NRL 2025 LIVE updates: Canberra Raiders v St George Illawarra …
Here’s a summary of the Round 18 clash (July 5, 2025) between Canberra Raiders and St George Illawarra Dragons:
Crowd-Puller: Kaeo Weekes starred for Canberra with a stunning hat-trick — scoring two electrifying 90‑metre tries and racking up 342 metres running plus eight tackle busts .
At halftime, it was 12–6 to the Raiders, and after extending to 24–6 early in the second half, the Dragons fought back late to narrowly miss grounding over the line .
Dragons coach Shane Flanagan was furious after a forward pass was ruled against Tyrell Sloan during his would‑be first try—flogging referees, saying it “ultimately proved the difference” in the close result .
With this win, Canberra stays top of the NRL ladder, leveraging their bye rounds ahead and four home games coming soon—putting them in prime contention for the minor premiership (J.J. Giltinan Shield) .
Ricky Stuart (Raiders): Highlighted the importance of finishing strong ahead of the bye.
Shane Flanagan (Dragons): Proud of his squad’s fightback but lamented the impact of refereeing decisions—and cheekily noted he “would’ve been paying a fine” if not for new press-conference rules .
Canberra’s late-season surge, safety in points differential, and home advantage.
How the Dragons respond — confident on form but desperately seeking consistency and better lucky breaks.
For more in-depth stats and the full match blog, check out the ABC’s live recap and timelines—or revisit the Fox Sports match centre for play-by-play action .
