Following the completion of the eighth round of the 2025 NRL season, several teams will look to change up their team, while others will enter Round 9 with the exact same line-up.
Kayal Iro (Cronulla Sharks), Max Plath (The Dolphins), Brian To'o (Penrith Panthers), Josh Schuster (South Sydney Rabbitohs) and Nelson Asofa-Solomona (Melbourne Storm) are just a few players who are set to be available for selection heading into Round 9.
However, while some return, the likes of Matt Burton (Canterbury Bulldogs), Scott Sorensen (Penrith Panthers), Latrell Mitchell (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Mawene Hiroti (Cronulla Sharks) and Josh Curran (Canterbury Bulldogs) have been ruled out for this week.
Cronulla Sharks vs Parramatta Eels
In a direct swap in the centres for Mawene Hiroti (knee), Kayal Iro is expected to return for Magic Round and will be a massive inclusion for Craig Fitzgibbon's side, who is coming off a loss to the Wests Tigers.
"He's got a medial," Fitzgibbon said.
Mawene Hiroti wont return today for the Sharks after suffering a suspected MCL injury.
Contact mechanism matches that (camera angle wasn’t great) - heavy contact + inability to stay on brings concern for multi-week recovery (eg moderate grade MCL sprain usually 3-6 week return) pic.twitter.com/YvUE7KI59I
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) April 27, 2025
"I'm not sure the severity. He did it really early in the game and just couldn't function out there so we had to make a change.
"He'll be looking at some weeks on the sideline; exactly how many, I'm not sure."
Braden Hamlin-Uele and Teig Wilton (shoulder) are also chances to return this week, while they will be sweating on the availability of back-rower Briton Nikora who was placed on report and sent to the sin-bin for a high tackle.
Projected Round 9 Team: 1. William Kennedy 2. Sam Stonestreet 3. Jesse Ramien 4. Kayal Iro 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Braydon Trindall 7. Nicho Hynes 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Blayke Brailey 10 Oregon Kaufusi 11. Briton Nikora 12. Teig Wilton 13. Cameron McInnes 14. Daniel Atkinson 15. Siosifa Talakai 16. Tuku Hau Tapuha 17. Thomas Hazelton
Coming off the bye, the Eels aren't set to make any drastic changes from the team that defeated the Wests Tigers but will need to find a replacement for Kelma Tuilagi who was suspended.
It can be expected that either Bryce Cartwright, Charlie Guymer, Ryan Matterson or Wiremu Grieg will take his spot in the side.
Projected Round 9 Team: 1. Isaiah Iongi 2. Josh Addo-Carr 3. Will Penisini 4. Sean Russell 5. Bailey Simonsson 6. Dylan Brown 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Jack Williams 9. Ryley Smith 10. Junior Paulo 11. Kitione Kautoga 12. Bryce Cartwright 13. J'maine Hopgood 14. Dylan Walker 15. Luca Moretti 16. Matt Doorey 17. Sam Tuivaiti
