Queensland Country Bank Stadium will play host to Friday’s
Round 8 NRL game between North Queensland Cowboys and
Cronulla Sharks. The game kicks off at 6:00 pm with Cronulla Sharks heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the North Queensland Cowboys vs.
Cronulla Sharks
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Friday April 24, 2026 at 6:00 pm

Where: Queensland Country Bank Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

North Queensland Cowboys vs Cronulla Sharks Odds

North Queensland Cowboys vs Cronulla Sharks Preview

This shapes as one of the tighter contests of the round, with Cronulla’s dynamic spine set to test a Cowboys middle that has struggled under fatigue. Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall thrive when given momentum, and the Sharks’ ability to generate quick ruck speed could prove pivotal. North Queensland boast strike power of their own, but consistency remains an issue. Expect Cronulla to challenge late if they control possession.

The final round of the 2026 NFL Draft has arrived. As teams are watching the round progress, team representatives are communicating interest to potential undrafted free agents, so they can lock up top targets once the final pick is made from Pittsburgh. 

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is probably the most famous recent example of a seventh-round pick going on to find NFL success, but every year is a new opportunity. Each selection is graded below, so perhaps the next Purdy is right around the corner.

Be sure to refresh this page throughout the weekend to get all the latest grades. If you want to do all that plus track the best available prospects and get access to every pick in the draft on one page, you can in our draft tracker. And follow along with each pick and every trade in our live blog.

This year, pick-by-pick grades are being used to create real-time team report cards, so keep this page open throughout the weekend. 

Grades: Round 1 • Round 2 • Round 3 • Round 4 • Round 5 • Round 6 • Round 7

217. Cardinals: Jayden Williams, OT, Ole Miss

Grade: B

Williams’ size and foot speed is worth Arizona exploring at this stage of the draft. They have taken multiple offensive linemen to give themselves several bites of the apple.

218. Cowboys: Anthony Smith, WR, East Carolina

Grade: B-

Smith popped up on the radar late, but has good size and production. The Cowboys will have one of the taller receiver rooms in the league between George Pickens, CeeDee Lamb and now Smith.

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219. Saints: TJ Hall, CB, Iowa

Grade: B+

I really like Hall’s tape. He is an instinctual player who will play through the receiver, but he lacks the high-end traits that are often non-negotiables of the position. It is still a good value.

220. Bills: Toriano Pride Jr., CB, Missouri

Grade: B-

The Clemson transfer has four interceptions over the past two years. He is fast and physical relative to his size, but gives up a lot of cushion in zone coverage

221. Bengals: Jack Endries, TE, Texas

Grade: A

Endries looked better in 2024 playing with Fernando Mendoza than he did in 2025. It is surprising that he was still available in the seventh round. Cincinnati has played the board well. 

222. Lions: Tyre West, DL, Tennessee

Grade: B+

West played on the end a lot this season in Tennessee’s defense, but will probably settle into a more traditional interior role as a pro. I really like the potential of this player if lined up inside and given freedom to get after the quarterback. 

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223. Commanders: Athan Kaliakmanis, QB, Rutgers

Grade: B-

Kaliakmanis played better in 2025 than earlier in his career, but the ceiling is capped. Interesting fit in Washington.

224. Steelers: Robert Spears-Jennings, S, Oklahoma

Grade: B+

Pittsburgh needed some youth in the safety room. Spears-Jennings could have come off the board earlier. 

225. Titans: Jaren Kanak, TE, Oklahoma

Grade: C+

Kanak has played both sides of the ball in his collegiate career. He’s an athlete who will be played in a tight end role.

226. Bengals: Landon Robinson, DL, Navy

Grade: B

Robinson is a shorter interior defender who is an Ohio native and recently got a close up look of the Bengals on a visit. 

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227. Panthers: Jackson Kuwatch, LB, Miami (Ohio)

Grade: B

Kuwatch flies around the football field and will be a menace on special teams. Carolina has one of the most athletic linebacker rooms in the country. 

228. Jets: VJ Payne, S, Kansas State

Grade: B-

Payne has great size and physicality. He will play downhill and set the tone in the new look Jets secondary.

229. Raiders: Brandon Cleveland, DL, NC State

Grade: A-

Las Vegas is getting plus value from Cleveland in the seventh round. He has NFL size and will hold his ground in the run game.

230. Steelers: Eli Heidenreich, RB, Navy

Grade: B+

Do not get hung up on the position listed next to Heidenreich’s name. He will run the ball. He will run routes and catch passes. Whatever the team needs, the Navy Midshipman will provide. It would not be a surprise if he became a special teams ace as well.

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231. Falcons: Ethan Onianwa, OT, Ohio State

Grade: C+

Onianwa showcased his versatility throughout his collegiate career. He transferred from Rice to Ohio State for his final season. His case to make the roster as a seventh-round pick is strengthened by that positional flexibility.

232. Rams

233. Jaguars

234. Patriots

235. Vikings

236. Packers

237. Colts

238. Dolphins

239. Bills

240. Jaguars

241. Bills

242. Seahawks

243. Texans

244. Eagles

245. Patriots

246. Broncos

247. Patriots

248. Browns

249. Chiefs

250. Ravens

251. Eagles

252. Eagles

253. Ravens

254. Colts

255. Packers

256. Broncos

257. Broncos

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Julio Rodríguez, Will Wilson and Cole Young each homered, and Leo Rivas hit a two-run single in the ninth to help the Seattle Mariners beat the St. Louis Cardinals 11-9 on Saturday.

Rivas lined the bases-loaded hit off Riley O’Brien (3-1), who had not allowed an earned run in 13 previous appearances this season.

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Matt Brash (2-0) pitched a scoreless eighth inning, and Andrés Muñoz pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his fifth save.

Nathan Church homered twice and had four RBIs, JJ Wetherholt and Iván Herrera hit back-to-back home runs to leadoff the bottom of the first inning, and Pedro Pagés also homered for St. Louis.

Mitch Garver and Young hit back-to-back singles off JoJo Romero to leadoff the eighth inning, and Connor Joe stroked a pinch-hit, two-run single off O’Brien to tie the game at 9-all.

Church hit a two-run homer, his fourth of the season, to right-center field in the seventh inning to pull the Cardinals ahead 9-7 after hitting a solo shot to right field in the second.

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Bryan Woo allowed a career high-tying seven runs on nine hits including four home runs in three innings for Seattle.

Matthew Liberatore allowed five runs, all coming via home runs, in 3 1/3 innings for St. Louis.

Pagés, who had three hits including a third inning home run, was removed from the game with left hamstring tightness after legging out an infield single in the seventh inning.

Masyn Winn hit a game-tying RBI single down the right-field line in the fourth inning to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.

Wilson hit his first career home run in the second inning to give Seattle a 4-2 lead.

Up next

Mariners RHP Emerson Hancock (2-1, 2.83 ERA) will face Cardinals RHP Michael McGreevy (1-2, 3.29) to wrap up their three-game series on Sunday.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Manchester City were struggling badly around this time last year, facing the possibility of ending the season without a trophy for the first time since 2017.

But just one year later, manager Pep Guardiola has rebuilt and inspired the team, putting them in a strong position to chase a domestic treble. If they achieve it, they would become only the second English side to do so, with the first being City themselves in 2019.

City have already won the Carabao Cup this season and are still in the race for the Premier League title. They have also booked a place in another FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday, 16 May, making it a record fourth consecutive appearance.

Their journey to the final was not easy. City had to come from behind, scoring two late goals to beat Southampton FC and avoid a surprise defeat.

Their recent FA Cup record has been mixed. They beat Manchester United in 2023 on their way to winning the Treble, but lost to the same rivals the following year and were also beaten by Crystal Palace last May.

When asked about the chances of winning another treble, Guardiola played it down.

“Too far away,” he said. “Before the final [league] game against Aston Villa, after we will tell you if there is a chance, but at the moment is it far, far, far away.

“Now it is important that the players have three days off. I told them not to think about football and just rest. The season starts with five games and an FA Cup final. I would say the Premier League is almost gone, we are back to second, we will see how we arrive [at the end].”

Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden was withdrawn in the second half as the Blues beat Southampton 2-1 at Wembley Stadium.

Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola insists it is only a matter of time until Phil Foden is back to his best following his substitution during the 2-1 victory over Southampton. Foden made his first start since March at Wembley but struggled to have an impact in the FA Cup semi-final.

With City struggling to make a breakthrough, Foden was substituted on 58 minutes with his replacement Savinho enjoying more joy down the right-hand side. The England international has not scored since December but Guardiola is adamant that Foden will return to his best.

“Question of a little bit of time,” Guardiola said in his post-match press conference. “It was not easy in the first half for him because we were playing in the pockets and his position was being man-marked. For a full-back it is not easy to find him.

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“It is a question of time when he will be back.” When asked if he had faith in Foden, Guardiola simply replied: “Absolutely.” City’s win at Wembley ensured the Blues created history as they reached their fourth consecutive FA Cup final.

Reflecting on the win, Guardiola added: “Southampton were 19 [20] games unbeaten so I never thought that it would be easy. The energy that we had with Jeremy [Doku] and Savio, if they started they would not have this energy because Jeremy especially, when you play in three days, the risk to get injured is so massive and a lot of players deserved to play.

“The first half was not bad, we did not concede much in the second half. We played at the level against Burnley but we arrived in the 18-yard box and we were not clinical enough and we had to wait for a holding midfielder to score an outstanding goal.

“How many times did Southampton cross the halfway in the second half? One. And what a goal. Football is unpredictable but big credit for how they defend and the way they play.”

In France, Lens secured a dramatic draw against Brest. After narrowly avoiding a heavy defeat, RC Lens fought back in the last 30 minutes to secure a valuable point in the title race. However, they have given PSG the chance to extend their lead at the top of the table. The title race is also fierce in England, where Arsenal lost their way last week against Manchester City. The Londoners cannot afford any more slip-ups and are hosting Newcastle Saturday. In Spain, barring any surprises, Barça remain top, helped by another setback for Real Madrid.