More effective than an interim coach but not interested in the Dragons permanent coaching job, on a worse losing streak than the Storm, in training for the next mascot race, and so much more, it’s time for some Rugby League tips and opinion from The Gurgler’s NRL Donkey. The NRL Donkey provides his NRL Donkey’s 2026 NRL Round 10 Expert Tips as well as offers an alternative, slightly unhinged view full of sass of the world of rugby league and beyond for another week.
The NRL Donkey’s 2026 NRL Round 10 Weekly Opinion
Soak it up folks, just two rounds left before the NRL is ruined for two months.
Yes State of Origin is nearly here, where the NRL forgets it is the NRL and allows shortened rounds, with reduced players and even more reduced interests.
As much fun as it is to name your Origin bolters and sensational exclusions, State of Origin takes way more than it gives. Sure the 80 minutes can be exciting. Not as exciting as Mr Scream-at-the-TV Channel Nein commentator thinks it is, but exciting none-the-less.
But as the series drags on, and the pissweak small rounds with late and early omissions, it gets even less exciting. Not to the same tedious hate levels of the Channel Nein pre match entertainment, and lord knows which terrible artist we have to suffer this year. If it isn’t Jimmy Barnes or Cold Chisel related then I’m out.
Unless it is Gus Gould doing an interpretative dance re-telling of the history of State of Origin.
The flip side is that the NRL360 show on Fox League will stop talking about the Bulldogs for a while. Pfffft, who am I kidding, you know they won’t. Worse still they are probably going to bring back Shane Flanagan so his mates can shop him around of the next coach of somewhere else for the next two years. Maybe Flanagan and Ennis could co-coach one of the teams in France.
Maybe I shouldn’t be so ungrateful, and just enjoy the Origin Series, and maybe I will enjoy it more if the new broadcast deal steals it away from Channel Nein. Although, if it goes to Fox that will increase the chances of Cooper Cronk being involved. So it’s a choice of being either yelled at and putting up with a million Westpac ads, MAFS crossovers, and A Current Affair promos, or Cooper Cronk. Like Origin, that’s a hard one to split.
Most people are calling out for standalone Origin over three weekend days and Pacific Nations Test Matches to fill the other days. It’s a solution so simple that it fails the rugby league brain test. It’s win-win.
The good players get paid extra to test themselves in the toughest arena and become legends (Origin). The almost good enough or ineligible really good players can show their pride and represent themselves and their family in the Pacific Tests. And the rest of the players can have three weeks off. And lord knows how many medium-long term injuries teams have seen this season, why wouldn’t you give players a break.
And if you need for teams to have an extra bye, just do it twice. Half before the first Origin game, and the other half after the last. Simple. All teams would then get four weeks off one way or another, and most players would be fresher for the break. The better players not fresher, but trophy cabinets and pockets fuller.
But that’s a pipe dream. At least for this season until they sort out the broadcast rights.
And we still have Magic Round next weekend.
Talking of pipe dreams, you can stick this week’s tips below in your pipe and smoke them.
The NRL Donkey’s 2026 NRL Round 10 Expert Tips & Match Analysis
THURSDAY 8PM – DOLPHINS v BULLDOGS
Probably a game you can just tune it at half time for. The good part. Where the Dolphins finally start scoring some points and the Bulldogs collapse in a heap again.
Dolphins by 16
FRIDAY 6PM – ROOSTERS v GOLD COAST @ Gosford
A game that deserves Gosford and Gosford deserves these teams playing each other. There’s a lot of similarities between the Gold Coast and Central Coast. Both have Coast in the name, both are close to major capital cities but hold their own, and the Gold Coast has Cavill Avenue and Gosford the Central Coast Leagues Club. Gosford doesn’t have Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. Maybe it should.
Gold Coast by 2
FRIDAY 8PM – NORTH QUEENSLAND v PARRAMATTA
A surprise pick for the Channel Nein Friday game. Especially when the Broncos could have played. Maybe rogue MP Bob Katter was involved. But then again an Eels kind of looks like a crocodile and everyone knows how much Bob loves crocs. Animal and footwear.
Parramatta by 10
SATURDAY 3PM – ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA v NEWCASTLE @ WIN Stadium
We’ll see just how busted arse the Dragons are. Maybe they won’t win a game at all. Ironic then that the game is being played at Win Stadium.
Newcastle by 4
SATURDAY 5:30PM – SOUTH SYDNEY v CRONULLA
Hopefully a million points in this one after last weekend.
South Sydney by 18
SATURDAY 7:30PM – MANLY v BRISBANE
Word that the Queensland Cup will have to shut down for a weekend to supply players for the Broncos is wide of the mark. But it will be hard work for the Broncos under the Fozball revolution going on at Manly.
Brisbane by 8
SUNDAY 2PM – MELBOURNE v WESTS TIGERS
With Melbourne’s record v Tigers and at home, and Sundays, and daytime, and the wrath of Craig Bellamy looming overhead, surely the Storm can’t lose. The Tigers losing their premiership status by conceding 50 points last weekend might take some wind out of their sails.
Melbourne by 34
SUNDAY 4PM – CANBERRA v PENRITH
Will be hard to beat last year’s game for excitement. So maybe they shouldn’t bother and split the points and we can all end the weekend early.
Penrith by 20
READ MORE: THE GURGLER’S FULL NRL 2026 GEAR
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NRL DONKEY’S 2026 SEASON PREVIEW
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NRL 2026 RATINGS PREDICTIONS
2026 NRL JERSEY RATINGS WITH AI GREK NORMAN
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2026 NRL DRAW ANALYSIS – TEAM BY TEAM
THE A TO Z OF THE 2025 NRL SEASON
