PROTECT YOURSELF with Orgo-Life® QUANTUM TECHNOLOGY
Orgo-Life the new way to the future Advertising by AdpathwaySt George Illawarra captain Damien Cook has accused the NRL of favouring bigger teams after his side's narrow loss to the Warriors in Auckland.
The Warriors claimed a nervy 20-12 victory to stay within touching distance of the Panthers at the top of the NRL ladder.
However, Cook fumed over a number of refereeing decisions that he said went against his side, including a clear forward pass to Dallin Watene-Zelezniak that allowed him to score the go-ahead try just after half time.
The Warriors also earned two penalties in the closing stages, allowing Chanel Harris-Tavita to ice the game from the kicking tee.
"We're not getting rewarded for the effort we're putting in," Cook said in the post-match press conference.
"The Warriors got a lot of stuff out there, we're putting a lot of effort, we're fighting for play the balls, we're not getting the same six agains.
"We come out at half time, they throw a forward pass [and] we're chasing points straight away when we're in control of that game.
"It's not right."
The Warriors claimed victory over the Dragons, but it was not without controversy. (Getty Images: Andy Jackson)
The Dragons had a try disallowed when winger Setu Tu was ruled to have been tackled by Warriors fullback Taine Tuaupiki and held him.
Tu got up and ran to the line and scored, but Dean Young said the call was "a big turning point" and, had Tu been told to play the ball, the Dragons would likely have scored.
Cook suggested that the Dragons' lowly position on the NRL ladder influenced the refereeing decisions that went against his team.
"I feel sorry for the fans," he said.
"They have to watch that, but it's happening too many times to us.
"I don't know if it's because we're sitting down the bottom, it's an easy one to throw off because you know the Warriors should win today.
"So I think it's unfair and we deserve better moving forward."
Hudson Young ruptures Achilles tendon
In the opening game, the Raiders hung on to beat the South Sydney Rabbitohs 34-24 at Canberra stadium.
However, the win came at a cost for the Raiders, who lost Blues forward Hudson Young, who was carried from the field after going down with a non-contact, left lower leg injury, confirmed by the Raiders as being a suspected Achilles rupture.
Hudson Young was carried off with what was described as a ruptured Achilles tendon. (Getty Images: Mark Nolan)
The injury ends the Raiders star's season, ruling him out of the World Cup to boot.
"I feel for him personally," Raiders coach Ricky Stuart said.
"He is such a massive part of our team.
"It hasn't hit him yet, but he misses the rest of the season and misses the World Cup.
"I've been there personally and it hits you in the next couple of days, but he's got the right people around him."
That came after Melbourne conformed that winger Will Warbrick ruptured his Achilles tendon on Friday night and will undergo surgery early next week, ending his season and his Storm career.
In the late game, Canterbury-Bankstown thumped Wests Tigers 32-0 at Stadium Australia.
In the NRLW, the Roosters beat the Raiders 22-18, the Warriors crushed the Cowboys 42-4, and the Bulldogs beat the Sharks 24-18.
Look back on how all the action unfolded in our live blog.
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:40pm
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:40pm
We'll wrap things up here
So, a big day of NRL in the books, with just two games to play this weekend.
We'll be back for those two matches tomorrow, when the Titans take on the Sea Eagles in Robina from 2:00pm AEST, followed by the Dolphins against the Cowboys from Lang Park at 4:05pm AEST.
We'll bring you all the action from those games.
Enjoy the rest of your evening.
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:38pm
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:38pm
NRL ladder
Here's the NRL ladder as things stand this evening.
Just two games left to play in round 20.
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:34pm
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:34pm
'It's unfair': Dragons captain livid with refereeing calls in loss to Warriors
Dragons captain Damien Cook did not mince his words when speaking to the media after his side's 14-6 loss to the Warriors in New Zealand, citing a number of refereeing decisions that he said went against his side.
And fair enough, I reckon - the Warriors certainly did seem to get the rub of the green earlier tonight, scoring after what looked like a forward pass and earning a couple extremely soft late penalties.
He says his side deserves better.
"We're not getting rewarded for the effort we're putting in," Cook said.
"The Warriors got a lot of stuff out there, we're putting a lot of effort, we're fighting for play the balls, we're not getting the same six agains.
"We come out at half time, they throw a forward pass, we're chasing points straight away when we're in control of that game.
"It's not right, I feels sorry for the fans, they have to watch that, but it's happening too many times to us.
"And I don't know if it's because we're sitting down the bottom, it's an easy one to throw off because you know the Warriors should win today.
"So I think it's unfair and we deserve better moving forward."
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:34pm
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:34pm
It wasn't a great game...
Well that’s 80 minutes that I won’t see again. Poor refereeing, bad sportsmanship and terrible team play. The Tigers are imploding right in front of our eyes. Thanks Simon for your work. I wish the game reflected it.
- KB
Yeah, that was a tough watch, after two good games to start the day, too.
Thanks to you, KB, and everyone else who joined us today, for enduring that last one with me.
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:27pm
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:27pm
FT: Bulldogs blank ill-disciplined Wests Tigers
(Getty Images)Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs have dominated the Wests Tigers, scoring five tries to nil in a crushing 32-0 victory.
Sean O'Sullivan kicked a 40:20 in the opening set, Jethro Rinakama scored in the corner not long after, and the Bulldogs never looked back.
Josh Curran scored twice, with Enari Tuala and the brilliant Matt Burton also crossing to condemn the Wests Tigers to yet another season without finals football.
Latu Fainu and Alex Twal were both sin binned late on for the abject Wests Tigers, who were forced to play with just 11 men in the closing stages.
The Bulldogs excelled, with O'Sullivan impressive and Lachlan Galvin also controlling play with the ball in hand.
Their form showed that the Bulldogs, now just on the edge of the top eight, are still in the hunt for a finals spot.
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:26pm
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:26pm
80' ANOTHER STINK!
Alex Twal comes flying out of the sin bin and starts a stink straight away, getting in the face of Josh Curran.
The players all come together in a messy end to the contest.
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:25pm
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:25pm
79' Penalty Bulldogs
Alex Seyfarth goes with the shoulder charge.
It's a penalty.
And on comes Alex Twal for the last 10 seconds.
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:24pm
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:24pm
78' Jethro Rinakama on the charge!
Jethro Rinakama flies down the left wing.
He doesn't want to do anything other than sprint like Gout Gout, and so he just flies down the sideline.
Jahrome Bula does really well coming across and tosses him into touch.
Good work from the Wests Tigers fullback.
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:23pm
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:23pm
77' Tigers knock on
The Bulldogs will have a scrum on their own 10 as the Wests Tigers knock the ball on attempting a flamboyant passing move.
Looks like Viliame Kikau copped a knock to the unmeantionables there too. Nasty.
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:21pm
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:21pm
73' The Bulldogs score!
Wests Tigers look to kick.
The ball is charged down by Josh Curran.
It's picked up by Gordon Chan Kum Tong, who is offside, surely?
He picks up the ball, races towards the try line.
Jahream Bula gives chase, Chan Kum Tong throws the ball back inside to Curran, who scores.
It's given!
As Curran blocked the ball, he went forward and put Chan Kum Tong onside.
Well there you go.
Jarome Luai is arguing the point - but he accepts the call.
The kick from dead in front is good and the score is 32-0.
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:15pm
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:15pm
70' THERE'S A FLASHPOINT IN THE MIDDLE! AND TWAL IS OFF!
Alex Twal is in there.
And Alex Twal has slapped Jaeman Salmon right in the chops.
He's off, another sin bin.
(Getty Images)The Dogs fans give Twal plenty of advice as he walks down the tunnel.
There was something that happened at the play the ball and then there was a barge from Salmon, which ended with Twal slapping him flush on the jaw.
What an idiot.
The Tigers are down to 11.
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:10pm
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:10pm
66' Matt Burton scores!
Too easy with the extra man.
The Bulldogs move the ball so nicely to the left hand side to get to the outside of the Wests Tigers defensive line, just quick hands and fast decision making.
He races to the line, pinning the ears back and racing for the corner.
Burton is so quick in that situation.
He dives over in the corner.
Burton kicks the ball from the sideline and maintains his perfect record from the tee.
The score is 26-0.
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:06pm
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:06pm
64' Latu Fainu sin binned!
He's on report and sin binned after he slides in, drops low and Leo Thompson is flipped over onto his head.
It looks a touch unfortunate, but he went low, with the shoulder and the Thompson was, as a result, flipped into the air and put in a dangerous position.
The Bulldogs are going to go for goal, Burton is over 40 metres out dead in front, and it's nailed through the middle of the posts.
It's 20-0.
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:04pm
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:04pm
62' Wests Tigers knock on
The Wests Tigers give that a red hot crack, coming within an inch or so of scoring in the corner after a Heamasi Makasini run.
The Bulldogs then have to bat a grubber behind.
But then the Wests Tigers knock the ball on.
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:02pm
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:02pm
He's not having a good game
Maybe the ref has been blinded by a laser. There’s a lot of that going on tonight.
- KB
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:01pm
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 9:01pm
60' Bulldogs knock on!
Kiraz tries to offload and there are three Wests Tigers players around him and he loses it forward into one of those players.
The Wests Tigers have a chance from the scrum 30 metres out from the Bulldogs line.
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 8:57pm
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 8:57pm
56' Adam Doueihi on report
Goodness, Adam Doueihi is on report and the TV director has found the offending tackle.
It's a horror effort, no arms, shoulder to the head.
Makes you wonder what the referee is looking at if he didn't see that in real time, because that could very easily have been a sin binning.
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 8:51pm
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 8:51pm
50' 40:20 O'Sullivan!
How about that from the Bulldogs halfback!
Sean O'Sullivan sees the fullback out of position and he kicks it from inside the 40 into the 20.
A brilliant kick and a superb pressure reliever after a great start to the second half from the Wests Tigers.
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 8:50pm
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 8:50pm
49' Wests Tigers blow the last play
The Wests Tigers have made a right Bulldogs breakfast out of that last play.
Luai slipped, just about dished off the pass to Samuela Fainu, who tries to kick the ball, just about gets its boot to it, the ball hits Max King and pin balls around.
Fainu gathers it again and is tackled.
Luai wants to challenge that.
He does challenge it but it's not played at and the Bulldogs will take the ball out of their own 10.
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 8:46pm
Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 8:46pm
48' Bulldogs error!
The Bulldogs get their angles all wrong and drop the ball.
Jarome Luai screams in delight - hoping to manufacture something out of this boost in fortune.
The Tigers have a scrum on the Bulldogs 40.


3 days ago
3























English (US) ·
French (CA) ·
French (FR) ·