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St George Illawarra Dragons vs Canterbury Bulldogs Tips - Dogs unleash on the Dragons
The Canterbury Bulldogs are set to leverage their solid 2024 season and defensive prowess to secure a win against the St George Illawarra Dragons in the 2025 Round 1 NRL matchup. The Dragons, undergoing significant changes with the departure of stars like Ben Hunt and Zac Lomax, are in a rebuilding phase and might face challenges against the Bulldogs' structured gameplay and speed, particularly with player Bronson Xerri in action.
- St George Illawarra Dragons vs Canterbury Bulldogs expert predictions for Saturday’s Round 1 NRL game
- Kick off is at 5:30 PM (AEDT) at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium
- Dragons face challenges due to key player departures.
- Bronson Xerri has a great tryscoring record versus the Dragons
Saturday Night's NRL Tips & Predictions
St George Illawarra Dragons vs Canterbury Bulldogs, Round 1 2025 - Expert Prediction
The Canterbury Bulldogs will build on their success from the 2024 season and get a routine win over a new-look St George Illawarra side on Saturday night.
- St George Illawarra Dragons vs Canterbury Bulldogs, Round 1 2025 - Expert Prediction
- Head to Head
- St George Illawarra Dragons Form Analysis & Betting Trends
- St George Illawarra Dragons Team News
- St George Illawarra Dragons Team List
- Canterbury Bulldogs Form Analysis & Betting Trends
- Canterbury Bulldogs Team News
- Canterbury Bulldogs Team List
- St George Illawarra Dragons vs Canterbury Bulldogs NRL 2025 Round 1 FAQ’s
Canterbury build their sixth-placed finish in 2024 on the back of a solid defensive structure that Cameron Ciraldo put together. The Dogs were able to defend their line as their combinations in attack grew throughout the season.
With St George seeing the exit of their biggest stars Ben Hunt and Zac Lomax, it is going to take some time to see any fruit from their new recruits.
Expect the Dogs to bounce and attack through their speed, with Bronson Xerri being unleashed after his successful return to the NRL last season.
- Canterbury have won their last 3 matches against St George
- 10 of 13 St George losses in 2024 were by a margin of 13+
- Canterbury scored over 20.5 points in 7 of their final 8 matches of 2024.
- Bronson Xerri has scored 6 tries in 4 games against the Dragons. He has also scored 4 tries in his last 5 NRL games.
Head to Head
Canterbury won both matches against the Saints pretty comfortably in 2024 with a 44-12 victory at Accor, followed up by a 28-10 drubbing at Netstrata Jubilee stadium.
The two victories to the Dogs improved their recent head-to-head record against the Dragons, giving them 4 wins in the last 5 matches.
St George Illawarra Dragons Form Analysis & Betting Trends
Recent Form
The Dragons got a sniff of the finals late last season but their inconsistency came back to haunt them as they finished the season with 3 losses to miss out on the eight by a win and a disgraceful plus/minus.
St George were in a lot of their matches in 2024, at least until halftime. They then made a habit of getting blown out, with 10 of their 13 losses being by a 13+ margin. That stinks bad attitude and with their two biggest names in Ben Hunt and Zac Lomax moving on from the club, it is hard to see that improving.
The Dragons had problems moving the ball forward, ranked 14th in the league with 1,378 metres gained per game. They were not good stopping their opponents either ranked 13th in run metres conceded. With their best kicker in Hunt playing in Brisbane, territory is going to be a tough battle for the Dragons in 2025.
2024 Betting Trends
| ATS | Over/Under | 1-12 | 13+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11-13 | 10-14 | 5-3 | 6-10 |
St George Illawarra Dragons Team News
Clint Gutherson, Val Holmes, Lachlan Ilias, Damien Cook and Emre Guler will all start for the Dragons, while Ben Hunt and Zac Lomax are the big name departures from the club.
Tyrell Sloan has been dropped with former Eels captain, King Gutho taking his spot. Jacob Liddle has also been dropped to the bench with Damien Cook arriving at the club from Souths.
St George Illawarra Dragons Team List
1. Clint Gutherson
2. Mathew Feagai
3. Moses Suli
4. Valentine Holmes
5. Christian Tuipulotu
6. Kyle Flanagan
7. Lachlan Ilias
8. Toby Couchman
9. Damien Cook
10. Emre Guler
11. Luciano Leilua
12. Jaydn Su'A
13. Jack de Belin
Interchange
14. Jacob Liddle
15. Ryan Couchman
16. Raymond Faitala-Mariner
17. Hamish Stewart
Reserves
18. Dylan Egan
19. Tyrell Sloan
20. Lyhkan King-Togia
21. Loko Pasifiki Tonga
22. Tom Eisenhuth
Canterbury Bulldogs Form Analysis & Betting Trends
Recent Form
I want to say Canterbury were the surprise packet of 2024, however, throwing their cash around and recruiting players like they were toilet paper during Covid, they really should have been a top team in the league.
What was unexpected was the quality of their defence, ranked top of the league for most of the season and finishing the year ranked third with an average of just 18.2 opposition points per game. The Dogs were also second-best in the NRL at conceding linebreaks, with only themselves and the Panthers conceding an average less than 4 opposition breaks per game.
With a fairly settled offseason, Canterbury are set to build on the performance in 2024, but will that weight of expectation now hinder them?
2024 Betting Trends
| ATS | Over/Under | 1-12 | 13+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16-9 | 9-16 | 6-7 | 8-4 |
Canterbury Bulldogs Team News
Josh Addo-Carr’s departure gives newcomer Marcelo Montoya an opening on the wing, while new Roosters’ recruit Sitili Tupouniua will add depth to the Bulldogs rotation from the bench.
Josh Curran is suspended after an incident in the trials and Harry Hayes will start on the pine.
Canterbury Bulldogs Team List
1. Connor Tracey
2. Blake Wilson
3. Bronson Xerri
4. Stephen Crichton
5. Marcelo Montoya
6. Matt Burton
7. Toby Sexton
8. Max King
9. Reed Mahoney
10. Sam Hughes
11. Viliame Kikau
12. Jacob Preston
13. Kurt Mann
Interchange
14. Bailey Hayward
15. Sitili Tupouniua
16. Harry Hayes
17. Jaeman Salmon
Reserves
19. Blake Taaffe
20. Kurtis Morrin
21. Daniel Suluka-Fifita
22. Luke Smith
23. Ratu Rinakama
St George Illawarra Dragons vs Canterbury Bulldogs NRL 2025 Round 1 FAQ’s
How to watch St George Illawarra Dragons vs Canterbury Bulldogs NRL 2025 Round 1?
You can watch the St George Illawarra Dragons vs Canterbury Bulldogs NRL 2025 Round 1 game via Fox Sports or Kayo Sports. If you are watching from outside of Australia the WatchNRL app is the perfect solution.
How to buy tickets to St George Illawarra Dragons vs Canterbury Bulldogs NRL 2025 Round 1?
To buy tickets to the St George Illawarra Dragons vs Canterbury Bulldogs NRL 2025 Round 1 game check the NRL website or the official St George Illawarra Dragons site.
Verdict
Bronson Xerri will score a try as the Bulldogs reach their team total of 20.5 points and cover as the 3.5-point favourites.
Canterbury -3.5
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Canterbury Over 20.5
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$1.88 - 2 Units
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