The Sydney Roosters and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs have shared a rivalry tracing all the way back to 1935, one that will be revived once again this Saturday in an exciting triple-header at Accor Stadium.
Recent History: Sydney Roosters vs Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
The Red, White and Blue and the blue and whites have shared a history spanning nearly a century, highlighted by many enthralling contests which include four Grand Finals.
The most famous of wins for the Roosters came in the form of the 1974 triumph, where the side led by Jack Gibson and Arthur Beetson broke a 29-year Premiership drought for the Club in a famous win.
In their previous 177 meetings, the Roosters take the bragging rights with 92 wins, with Canterbury claiming victory on 80 occasions, with five draws - however recent years have seen the Tricolours dominate the ledger.
Easts have notched up the last eight consecutive wins between the two sides; their most recent loss coming in 2016, with their most recent win coming in the form of a scrappy contest that saw the Roosters prevail 22-16 in Round 17 last season.
How They Line Up
Head Coach Trent Robinson has made some changes to the line up following Monday's close ANZAC Day contest with the Dragons.
Daniel Tupou comes out of the team after accepting a one-match suspension, allowing Kevin Naiqama to make his return on the wing. The remainder of the team is unchanged, with James Tedesco captaining the team at fullback.
Joseph Suaalii holds his place on the wing and will line up alongside Naiqama, while Paul Momirovski and Joey Manu will again make up the centre pairing.
Sam Walker and Luke Keary will again line up in the No.6 and No.7 jerseys respectively.
Lindsay Collins, Sam Verrills and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves line up in the front row, while the starting side is rounded off with Angus Crichton, Sitili Tupouniua and Victor Radley in the back row.
Match: Bulldogs v Roosters
Round 8 -
home Team
Bulldogs
away Team
Roosters
Team Lists
Backs
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Fullback for Bulldogs is number 1 Matthew DuftyFullback for Roosters is number 1 James Tedesco
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Winger for Bulldogs is number 5 Josh Addo-CarrWinger for Roosters is number 2 Kevin Naiqama
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Centre for Bulldogs is number 3 Aaron SchouppCentre for Roosters is number 4 Joseph Manu
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Centre for Bulldogs is number 4 Jake AverilloCentre for Roosters is number 22 Adam Keighran
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Winger for Bulldogs is number 21 Jayden OkunborWinger for Roosters is number 5 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii
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Five-Eighth for Bulldogs is number 6 Matt BurtonFive-Eighth for Roosters is number 6 Sam Walker
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Halfback for Bulldogs is number 7 Kyle FlanaganHalfback for Roosters is number 7 Luke Keary
Forwards
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Prop for Bulldogs is number 8 Luke ThompsonProp for Roosters is number 8 Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
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Hooker for Bulldogs is number 9 Jeremy Marshall-KingHooker for Roosters is number 9 Sam Verrills
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Prop for Bulldogs is number 10 Paul VaughanProp for Roosters is number 10 Lindsay Collins
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2nd Row for Bulldogs is number 11 Corey Waddell2nd Row for Roosters is number 11 Angus Crichton
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2nd Row for Bulldogs is number 12 Tevita Pangai Junior2nd Row for Roosters is number 12 Sitili Tupouniua
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Lock for Bulldogs is number 16 Max KingLock for Roosters is number 13 Victor Radley
Interchange
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Interchange for Bulldogs is number 14 Bailey Biondi-OdoInterchange for Roosters is number 14 Drew Hutchison
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Interchange for Bulldogs is number 15 Joe StimsonInterchange for Roosters is number 15 Fletcher Baker
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Interchange for Bulldogs is number 17 Ava SeumanufagaiInterchange for Roosters is number 16 Nat Butcher
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Interchange for Bulldogs is number 23 Billy TsikrikasInterchange for Roosters is number 17 Siosiua Taukeiaho
Reserves
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Replacement for Bulldogs is number 20 Jackson TopineReplacement for Roosters is number 18 Lachlan Lam
Match Officials
- Referee: Ben Cummins
- Touch Judge: Phil Henderson
- Touch Judge: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski
- Senior Review Official: Adam Gee
Last updated:
Drew Hutchison, Fletcher Baker, Nat Butcher and Siosiua Taukeiaho make up the interchange bench, with Lachlan Lam named at 18th man.
Daniel Suluka-Fifita, Ben Marschke, Naufahu Whyte, Adam Keighran, Renouf Atoni and Tom Carr make up this week's extended bench.
The Bulldogs have been bolstered by the return of outside backs Brent Naden and Jake Averill, who both return from covid-19 layoffs, while they also welcome back forward Ava Seumanufagai to their line up.
Trent Barrett's side features a number of attacking threats in fullback Matt Dufty, winger Josh Addo-Carr, five-eighth Matt Burton and back rower Tevita Pangai Jr, so the Red, White and Blue will need to ensure the Bondi Wall is at its best for the full 80 minutes.
1974 Grand Final Highlights
Key Match Up: Sam Walker vs Matt Burton
Sam Walker and Matt Burton are two of the NRL's most exciting young playmakers and will be critical to both sides' attacking prowess on Saturday night.
Walker has already provided plenty of spark for the Tricolours in the opening rounds of 2022, which included man-defining performances against the Brisbane Broncos and New Zealand Warriors in recent weeks.
The teenage five-eighth has kicked off from where he finished in his rookie season, scoring two tries while providing three and forcing three drop outs in the process.
Matt Burton was lured to Belmore in order to sharpen up the Bulldogs' attack, and has so far threatened with each touch of the ball - with his strong kicking game providing plenty of damage highlighted by eight drop outs.
The 22-year-old Premiership-winner has also laid on two tries and engineered three linebreak assists but has yet to register a four-pointer of his own in 2022.
With both sides eager to get their attack flowing following clunky performances in recent weeks, be sure to keep an eye on these two young guns to get things going.
What They Said
Your Verdict
Saturday night will feature two sides that will be aiming to pile on the points and get their attack firing, so expect plenty of ball movement when the Roosters take on the Bulldogs.
Despite Canterbury being anchored at the bottom of the ladder, history dictates that anything can happen in clashes between the two cross-city rivals, so James Tedesco and his Roosters will be keen to return to playing the football they know they can produce.
Be sure to grab your tickets here for a fun-filled afternoon at the footy with the family, and cheer on the Red, White and Blue on Saturday!
There is a 10% discount code for Roosters Members wanting to purchase away area tickets. The discount code will be in the Members’ Match Preview email on Tuesday afternoon and the Members’ Messenger email on Thursday.
The Sydney Roosters SG Ball Cup and Tarsha Gale Cup sides will both be vying for Premiership glory on Saturday afternoon as they play their respective Grand Finals at Commbank Stadium - so be sure to grab tickets here and cheer on your future Roosters prior to the NRL match!
