MONDAY JUNE 9th 2025.
Bulldogs v Eels
Accor Stadium, Sydney, 4pm
After a fortnight to reflect on the bitter sting of their 44-8 thrashing at the hands of the Dolphins, the Bulldogs are primed for redemption — and the Eels are firmly in their sights.
Accor Stadium will come alive on the public holiday, with $10 tickets opening the gates to what’s tipped to be another 60,000-strong crowd. The Bulldogs faithful are expected to roar louder than ever, eager to see their team rise from the ashes and send Parramatta’s finals dreams drifting down the Parramatta River.
This isn’t the same side that limped into the bye. With skipper Stephen Crichton and workhorse Max King back from Origin duties, and classy recruit Lachlan Galvin joining the fold after his move from the Wests Tigers, Canterbury will field a reinvigorated outfit ready to make a statement.
Galvin has been named in the extended squad in jersey No.23 and could be in line for his club debut. He’ll be joined by a host of returning reinforcements — Crichton, King, Kurt Mann (Origin), Jacob Kiraz (calf), and Daniel Suluka-Fifita (concussion) — as the Bulldogs look to turn the page in emphatic fashion and reignite their finals ambitions.
Bulldogs
1. Connor Tracey 2. Jacob Kiraz 3. Bronson Xerri 4. Stephen Crichton, 5. Marcelo Montoya 6. Matt Burton 7. Toby Sexton 8. Max King 9. Reed Mahoney, 10. Daniel Suluka-Fifita 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Josh Curran 13. Kurt Mann , 14. Bailey Hayward 15. Harry Hayes 16. Lipoi Hopoi 17. Kurtis Morrin 19. Jake Turpin , 20. Blake Wilson 21. Samuel Hughes 22. Blake Taaffe 23. Lachlan Galvin
Out: Luke Smith (bench), Blake Wilson (wing to reserve), Blake Taaffe (centre to reserve), Samuel Hughes (front row to reserve), Jake Turpin (bench to reserve)
In: Jacob Kiraz (wing), Stephen Crichton (centre), Max King (front row), Daniel Suluka-Fifita (front row), Kurt Mann (lock)
Changes: Josh Curran (front row to second row), Harry Hayes (second row to bench), Bailey Hayward (lock to bench)
The Eels march into Accor Stadium still stinging from what might have been — a missed opportunity to topple the premiers, and perhaps a defining moment in their season. Last week’s 18-10 loss to the Panthers was anything but one-sided; it was a gripping, seesawing contest that Parramatta could well have claimed, if not for a few heartbreaking missteps.
It was a night of near-misses and what-ifs. Jordan Samrani, with the line wide open, copped a falcon off Isaiah Iongi. Jack Williams, charging towards the try-line, accidentally denied himself a four-pointer with his own arm. The effort was there. The execution — just — wasn’t.
Still, there are green shoots. Mitch Moses and Zac Lomax carried their Origin brilliance back into clubland, and both will again be asked to shoulder the load as the Eels try to claw their way up from 16th place — just two wins outside the top eight, but with little room left for error.
Will Penisini’s return from concussion brings stability to the backline, shifting Samrani to the bench and Joash Papalii to 18th man. In the forwards, Kelma Tuilagi and Luca Moretti have once again been named to alternate roles, with a likely game-day swap just like last week.
They now face the ladder-leading Bulldogs — refreshed, rearmed, and ready for battle. But if the Eels can summon the fire they showed against Penrith, and polish the final touches, they just might spoil the party in front of a packed holiday crowd in Sydney’s west.
Eels
1. Isaiah Iongi 2. Zac Lomax 3. Viliami Penisini 4. Sean Russell 5. Josh Addo-Carr. 6. Dylan Brown 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Jack Williams 9. Ryley Smith 10. Junior Paulo. 11. Kelma Tuilagi 12. Kitione Kautoga 13. J’maine Hopgood 14. Dylan Walker. 15. Luca Moretti 16. Ryan Matterson 17. Jordan Samrani 18. Joash Papali’i . 19. Matt Doorey 20. Joey Lussick 21. Dean Hawkins 22. Samuel Loizou
Out: Joash Papalii (bench to reserve)
In: Will Penisini (centre)
Changes: Jordan Samrani (centre to bench), Luca Moretti (second row to bench), Kelma Tuilagi (bench to second row)
Key Stats
The Bulldogs won last year’s King’s Birthday game against the Eels 22-18.
The Eels have won nine of their last 12 games against the Bulldogs at Accor Stadium.
The Bulldogs have conceded 144 points in their past five games.
Eels winger Josh Addo-Carr has scored 23 tries in 26 games at Accor Stadium.
Bulldogs fullback Connor Tracey will play his 100th NRL game.
Referees, Gerard Sutton, Touch Judges, Chris Sutton, Matt Noyen, Bunker, Grant Atkins.
Tip
With a week off to lick their wounds after a humbling by the Dolphins, the Bulldogs now return to the spotlight — and all eyes will be on one name: Lachlan Galvin.
After arriving from the Wests Tigers amid a swirl of headlines, Galvin steps into a Bulldogs outfit that has lost just two games all season and sits proudly atop the ladder. But with such dominance comes pressure. The big question isn’t just how Galvin fits — it’s whether he enhances the machine or knocks it out of sync. Is he the final piece of the premiership puzzle, or a wildcard that could unravel everything?
Meanwhile, the Eels might sit near the bottom of the table, but they pushed the defending champions to the brink last week and showed they’re far from done. There’s grit in this Parramatta side — and perhaps just enough to make things uncomfortable for the high-flying Dogs.
I’m tipping the Bulldogs to get the job done… but don’t expect a blowout. This one could go down to the wire.
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