Ducking for cover like a Melbourne Storm Assistant Coach, in training for the next mascot race, refusing to play most positions and play in reserve grade, 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 22 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.
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The NRL Donkey’s NRL Round 22 Weekly Opinion
Sorry folks for the lateness of this article, but The Gurgler bosses originally named me to do an in-depth statistical piece on the history of the Commonwealth Games, so finding my inner Doueihi I told them to shove it up the arse.
Sure it was a pretty pathetic dummy spit, but I’m only getting paid in hay, and a place to sleep, and although they do overlook a lot of my excesses of character and behaviour, it’s still hard to believe they want to shift me from my usual position of ranting about rugby league as one of their best performers.
Luckily for me The Gurgler management are similar to the Wests Tigers and folded pretty much straight away, and here I am, just a day late.
The Gurgler are similar to the Wests Tigers in other ways too. Both won’t win an NRL Premiership before 2030. One of probably never will. Maybe both.
It’s almost admirable the way the Wests Tigers have imploded. The Wests Tigers were third after Round 8 and were still in the top 8 after Round 10. But then Magic Round came and went and the Wests Tigers made fans hopes to disappear and also failed with sawing someone in two. Although the clean up of someone being sawed in two will probably be easier than the mess the Wests Tigers have got themselves in for.
Now they’re 16th and probably wishing they could go back to getting memes about themselves finishing 9th.
One point of difference between The Gurgler and The Wests Tigers is that The Gurgler would never have anything to do with player manager Isaac Moses. Whether he means to or not, Moses tends to be a polarising figure at rugby league and an architect of unhappiness of the Tiger’s best players. Unlike the religious figure with the same name, it seems the Isaac one doesn’t want two of every animal. Or at least not two Tigers. Or one Tiger. Well, not a western one anyway.
Isaac Moses or not. Bad management or not. 9th place or not. I still have my weekly thoughts on each game of the NRL this weekend available below.
READ MORE: Ray Stone vs Comics
The NRL Donkey’s NRL Round 22 Expert Tips & Match Analysis
THURSDAY 8PM – NORTH QUEENSLAND v SYDNEY ROOSTERS
I officially give up on predicting the North Queensland Cowboys for tipping, so am tipping North Melbourne to beat The Queensland Reds in a game of freestyle curling in the Bay of Plenty. Or………
Roosters by 6
FRIDAY 6PM – ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA v DOLPHINS @ WIN Stadium
Ray Stone has been named in the 19 man squad, and it is about time he returned from injury. Given the amount of pain Ray Stone usually trades in, handing it out and receiving, the shoulder injury which cost him a few weeks of game time must have been bad. And we’re sure he would have treated himself to at least 50 needles per day, maximizing the amount of pain tolerable. And we’re also sure they wouldn’t have lost 66-0 in his absence. The Dragons meanwhile we’re looking ok, with recent win and close losses, but losing by 20 points at home to the Gold Coast could generously be called momentum halting. Or harshly as a bad result. The Dragons just have so little to offer, meanwhile the Dolphins usually only play good for 25 minutes a game yet they are still one of the best and most fun to watch.
Dolphins by 30
FRIDAY 8PM – MELBOURNE v BULLDOGS
This has potential to be one of dullest games of the round where there will be more bump and grind than a 1am shift at a Kallangur night club. But as long as portions of this game annoy Craig Bellamy and the cameras capture it for our amusement then it’s all good. We need to enjoy this in case the Storm coach pulls the plug at the end of the season. Which might be soon for one of these clubs with a loss.
Melbourne by 2
SATURDAY 3PM – GOLD COAST v WAHS
This could be another of those Titans home games where they lose, in a high scoring game and most of the fans are from the other team. But who would begrudge a Wahs win to get their Grand Final tilt back on track. Titans fans of course.
Wahs by 8
SATURDAY 5:30PM – PENRITH v CANBERRA @ Glen Willow Oval, Mudgee
It’s going to be tough to beat last year’s sensational game and ending. Almost to the point of why bother. Well, except the need for one team to get two competition points. Canberra need them more to continue their recent charge to a previously unlikely finals tilt. But Penrith are a machine, more reliable than AI, and will probably give them nothing.
Penrith by 10
SATURDAY 7:30PM – BRISBANE v NEWCASTLE
Brisbane will no doubt be under instruction from both Channel Nein and News Ltd to pull their finger out this weekend against Newcastle and keep their season alive for the good of column inches and TV ratings. Although with the Battle of Brisbane looming net round, the Dolphins will be rubbing their hands together at the prospect of killing the Broncos’ season. Despite a pretty ordinary record in Brisbane, against the Broncos that is, Newcastle will be tough to beat. But in saying that, it is still hard to believe that even with key injuries that the B roncos are such a short price to beat Newcastle. After all, they’ve only won once in ten games.
Brisbane by 20
SUNDAY 2PM – CRONULLA v SOUTH SYDNEY
Cronulla are the middle child of the NRL. Despite their stonking eight wins from their last nine games, no one is really talking about the Sharks. It’s not that they are unlikeable, especially with rugby league’s nicest man in Nicho Hynes, nor not respected, it’s just they are Cronulla and no one seems to care. Souths should care, because the Sharks’ home record and on a Sunday is outstanding, and better than any category of Souths form.
Cronulla by 24
SUNDAY 4PM – WESTS TIGERS v PARRAMATTA @ CommBank Stadium
Nothing like playing a local rival at their home ground to really embarrass yourself.
Parramatta by 16
READ MORE: THE GURGLER’S FULL NRL 2026 GEAR
We’ve been working hard for you to bring you the 2026 NRL Season Previews from every angle and angel possible. But never Jo Angel.
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