Tristan Hope 21. Ethan Roberts 22. Heath Mason

CANTERBURY BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS

1. Jacob Kiraz 2. Jethro Rinakama 3. Bronson Xerri 4. Enari Tuala 5. Marcelo Montoya 6. Matt Burton 7. Lachlan Galvin 8. Max King 9. Kurt Mann 10. Leo Thompson 11. Sitili Tupouniua 12. Jaeman Salmon 13. Harry Hayes

14. Bailey Hayward 15. Jed Reardon 16. Jack Underhill 17. Josh Curran 19. Lipoi Hopoi 20. Jonathan Sua

21. Sean O'Sullivan 22. Connor Tracey 23. Stephen Crichton

Melbourne Storm vs. Sydney Roosters
AAMI Park, Saturday 30 May 2026
Kick Off: 7:35pm

MELBOURNE STORM

1. Sualauvi Faalogo 2. William Warbrick 3. Jack Howarth 4. Nick Meaney 5. Moses Leo 6. Cameron Munster 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Stefano Utoikamanu 9. Harry Grant 10. Josh King 11. Alec MacDonald 12. Ativalu Lisati 13. Trent Loiero

14. Trent Toelau 15. Cooper Clarke 16. Davvy Moale 17. Josiah Pahulu 18. Joe Chan 19. Manaia Waitere

20. Jack Hetherington 21. Angus Hinchey 22. Gabriel Satrick 23. Keagan Russell-Smith

SYDNEY ROOSTERS

1. James Tedesco 2. Billy Smith 3. Hugo Savala 4. Robert Toia 5. Cody Ramsey 6. Daly Cherry-Evans 7. Sam Walker 8. Naufahu Whyte 9. Reece Robson 10. Lindsay Collins 11. Angus Crichton 12. Siua Wong 13. Victor Radley

14. Connor Watson 15. Spencer Leniu 16. Nat Butcher 17. Salesi Foketi 18. Reece Foley 19. Egan Butcher

20. Benaiah Ioelu 21. Taylor Losalu 22. Tom Rodwell 23. Rex Bassingthwaighte 24. Junior Tupou

Brisbane Broncos vs. St George Illawarra Dragons
Suncorp Stadium, Sunday 31 May 2026
Kick Off: 2:00pm

BRISBANE BRONCOS

1. Reece Walsh 2. Josiah Karapani 3. Kotoni Staggs 4. Gehamat Shibasaki 5. Jesse Arthars 6. Ezra Mam 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Preston Riki 9. Cory Paix 10. Payne Haas 11. Brendan Piakura 12. Xavier Willison 13. Patrick Carrigan

14. Ben Hunt 15. Ben Talty 16. Va'a Semu 17. Jack Gosiewski 18. Grant Anderson 19. Hayze Perham

20. Thomas Duffy 21. Jaiyden Hunt 22. Phillip Coates 23. Aublix Tawha 24. Josh Rogers

ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS

1. Clinton Gutherson 2. Setu Tu 3. Moses Suli 4. Valentine Holmes 5. Mathew Feagai 6. Daniel Atkinson 7. Kyle Flanagan 8. Loko Jnr Pasifiki Tonga 9. Damien Cook 10. Toby Couchman 11. Dylan Egan 12. Hamish Stewart 13. Ryan Couchman

14. Jacob Liddle 15. Blake Lawrie 16. Josh Kerr 17. Luciano Leilua 18. Emre Guler 19. Lyhkan King-Togia

20. Tyrell Sloan 21. Isaiah Fagalilo 22. Tyler Peckham-Harris

Canberra Raiders vs. North Queensland Cowboys
GIO Stadium, Sunday 31 May 2026
Kick Off: 4:05pm

CANBERRA RAIDERS

1. Kaeo Weekes 2. Savelio Tamale 3. Sebastian Kris 4. Matthew Timoko 5. Xavier Savage 6. Ethan Strange 7. Ethan Sanders 8. Corey Horsburgh 9. Tom Starling 10. Joseph Tapine 11. Hudson Young 12. Zac Hosking 13. Daine Laurie

14. Owen Pattie 15. Ata Mariota 16. Morgan Smithies 17. Jed Stuart 18. Chevy Stewart 19. Jordan Uta

20. Coby Black 21. Vena Patuki-Case 22. Ethan Alaia

NORTH QLD COWBOYS

1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Zac Laybutt 3. Jaxon Purdue 4. Tomas Chester 5. Murray Taulagi 6. Liam Sutton 7. Jake Clifford 8. Thomas Mikaele 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Jason Taumalolo 11. Heilum Luki 12. Sam McIntyre 13. Reuben Cotter

14. Viliami Vailea 15. Griffin Neame 16. Matthew Lodge 17. Coen Hess 18. Robert Derby 19. Ethan King

20. Xavier Kerrisk 21. Wiremu Greig 22. Mason Barber

Penrith Panthers vs. Warriors
CommBank Stadium, Sunday 31 May 2026
Kick Off: 6:15pm

PENRITH PANTHERS

1. Dylan Edwards 2. Thomas Jenkins 3. Izack Tago 4. Luke Garner 5. Paul Alamoti 6. Blaize Talagi 7. Jack Cogger 8. Moses Leota 9. Freddy Lussick 10. Liam Henry 11. Isaiah Papali'i 12. Liam Martin 13. Lindsay Smith

14. Jack Cole 15. Scott Sorensen 16. Billy Phillips 17. Luron Patea 18. Billy Scott 19. Sione Fonua

20. Kalani Going 21. Casey McLean 22. Isaah Yeo 23. Nathan Cleary 24. Brian To'o

NZ WARRIORS

1. Taine Tuaupiki 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 3. Ali Leiataua 4. Adam Pompey 5. Alofiana Khan-Pereira 6. Chanel Harris-Tavita 7. Te Maire Martin 8. James Fisher-Harris 9. Wayde Egan 10. Jackson Ford 11. Leka Halasima 12. Jacob Laban 13. Erin Clark

14. Samuel Healey 15. Tanner Stowers-Smith 16. Demitric Vaimauga 17. Marata Niukore 18. Kayliss Fatialofa 20. Luke Hanson

21. Makaia Tafua 22. Luke Metcalf 23. Jason Seu Salalilo

 

[Big Pete]

Curious to see how the Panthers take on the Warriors. Last year when the Panthers were at risk of missing the finals altogether their younger players rallied and produced one of the upsets of the season to down the Warriors in Auckland. Curious to see if the Panthers have the Warriors licked or if the Warriors have matured since that loss.

That's book-ended by Friday's clash against the Sharks and Sea Eagles. I've been blasse with the Sea Eagles. They've obviously been on a roll since Seibold's departure and they have a new lease on life but they sort of typify the feast or famine trend we've seen so far this season. Ditto the Sharks who either win big or lose big with nothing in between.

I see it as a season defining game. Going into the year, I would have had this marked as a Cronulla victory but Manly have fixed a lot of their bad habits and that worries a team like Cronulla.

Cronulla count on teams beating themselves and allowing them to run rampant. However they constantly invite teams back into the contest either with loose defence or predictible attack.

Post-Origin is always a tough round to pick. Coaches never know who they have or how players will bounce back after Origin. Sometimes they still have that high, other times they're getting bumped off by rookies like Hopoate on Haas last year.

 

[Big Pete]

Teams are in.

 

[Xarr]

I was excited to see Pezet leading a team at 7 but he copped a hamstring strain…

 

[Sproj]

Daine Laurie at 13?

 

[Big Pete]

Daine Laurie at 13?

A bold selection picking a fullback who can't tackle in the forwards up against Taumalolo and Mikaele.

I could understand persisting with Brailey at 13 after the performance against the Panthers but I would have bit the bullet and just pushed Mariota into the starting side with Horsburgh at 13. Coming up against a giant pack so I think could have got away with playing their 6'6 prop in Clydesdale.

I don't know why he's been omitted for Vena.

 

[Sproj]

A bold selection picking a fullback who can't tackle in the forwards up against Taumalolo and Mikaele.

I could understand persisting with Brailey at 13 after the performance against the Panthers but I would have bit the bullet and just pushed Mariota into the starting side with Horsburgh at 13. Coming up against a giant pack so I think could have got away with playing their 6'6 prop in Clydesdale.

I don't know why he's been omitted for Vena.

If Laurie kills it there though, shows how bad league has become. For all intents and purposes, he should get absolutely belted.

I don’t get it though, Canberra have like 10 other guys who can play lock don’t they?

 

[Brocko]

Surely there's a good prop or backrower (or both) we can nab from the Milk if they're playing Laurie as a 13 over them. Although from memory, they've been playing Brailey at lock over Smithies recently anyways.

 

[BroncosFever]

If Laurie kills it there though, shows how bad league has become. For all intents and purposes, he should get absolutely belted.

I don’t get it though, Canberra have like 10 other guys who can play lock don’t they?

He should, yes.

I have seen some wild player suggestions to fill in at 13 over the years. People just think it's about having a bit of ball playing ability, you've got to defend the big boppers and make a few metres yourself as well.

 

[tommy]

10 in the bin? According to the bulldogs vs dolphins game. It was identical.

 

[Old Mate]

That last set restart was dog shit. What was it for?

 

[Dexter]

We should be cheering for Sharks right?

 

[Brocko]

Sharks better without Nicho. Shock.

 

[Bull Shark]

40 minutes played, 4 penalties, 12 six-agains…

 

[Elbows]

Triple M blowing up about the dubious 6 agains. Nah the games going great lol

 

[Dexter]

Horrible effort from burbo

 

[Dexter]

Wow Sharks are trash

 

[Brocko]

Another 30+ each game on the way here