- 1 Raiders vs Dolphins: a trap game in the middle of Origin season
- 2 Canberra keep building despite the Penrith loss
- 3 The Dolphins are chasing some consistency at last
- 4 A game that could open up quickly
- 5 NRL Prediction Raiders vs Dolphins
- 6 First, a word on our tips
- 7 No commitment from us
- 8 Information changes
- 9 Your responsibility
- 10 Responsible gambling first
- 11 Legal age
- 12 About the images…
Raiders vs Dolphins: a trap game in the middle of Origin season 
With State of Origin looming, the NRL heads into that awkward stretch where squads are constantly changing and some fixtures look far less predictable than they should.
This one between the Raiders and the Dolphins is a classic example.
Canberra come in off a creditable loss to Penrith before the bye, while the Dolphins are still bouncing between brilliant displays and some seriously messy patches. Both sides will be missing key men, which could leave this one a lot more open than expected.
And, honestly, it feels exactly like the kind of match that can turn on a couple of attacking bursts.
Canberra keep building despite the Penrith loss 
Even in a 30-18 defeat to the Panthers in Round 10, the Raiders probably produced their best performance of the season.
Against the best side in the competition, Canberra didn’t blink. They even dragged themselves back to 18-18 with 30 minutes left before Penrith found another gear when it mattered.
More than anything, it showed real growth in attitude.
For weeks, Canberra had looked like a side that folded when the game started going against them. This time, they stood up physically and mentally against a huge test.
Their work through the middle was much more aggressive, the yardage carries were cleaner and the defensive intensity was better overall, even with 34 missed tackles.
That’s still too many at this level, especially against the top teams.
But the effort against Penrith is still a positive heading into this home clash with the Dolphins.
The problem now is dealing with the Origin-related absences.
Hudson Young and Ethan Strange will miss this one after being called up by the Blues, forcing Ricky Stuart to reshuffle several important areas. That takes away creativity and plenty of activity around the ball.
Even so, with a full week to prepare, Canberra should look more settled than they did early in the season.
The Dolphins are chasing some consistency at last 
The Dolphins remain one of the hardest teams to pin down in 2026.
They can be excellent one week and all over the place the next, but they just put together a very convincing 32-12 win over South Sydney, a result they controlled from start to finish.
What stood out was their calm after a shaky opening.
The Rabbitohs came out hard, but the Dolphins never panicked. Once they found the first few gaps, they took over the tempo completely and went into half-time 20-0 up.
Going forward, they’re still a serious threat whenever they get the ball moving.
Jamayne Isaako, Herbie Farnworth, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Isaiya Katoa can all cause damage in an instant when the Dolphins get quick rucks and a bit of momentum.
There were positives out of possession too.
Their line speed rattled South Sydney for long spells and, for once, the Dolphins showed a bit more consistency in the grind without the ball.
The concern, as ever, is continuity.
This is a side that has already shown it can follow a big win with a flat one the next week.
And the injuries are starting to bite.
Kodi Nikorima left the Rabbitohs game hurt and Kristian Woolf may have to tinker with some of his attacking rotations to keep the same flow.
A game that could open up quickly
With both teams missing players and the Origin backdrop in play, this looks like a proper in-between fixture in the season.
Canberra will probably try to make life miserable in the middle and slow the Dolphins down, while the visitors will look to speed things up whenever they spot space out wide.
The Dolphins know their pace out the back can do real damage if this turns into a free-flowing contest.
And that’s exactly what can happen against a Raiders side that can still look shaky defensively when the tempo lifts.
Last year, the Dolphins blew Canberra away 62-24 in very different circumstances. Ricky Stuart had made plenty of changes that night, but the memory is still there.
All of which points to a game that could throw up several big attacking moments at both ends.
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NRL Prediction Raiders vs Dolphins
Jamayne Isaako to score a try
When the Dolphins get into their attacking rhythm, Isaako quickly becomes one of their main finishing weapons. His pace, his support lines and his ability to punish space out wide can cause all sorts of problems for a Raiders defence that can still drift on the edges.
In a game that could open up with a few key absences on both sides, this bet makes plenty of sense.
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Information changes
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About the images…
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