Rugby League News | Raidercast

Tue, 14th April, 2026, 19:46 AEST
Rapid fire Tuesday, Round 7: Dragons refuse to change, Crichton an early chance, Knights spine call
NRL Round 7 teams revealed with surprising choices, including Flanagan's decision and potential return for Crichton.
Zero Tackle
The NRL teams for Round 7 have been locked in around the competition, with plenty of eyebrows raised.
From Shane Flanagan's blunt refusal to shuffle things at the Dragons, to the chance for an early return for Stephen Crichton, and the Raiders making a shock call in the outside backs, there is plenty to unpack on Tuesday afternoon.
Here are all the changes in our latest edition of rapid fire.
Check out all 16 NRL team lists for Round 7 here
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Tue, 14th April, 2026, 17:46 AEST
Raiders v Storm: Timoko recalled; Blore nears return
Raiders-Storm rivalry continues as Storm faces a rare four-game losing streak; Timoko returns, Blore nears comeback.
NRL.com
From their Magic Round epic in 2025 to a classic qualifying final in 2019 decided by a late John Bateman try, the Raiders-Storm rivalry rarely fails to deliver.
The Storm have won 38 of the 56 matches between the sides since 1998, including 16 of 23 at GIO Stadium, but Craig Bellamy's men head to Canberra on the back of a worrying four-game losing slide.
This is rare air for the Storm, who haven't lost five in a row since 2012, and the lack of defensive steel will have Bellamy and his senior leaders on edge.
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Tue, 14th April, 2026, 16:58 AEST
Rabbitohs v Dragons: Dufty returns; Halangahu in the mix
Rabbitohs aim to bounce back against Dragons as Koloamatangi, future Dragon, leads the charge after last week's loss.
NRL.com
Rabbitohs star Keaon Koloamatangi is chasing a win over his future club as South Sydney look to topple the Dragons on Saturday night.
The forward has signed a long-term deal with St George Illawarra from 2027 but his immediate focus is on helping the Rabbitohs rebound from a last-start loss to the Raiders.
Latrell Mitchell almost inspired a stunning comeback at Optus Stadium but it ultimately fell short. South Sydney will look to avoid a similar position this week when they return home to Acor Stadium.
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Tue, 14th April, 2026, 16:32 AEST
Canberra flyer axed as Raider earns recall to face the struggling Storm
The Canberra Raiders dropped winger Savelio Tamale, recalling Matt Timoko for a crucial match against the struggling Melbourne Storm.
The Canberra Times
The Canberra Raiders have axed winger Savelio Tamale with Matt Timoko earning an NRL recall to face a Melbourne Storm side staring down the barrel of unwanted history.
Tamale - who was pulled aside by coach Ricky Stuart during last week's two-point thriller in Perth and told to "believe in his ability" - has been named on an extended bench for Friday night's clash at Canberra Stadium.
Timoko will make his second NRL appearance of the season as he returns to the starting side at centre, with Seb Kris shuffling to the wing and the in-form Simi Sasagi retaining his place in the centres.
Stuart has named an otherwise unchanged team as the Raiders hunt for back-to-back wins to reignite their season after a slow start.
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Tue, 14th April, 2026, 14:58 AEST
Belief still strong at struggling Storm: skipper
Despite four straight losses, Melbourne's skipper Harry Grant believes the season's finish line is far off, urging the team to improve and stay focused.
The Canberra Times
With their NRL finals hopes already written off in some quarters on their back of their fourth successive loss, defiant Melbourne skipper Harry Grant says the "finish line" is still far away.
The Storm will look to avoid a 14-year low of five straight losses when they travel to Canberra to face the Raiders.
With a 2-4 record to open the season, they are in unfamiliar territory, sitting 13th on the ladder, with only three teams conceding more points.
The No.9 agreed with the assessment that Melbourne's performance, and particularly defence, wasn't up to standard and said the team needed to "show more grit" when things weren't going their way.
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