NRL Easter Tipping: The games – and stories – to watch out for in Round 7

It’s hard to remember a more hyped round of regular season footy than the one we’ll get this Easter.

On the Southern side of the world, we’re set for the biggest domestic crowd of all time – potentially 70,000 for the traditional Good Friday clash between the Bulldogs and Souths – as well a proper grudge match on Monday between the Tigers and Eels.

Manly v St George Illawarra will sell out on Thursday, as will the Warriors v Brisbane in Auckland.

In the North, it’s packed houses in Hull and Wigan, so if the Catalans can get a crowd for their clash with Salford, you’re looking at four countries and a potentially record-breaking weekend for the sport.

That’s just in the stands, too – here’s what to watch on the field.

Canterbury v Souths

The obvious place to start is at Accor Stadium, the usually unloved mega-bowl in the middle of nowhere that, for once, is about to have an atmosphere.

That’s because both Canterbury and Souths have started the season well and can go into this clash with great hope.

The Doggies are heavy favourites: they’re unbeaten, coming off the bye and able to welcome back key playmaker Matt Burton and forward Sitili Tupouniua. Viliame Kikau is on the extended bench and might well return too.

Souths have a pivot of their own returning in Cody Walker, who will play 7 with Latrell Mitchell at 6 and, confusingly, Lewis Dodd set for an NRL debut off the bench. Whether it shakes out like that on gameday is a whole other question.

If they get 70,000 through the gates and the game delivers – or at least, the Dogs win – this will be a belter.

Just count yourself lucky that you’re watching on telly: even in years when this game got half the crowd that will turn up this week, the location of the stadium next to the Royal Easter Show was Sydney’s worst traffic event in what is, as any resident will tell you, a quite literally crowded field. It’s going to be chaos, regardless of what happens on the pitch.

Tip: Bulldogs

Tigers v Parramatta

From the start to the end, where a grudge match is brewing. Well, in fairness, any meeting of Parramatta and the Wests Tigers is a grudge match, but this one is different as it pits the Tigers against their own player.

Lachie Galvin will be conspicuous by his absence, demoted to reserve grade following the revelation – by the Tigers, not the player – that the star teenager will leave in 2027. That’s right – 2027.

In typically helpful fashion, the Tigers decided to drop Galvin, who has something like 40 potential more games for his club until his contract expires, and thus cut off their most destructive attacking weapon to spite their silly faces.

The big winner is Dylan Brown and Parramatta, as the Kiwi five eighth is no longer the league’s hate figure for player agent-fuelled contract exits.

Brown will hope that is taken very literally on Monday, and has a chance that it might be as he’ll get halves partner Mitchell Moses back.

Parra have cut their losses already and will be sending an NRL-level pack out to Lidcombe Oval for the NSW Cup game at lunchtime, with Ryan Matterson, Bryce Cartwright, Shaun Lane, Brendan Hands and Wiremu Greig all slated to feature.

Galvin, who will face them, might prefer the boos he’d be getting in the NRL.

Tip: Tigers

Roosters v Panthers

All eyes are on Penrith, who could lose a sixth consecutive game and completely kill their season in the process. The Roosters, on the other hand, head home following a stirring win over Brisbane.

This has historically been a meeting of two giants, but in 2025, neither are likely to make the finals given the roster strength of the Roosters and the horrendous form of the Panthers.

Then again – it’s a game featuring the current Kangaroos captain, Isaah Yeo, against the previous guy, James Tedesco. Oh, and some bloke called Cleary. And Spencer Leniu, fast becoming rugby league’s angriest man, against his former employers. And the other Cleary versus Trent Robinson in the coaches’ box.

It doesn’t matter where these sides are in the table. It’ll be great.

Tip: Panthers

Manly v Dragons

There’s no better way to kick off a long weekend than with a few cold tins at the footy.

Good job, then, that there’ll be a sold out hill at 4 Pines Park, with crowds packed 700 deep at the, err, 4 Pines Bar. Never let it be said that the Northern Beaches’ favourite beer brand doesn’t get its money’s worth from advertising.

If you can peer over your shoulder from an endless queue, you’ll see a Manly side that has lost two on the spin – admittedly against decent sides – looking to recapture form against a Dragons team that has blown more cold than hot in 2025.

The Sea Eagles will be glad that someone else’s halfback drama is now in the news and that they can, all things going well, return to lapping lesser sides in their customary fashion.

Manly have more than a whiff of the flat track bully at times, and the Dragons on what should be a warm Thursday night before a public holiday is as horizontal as they come.

St George Illawarra are actually on the back of a win, though beating the Titans is probably easier than the 2 points you get for a bye. The Dragons’ record at Brookie is awful (1 win in 8) but this might be the night they change it.

Tip: Manly

Broncos v Warriors

Brisbane are in desperate need of a bounceback and, to that end, Michael Maguire has had them knocking ten bells out of each other in the gym. This is very on brand, of course.

The wrestling sessions never stopped in Red Hill this last week, a result of a perceived lack of physicality against a weakened Roosters side, so expect the Bronx to either be super fired or super tired.

Lucky for them, the Wahs are without James Fisher-Harris, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad leaving only Chanel Harris-Tavita to hold the hyphenated all-stars together.

Most sides would struggle with that injury list, and the Warriors are particularly dependent on their best and brightest being on the field. Brisbane should have enough.

Tip: Broncos

Everyone else

The other games are a real mixed bag this week. Friday night is Melbourne’s trip to the Dolphins, whom they should beat easily.

One can only hope that they do so sufficiently quickly so that those of us with brains can switch over to the Hull derby, slated to start about 20 minutes before this one finishes. Luckily Melbourne are usually 40-0 at half time this year, so we can all flick over to the Super League and not miss anything.

The closest game with the bookies is Canberra’s visit to the Gold Coast.

Presumably this is because odds setters can’t envisage the Titans being that bad for this long, even though the nearly 30 years of professional sport on the Gold Coast would suggest that they absolutely can be this terrible permanently.

Speaking of bad football sides, the Newcastle Knights can’t score any points and thus, you’d think, will lose quite badly to Cronulla. It’s 4pm on Easter Sunday, perfect for watching in a haze of lamb and chocolate.

Tips: Storm, Sharks, Raiders