The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs made a surprise halves reshuffle in Round 16 of the NRL season, with coach Cameron Ciraldo dropping Matt Burton to the bench and starting Toby Sexton and Drew Hutchison in the halves. The move paid off as the Bulldogs defeated the Wests Tigers 22-18 on June 21, 2026, at Belmore Sports Ground, keeping their finals hopes alive.
Sexton, who had been playing in the NSW Cup, and Hutchison combined effectively, with Sexton scoring a try and setting up another. The Bulldogs' attack showed more fluidity, a key issue that had plagued them earlier in the season. The win moved them to 10th on the ladder, just two points outside the top eight.
Meanwhile, Latrell Mitchell, the South Sydney Rabbitohs fullback, called for a change in the NRL's judiciary system after being suspended for a high tackle. Mitchell argued for consistency in penalties, following a similar incident involving another player that received a lesser sanction. The NRL has not yet responded to his comments.
