Round 16 Preview — 2026 NRL SeasonNRL Analytics

Storm v Raiders

AAMI Park 79% Storm fortress. But Raiders lead H2H 3-2 and CI/DS -3.1 favours the visitors. Lean Storm by 8.

SavvyPlays · 21 June 2026 · AAMI Park, Melbourne · Sunday 21 June · 4:05PM AEST

AAMI Park is one of the most reliable home fortresses in the NRL — Storm 79% there since 2020. Predict margin +8.6. But the Raiders have actually won the most recent meeting between these sides (R7 2026, 26-22 at GIO Stadium) and lead the H2H 3-2 over the last five.

Storm at 88% best-17 vs Raiders at 82%. The structural edge belongs to the home side, but the CI/DS combined of -3.1 sits in the Raiders' favour. Lean Storm.

SavvyPlays Tip — Lean

01Storm by 8

AAMI Park is Melbourne's engine room — 79% home record since 2020 and one of the toughest road trips in the competition. The Storm are at 88% best-17 with their senior spine and forward core intact. Predict margin lands at +8.6 in their favour.

The reasons this is a Lean rather than Strong: the Raiders won the most recent meeting (R7 2026, 26-22 at GIO Stadium) and lead the H2H 3-2 over the last five. CI/DS combined sits at -3.1 in the Raiders' favour. The Storm's consistency has also been volatile this season (CI 0.462).

+8.6
Predict Margin
+1.6
Storm Squad ±/G
-6.3
Raiders Squad ±/G
88%
Storm Best 17
82%
Raiders Best 17
-3.1
CI/DS Combined
2-3
H2H Last 5
79%
Storm @ AAMI

Venue & Head-to-Head

02Venue & Head-to-Head

AAMI Park is the Storm's fortress — 48-13 (79%) since 2020 as the home side. The Raiders' historical record at AAMI is below 50%. The venue tilt is real and substantial.

Despite that venue history, the Raiders have actually had the better of this fixture lately. They won R7 2026 (26-22 at home), R9 2025 (20-18 at Suncorp), and R26 2022 (28-20 at AAMI). The Storm's two wins came in 2024 (R17, 16-6) and 2023 (R24, 48-2 — the heaviest beating in the series).

YearRoundMatchScoreWinner
2026R7Raiders v Storm26-22Raiders
2025R9Storm v Raiders18-20Raiders
2024R17Storm v Raiders16-6Storm
2023R24Storm v Raiders48-2Storm
2022R26Storm v Raiders20-28Raiders

Named Squads

03Storm — 88% Best 17 — Squad avg ±/G: +1.6

#PlayerPositionGP±/G
1Sualauvi FaalogoFullback14-0.1
2Will WarbrickWing14-1.0
3Jack HowarthCentre12+3.5
4Joe ChanCentre12-4.0
5Moses LeoWing9+6.2
6Cameron MunsterFive-Eighth13+0.6
7Jahrome HughesHalfback13+1.8
8Stefano UtoikamanuProp14+3.9
9Harry GrantHooker13+0.0
10Josh KingProp14+1.7
11Cooper ClarkeSecond Row14-3.9
12Ativalu LisatiSecond Row8+16.8
13Trent LoieroLock11-4.9
14Trent ToelauInterchange3-8.0
15Alec MacDonaldInterchange10-8.2
16Jack HetheringtonInterchange5-1.2
17Josiah PahuluInterchange

Out: A few rotational outs but the senior spine and forward pack are intact.

Named Squads

04Raiders — 82% Best 17 — Squad avg ±/G: -6.3

#PlayerPositionGP±/G
1Kaeo WeekesFullback14-7.2
2Savelio TamaleWing11-4.3
3Sebastian KrisCentre12-5.1
4Matthew TimokoCentre9-5.6
5Xavier SavageWing9-10.2
6Ethan StrangeFive-Eighth11-9.6
7Ethan SandersHalfback14-6.6
8Corey HorsburghProp14-4.4
9Tom StarlingHooker14-3.9
10Joseph TapineProp14-6.4
11Hudson YoungSecond Row10-8.7
12Zac HoskingSecond Row12-4.2
13Jayden BraileyLock13-6.0
14Owen PattieInterchange6+0.3
15Ata MariotaInterchange14-2.7
16Morgan SmithiesInterchange14-3.6
17Daine LaurieInterchange7-4.3

Out: Some availability noise but the side has shown form in 2026 — Raiders lead the H2H 3-2 in the last five.

Match Analysis

05Key Matchups & Narratives

AAMI Park is the case for Storm. The Storm's 79% home record at AAMI Park since 2020 is one of the strongest home-venue advantages in the NRL. Travel toll on visitors, vocal crowd, and the Storm's systems all play into the venue figure.

Raiders own the recent series. The Raiders have won three of the last five meetings and the most recent one was a 26-22 win at home in R7 2026. The Storm's two wins in the run included a 48-2 demolition in 2023 — and a 10-point win at AAMI in 2024.

CI/DS in the Raiders' favour. Combined CI/DS net is -3.1 — the Storm have been more disrupted and less consistent in 2026 than the Raiders, which surprises given the Raiders' 5-9 ladder position. The Storm's CI of 0.462 means they swing between top and bottom performances.

Look for the Storm's response. The Storm losing the R7 fixture earlier this season means they will know the matchup well. Expect a fixed defensive scheme around the Raiders' forwards and a kicking game that pushes them to the corners.

Why Lean, Not Strong

Predict has the Storm by 8 and the venue history backs that up. But the Raiders won the most recent meeting, lead the H2H 3-2 in the last five, and have the small CI/DS edge. The Storm's volatility (CI 0.462) means their floor is lower than the model suggests. The Storm should win, but not Strong.

Prediction

06Prediction Breakdown

Predict margin +8.6 — the venue tilt and the structural quality gap show through. But the recent series, the disruption profile, and the Storm's own consistency issues keep this a Lean tip.

6-8
Storm Record
5-9
Raiders Record
88%
Storm Best 17
82%
Raiders Best 17
+8.6
Predict Margin

Data & Methodology

Team records and match data sourced from official NRL data. Player ±/G (Plus/Minus per Game) and squad PCS (Player Contribution Score) are SavvyPlays analytics metrics derived from play-by-play timeline data. Best 17 percentage reflects the proportion of a team's optimal lineup named. CI/DS measures consistency-weighted disruption. All figures accurate as of R16 teamlist announcement, 19 June 2026.

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