Rugby League News | Raidercast

Mon, 6th July, 2026, 12:54 AEST
Strange fitness decision made by NSW for Origin decider
Ethan Strange has recovered from his ankle injury and will play for NSW in the State of Origin decider on Wednesday night.
The Canberra Times
Ethan Strange has shaken off an ankle injury in time to feature on NSW's team sheet for the State of Origin decider.
The Blues had set Monday as D-Day for Strange, who has been fighting to prove his fitness since rolling his ankle at training on Thursday.
The Canberra playmaker, excellent on debut in the series opener, has undergone extensive treatment on his left ankle and has been walking with ease in recent days.
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Mon, 6th July, 2026, 5:34 AEST
Bulldog's Bite: Why Johnathan Thurston and Darren Lockyer don't make my all-time starting Origin side
Creating a combined State of Origin team is challenging, prioritizing standout players while excluding legends like Thurston and Lockyer.
The Australian
Shifting King Wally to lock for Brett Kenny, omitting Queensland champions Johnathan Thurston and Darren Lockyer, including Artie Beetson and naming Gus Gould as coach.
What started as a fun project - picking my greatest ever combined State of Origin side from 1980 until now - quickly became excruciating.
How do you cram 46 years of brilliance and aggressive interstate rivalry into one squad? I was reluctantly forced to disregard some of the greatest rugby league players ever.
Halfback alone prompted me to take a BEX and have a lie down. There's Thurston, Andrew Johns, Ricky Stuart, Steve Mortimer, Cooper Cronk and the one-and-only Alfie Langer.
Given his heroics in the 2005 series, I opted for Johns but overlooking Thurston for a run-on spot was difficult. Thurston played 37 Origin games and helped Queensland win 11 series.
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Sun, 5th July, 2026, 16:30 AEST
Ethan Strange to be ruled out of State of Origin decider unless he passes Monday fitness test
Ethan Strange may miss State of Origin III unless he can run fully during Monday's training session. Matt Burton is on standby.
The Australian
NSW's Ethan Strange will be ruled out of State of Origin III unless he can run at full tilt at the Blues' first training session in Brisbane on Monday morning.
Strange rolled his ankle at training last Thursday on the Gold Coast and has been receiving intense medical treatment in a bid to be cleared for Wednesday night's decider.
Canterbury's Matt Burton remains in NSW camp as cover for Strange.
The NSW staff want to give Strange every chance to play but Monday is D-Day.
Canberra's playmaking star will need to run unhindered when NSW trains at Ballymore, the traditional home of Queensland rugby union.
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Sat, 4th July, 2026, 14:48 AEST
Coach's message as Manly rookie thrust into spotlight
Joey Walsh, a rookie, is set to start for Manly in the NRL as Kieran Foran emphasizes his bravery amidst challenges following Luke Brooks' injury.
The Canberra Times
Kieran Foran wants top rookie prospect Joey Walsh to harness his "elite level of bravery" joining Manly's starting side on the run to the NRL finals.
A season-ending knee injury to five-eighth Luke Brooks has positioned the highly-touted 20-year-old for the sternest test of his young career yet.
Schoolboy rugby union prodigy Walsh has impressed filling in in the halves in four previous NRL games, three of those under first-year coach Foran.
But from Sunday's clash against Parramatta, Walsh is tasked with striking instant chemistry with halfback Jamal Fogarty and helping lift resurgent Manly into finals.
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Sat, 4th July, 2026, 12:36 AEST
NRLW Super Saturday: Titans v Roosters; Dragons v Raiders; Broncos v Cowboys
NRLW Super Saturday features Titans vs. Roosters, and Dragons vs. Raiders, promising exciting match-ups across two states.
NRL.com
The NRLW season gets into full swing on Saturday with three cracking contests across two states starting with the Titans hosting last year's runners-up the Roosters on the Gold Coast.
Both sides are brimming with match-winners and a free-flowing contest looks assured as two-time premiers the Roosters look to make an early statement against a Titans outfit that missed the finals by a single point in 2025.
From there we head to Dragons heartland at Kogarah where the Red V and the Raiders look to turn things around after disappointing campaigns last season.
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