Rugby league fans will get a glimpse of the growing anticipation for the Perth Bears’ 2027 arrival when Optus Stadium hosts a double-header on Saturday afternoon. 

The Rabbitohs will take on the Raiders before Cronulla faces the Roosters in what will be two high quality contests between premiership contenders. 

Wayne Bennett’s Bunnies sit in the top four after five rounds and are playing with immense confidence while Ricky’s Raiders are 1-4 and struggling to find their best form.

The Sharks are coming off an impressive win over the Warriors while the Roosters will be fresh and ready to fire after a bye in Round 5.


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Meninga and the Bears leaning on history

We round out a sensational Saturday with the Storm hosting old foes the Warriors in front of a bumper crowd at AAMI Park.

Follow all the action from Round 6 of the NRL Telstra Premiership on NRL.com’s live blog.

Sharks v Roosters at Optus Stadium, Perth

Half-time: The Sharks hold a deserved 22-12 lead at the break after punishing the Roosters for their errors – eight in the half compared to four from Cronulla. Roosters also have only completed at 66 percent, so will be happy to still be in the game. 

40th min: Daniel Tupou runs in for a try as the siren sounds for half-time in the background. A fantastic kick from Walker to deliver the ball in perfect position for his winger who jogs in untouched. Walker converts and it’s 22-12 in WA. 

38th min: Toia denied again – held up over the line by some committed Sharks defenders.

34th min: How the momentum turns. Denied just moments earlier by the Bunker, the Roosters instead concede a try on the other side of the field, with Tom Hazelton picking up another Sharks try. Oregon Kaufusi with a tip on and the forward scores. Hynes kicks the conversion for 22-6. 

33rd min: A try to Robert Toia is overturned by the Bunker. Toia, who ended the play by getting over the line, is deemed to have not contested properly a Daly Cherry-Evans kick, with his contact putting off Sam Stonestreet from his attempt to collect the ball. Score remains 16-6 to the Sharks. 

30th min: Roosters have stopped the rot with Sam Walker sprinting away to score. Out of almost nothing, the Roosters go to their short-side to their left, with speed down the sideline setting them up, with Walker chasing back on the inside to get the ball and finish the play. Walker converts his own try and it’s 16-6 to the Sharks. 


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Sam Walker Try

25th min: Cronulla are on a roll and are punishing the error-riddle Roosters. Next to score is Braydon Trindall, but Hynes misses this relatively simple attempt and scores remain 16-0. 

11th min: Sharks go back-to-back in no time with Mawene Hiroti the beneficiary of some luck. The Roosters were defending their tryline and a stray arm of Sam Walker trying to get an intercept instead pops the ball back into the arms of the Cronulla centre who runs in to score. Hynes slots another for 12-0. 


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Jesse Colquhoun Try

7th min: We have our first try and there is a lot to unpack there with the Sharks turning defence into attack in a major way. It seemed the Roosters were going to be the first on the board with James Tedesco making a break through the middle, running almost the length of the field, but the Sharks were able to scramble back and deny them with some desperate defence. After applying the pressure, Sione Katoa was able to scoop up a ball he helped loosen and run almost the same distance back to his attacking side of the field. Cronulla were then able to set up their attack and sent the ball to their lock Jesse Colquhoun to dive over for a remarkable try. Hynes converts and it’s 6-0. 

Kick off: Roosters have first use of the ball in the second game of the Perth double header.

Late Mail

Sharks: Prop Tom Hazleton picked up an ankle complaint against the Warriors but is set to take his place in the starting line-up. Jayden Berrell and Riley Jones were elevated to the six-man bench on Friday. Also copping an injury last Sunday was centre Jesse Ramien (knee), who is replaced by Mawene Hiroti.

Roosters: Victor Radley plays his first game since last year’s elimination final having served a suspension while Spencer Leniu (hamstring) is also back. The loss of Billy Smith to a knee injury sees the versatile Hugo Savala lines up at centre. Prolific winger Daniel Tupou has scored 14 tries in 17 games against the Sharks.

Rabbitohs v Raiders at Optus Stadium, Perth


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Rabbitohs v Raiders – Round 6, 2026

Fulltime: The Raiders have hung on to clinch their second win of the season after the Rabbitohs scored 30 points in the second half to fall short 36-24 in Perth. The Raiders led 24-4 at halftime but the Rabbitohs scored five tries to two in the second term. Souths winger Alex Johnston scored a try, laid on two for team-mates and ran 232m with the ball, while Raiders fullback Kaeo Weekes scored a brilliant length of the field try that reversed the Rabbitohs momentum in the second half. The Rabbitohs lost fullback Jye Gray early in the match.  

77 min: The Rabbitohs have scored five tries on their left edge but with the game on the line they have turned to their right edge to set up a grandstand finish after Mitchell and David Fifita combined to create space for Campbell Graham. Jack Wighton backed up to score. Mitchell again converted from the sideline. Raiders 36 Raiders 34

74 min: This game ain’t over yet after Walker and Duncan combined to unleash Johnston down the touchline and score his 215th premiership try. Mitchell converted from the sideline. Raiders 36 Raiders 28

71 min: Ethan Strange has all but sealed the win for Canberra after linking with Young and backing up to score. Sanders converted. Raiders 36 Rabbitohs 22


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Ethan Strange Try

66 min: Weekes has made amends for his error with a brilliant individual try in which he busted out of the tackles of Peter Mamouzelos and Humphreys, stepping past several defenders and turning Jack Wighton inside out before racing away to score. Sanders converted. Raiders 20 Rabbitohs 22 


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Kaeo Weekes 2nd Try

59 min: Weekes has spilled a Mitchell bomb.

57 min: Mitchell has powered his way over the line, dummying and carrying four defenders on his back before somehow finding a way to plant the ball. Mitchell converted. Raiders 24 Rabbitohs 22


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Latrell Mitchell Try

51 min: Alex Johnston may the greatest tryscorer in premiership history but he has turned try provider in Perth, laying on a try for halfback Jamie Humphreys after making a break down the sideline. Mitchell converted. Raiders 24 Rabbitohs 16.


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Jamie Humphreys Try

48 min: Walker has his second try after beating opposite number Ethan Strange with a dummy and shrugging off the tackle of Noah Martin to slice through the Raiders defence and score. Mitchell converted. Raiders 24 Rabbitohs 10


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Cody Walker 2nd Try

44 min: The Rabbitohs have started the second half with greater urgency but winger Campbell Graham had a try disallowed.  

Halftime summary: After four straight losses, the Raiders have turned up to play and they are making every post a winner at Optus Stadium. Right centre Simi Sasagi and left secondrower Hudson Young are terrorising the Rabbitohs defence, with the latter scoring two tries and the former producing two try assists as the Raiders stormed to a 24-4 halftime lead. Sasagi has run 155m with the ball. Neither team is completing high – 64% for Souths and 68% for the Raiders – but the Raiders are making the most of their opportunities.  

39 min: The Raiders are continuing to exploit the Rabbitohs left edge following Mitchell’s shift to fullback, with Sasagi getting around Walker, who managed to ankle tap him, before linking with Ethan Strange, receiving the ball back and passing to Young to score. Sanders converted. Raiders 24 Rabbitohs 4


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Hudson Young 2nd Try

34 min: Samoa utility Simi Sasagi burst through the tackle of Tallis Duncan, who is defending a left centre, to send fullback Kaeo Weekes over for another Canberra try. Sanders converted. Raiders 18 Rabbitohs 4


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Kaeo Weekes Try

30 min: Raiders winger Savelio Tamale has scored a long range try after picking up a loose ball from Latrell Mitchell and racing 40 metres to cross near the posts. Sanders converted. Raiders 12 Rabbitohs 4


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Savelio Tamale Try

26 min: The Rabbitohs have hit back through Cody Walker after the star five-eighth linked with Mitchell and wrapped around to receive the ball back from winger Alex Johnston. Mitchell missed the conversion. Raiders 6 Rabbitohs 4


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Cody Walker Try

20 min: Young has opened the scoring after racing through to pounce on a perfectly placed grubber kick from dummy half Tom Startling close to the tryline on the last tackle. Sanders converts. Raiders 6-0


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Hudson Young Try

15 min: The Rabbitohs have suffered a huge blow with fullback Jye Gray coming from the field with an AC injury. Lachlan Hubner has replaced Gray, with Mitchell shifting to fullback.


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Gray ruled out

10 min: Sanders has forced another goal line drop out after Latrell Mitchell was forced to knock a grubber dead before Raiders secondrower could snatch the ball in-goal.

8 min: Raiders secondrower Hudson Young has forced a goal line drop out after centre Seb Kris batted back an Ethan Sanders kick and the Kangaroos star grubbed the ball in goal. 

Kick-off: Keaon Koloamatangi has taken the first hit-up of the game after Cody Walker caught the kick-off. 

It’s been a busy week in the West ahead ot today’s double-header at Optus Stadium, with Perth Bears making some big announcements, including the launch of their first official merchandise, which quickly sold out online.

Late Mail

Rabbitohs: Kiwi hooker Brandon Smith has overcome a calf injury suffered in the Pre-Season Challenge and lines up for his first game. Bronson Garlick dropped out when the squad was finalised 90 minutes before kick-off, with the six-man interchange comprising of Peter Mamouzelos, Lachlan Hubner, Sean Keppie, Liam Le Blanc, Jayden Sullivan and Edward Kosi.

Raiders: Ricky Stuart has made mass changes to his forward pack before kick-off, with Josh Papali’i, Noah Martin and Corey Horsburgh dropping to the interchange. Ata Mariota shifts from the bench into the frontrow, with Zac Hosking starting in the secondrow and Morgan Smithies at lock. The loss of Xavier Savage to an ankle injury sees Jed Stuart recalled for his first NRL action of the season. Scans have cleared Savage of any fractures but he has a syndesmosis injury which will keep him out for eight weeks. Joe Roddy and Daine Laurie take over from Chevy Stewart and Matt Timoko on the extended bench. Jayden Brailey is the other player on the interchange. The Raiders have won five from five in Perth but have not played in the west since 1997.

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