NRL live updates: Wests Tigers vs Canberra Raiders — blog, scores and stats

12m agoThu 23 Apr 2026 at 9:47am

Listen to the ABC Sport call while you follow the blog

You can listen to the live call of the NRL with ABC Sport, while you follow the live blog.

You can listen to the live call by tapping the link below.

15m agoThu 23 Apr 2026 at 9:44am

Raiders coach wary of fast-starting Tigers

Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has spoken to Fox League ahead of kick-off, which is fast approaching.

Asked what the key will be to winning a third-straight match tonight, Stuart said it was all pretty simple.

It’s really important at this part of the year to be very good with your fundamentals, and that gets you the field position.

I know it sounds simple, but it’s very hard to do.

The game is all about possession and momentum at the moment, and if you’ve got the possession, you’ve got to be scoring points.

They start fast. They are a physical team, and we’ve got to go with the,

19m agoThu 23 Apr 2026 at 9:40am

NRL round eight fixtures

Here is the full list of fixtures for this weekend’s Anzac Round:

all times in AEST

Tonight

Wests Tigers vs Canberra Raiders — Leichhardt Oval, Sydney, 7:50pm

Friday, April 24

North Queensland Cowboys vs Cronulla Sutherland Sharks — Townsville Stadium, Townsville, 6pm Brisbane Broncos vs Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs — Lang Park, Brisbane, 8pm

Saturday, April 25 (Anzac Day)

St George Illawarra Dragons vs Sydney Roosters — Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney, 4pmNew Zealand Warriors vs Dolphins — Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington (NZ), 6:05pmMelbourne Storm vs South Sydney Rabbitohs, AAMI Park, Melbourne, 8:10pm

Sunday. April 26

Newcastle Knights vs Penrith Panthers — Hunter Stadium, Newcastle, 2pmManly Warringah Sea Eagles vs Parramatta Eels — Brookvale Oval, Sydney, 4:05pm

24m agoThu 23 Apr 2026 at 9:35am

NRL limits contact in training in bid to reduce head injuries

In a major safety move, the NRL has capped contact in training in a bid to reduce injuries, including concussions.

The ABC revealed this week that all 17 NRL and 12 NRLW clubs were informed of the development, with guidelines limiting the minutes of contact in both in-season and pre-season training sessions.

The move to restrict training loads is aimed at mitigating injuries, including brain injuries, which continue to be a major issue for all contact sports.

All 17 NRL clubs were informed on the eve of the season that their players are to engage in no more than 100 minutes on a regular seven-day turnaround.

In the NRLW, whose 2026 season begins in July, female players can engage in no more than 85 minutes per week on a seven-day turnaround.

You can read the full story by the ABC’s Jessica Halloran by tapping the link below.

29m agoThu 23 Apr 2026 at 9:29am

ANALYSIS: Shane Flanagan’s sacking is the same old story for St George Illawarra

Was there a bigger story in the NRL this week than the Dragons parting ways with Shane Flanagan as coach?

The Red V have lost all seven matches in 2026, and they are on an 11-game losing streak dating to last year.

The parting way with Flanagan, and the poor performances on the field, are part of an all too familiar story for the joint venture, writes ABC Sport’s Nick Campton.

You can read Nick’s analysis of the Dragons’ woes by tapping the link below.

41m agoThu 23 Apr 2026 at 9:17am

Raiders captain Joseph Tapine on the young players stepping into his side

The Canberra Raiders are seeking three consecutive wins tonight, but they are doing it without three key players.

Hudson Young (suspension), Josh Papalii (calf) and Simi Sasagi (centre) are not available for tonight’s clash with Wests Tigers.

Raiders captain Joseph Tapine, speaking on Fox League, was asked about what he told the players who are coming into the side.

It’s pretty simple. They need to step up and that is the expectation when you come into the team.

We’ve built that up through the last couple of years, and I know they’ll do the job.

The Raiders, last year’s minor premiers, had a shakey start to the season before wins against Souths and Melbourne.

Tapine says his side were making too many errors, which they have fixed up in the past fortnight.

Our contact, we’re winning that.

And holding the ball a bit more and less penalties. We kind of hindered ourselves at the start of the year. Our disapline was bad out of the gate, so we worked on that and it is paying rewards.

49m agoThu 23 Apr 2026 at 9:09am

Tigers co-captain Apisai Koroisau on what Wests took out of last week’s loss

Wests Tigers sit third on the NRL ladder after seven rounds, but they are coming off a one-point loss to the Brisbane Broncos last week.

In front of a passionate Campbelltown crowd, the Tigers were in charge for large portions of the match, but just could not put away a Brisbane side that added to their injury woes.

Tigers co-captain Apisai Koroisau has just spoken on Fox League about what his side has been able to take away from the loss to the reigning premiers.

Just capitalising on our opportunities. We spent a lot of time in their red zone and didn’t come away with points.

But at the same time, we took a lot out of it.

It was a really good defensive performance; we held them in their own half for a long time.