Round 7 of the 2026 NRL season produced many highlights and lowlights headlined by the New South Wales Blues suffering a double blow for the opening game of the 2026 State of Origin series.
NSW Blues cop double blow for Origin
The New South Wales Blues have copped a double blow for the opening match of the 2026 State of Origin series against Queensland with Payne Haas (Broncos) and Tom Trbojevic (Sea Eagles) sustaining injuries in Round 7.
Helped from the field in the club’s Thursday night victory against the North Queensland Cowboys, Trbojevic is set to miss six to eight weeks with a hamstring injury after undergoing scans on the weekend.
Meanwhile, Haas is facing four to six weeks on the sidelines due to a knee injury he suffered against the Wests Tigers on Saturday evening and will subsequently undergo scans – these have yet to be confirmed.
His injury means the Broncos could also be without a staggering eleven players for next week’s match with Jesse Arthars and Kotoni Staggs also picking up injuries over the weekend to go with Ben Hunt, Reece Walsh, Patrick Carrigan, Blake Mozer, Billy Walters and Aublix Tawha.
Payne Haas will go for scans on a suspected right MCL injury – Broncos concerned he could be facing a multi-week recovery.
Mechanism fairly typical for MCL stress – contact from tackler causing knee to collapse inwards. Broncos early fears + presence of a brace post match brings… pic.twitter.com/7kwAoJbZpr
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) April 18, 2026
Cleary field-goal sink Dolphins in extra-time
The Penrith Panthers remain on top of the NRL ladder – and two points clear – at the conclusion of Round 7 with an extra-time victory on Friday evening against the Dolphins in hot and humid conditions in Darwin.
Leading the contest by 18 points entering the halftime break, the Dolphins were able to spark a miaculous comeback in the second-half which saw them run away with four tries in 15 minutes, before Thomas Jenkins equalled the score in the 75th minute.
Entering golden-point, the Dolphins had multiple opportunites to score but it was ‘The Iceman’ Nathan Cleary who stepped up and secured the win for the Penrith Panthers who have won four premierships in the past five years.
Nathan Cleary 🤝 genius plays in finals#NRL #Cleary #Panthers #NRLWarriorsPanthers #KayoSports pic.twitter.com/QDaNWA6NRX
— Kayo Sports (@kayosports) September 13, 2025
Pressure continues to mount on Shane Flanagan, Dragons
The pressure continues to heat up the coaching future of Shane Flanagan after the St George Illawarra Dragons succumbed to their seventh loss of the season and currently sit in dead last on the ladder with a 0-7 record.
Taking on the Rabbitohs, they were completely outclassed by duo Latrell Mitchell, who scored four tries and former club fullback Matt Dufty who played his first NRL match in nearly four years.
“He’s done everything he can. It’s up to us,” Dragons co-captain Damien Cook said post-match.
“I think they will (keep Flanagan), I really do and all we can do is keep turning up on Monday and keep trying to improve.”
Dufty comes back to haunt the Dragons👻
Telstra Moment of the Match pic.twitter.com/aoiHeMvKXy
— NRL (@NRL) April 18, 2026