Dragons v Sharks preview

St. George Illawarra Dragons v Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Jubilee Oval - Sunday 4:00pm

Traditional rivals to do battle at Kogarah.

In one of the games of the round, St. George Illawarra will be looking to maintain their winning form on Sunday afternoon at their spiritual home. After spending last week off with the bye, the Dragons will be out to claim their fifth win in four matches against the Sharks. Maintaining the same side that overcame Canberra 32-18 a fortnight ago, coach Paul McGregor has included Jake Marketo on an extended bench as cover for Trent Merrin, should the forward fail to recover from Wednesday night's Origin.

Still without Paul Gallen, the Sharks will be keen to register their first win at Kogarah since 2007 in the Round 12 fixture. Despite being at the centre of a contract dispute, Michael Gordon has been named on the wing for Cronulla in an otherwise unchanged side from the team that defeated the Titans in extra-time two weeks ago. Currently sitting just outside the top eight in 10th position, the Sharks will be looking to build upon their recent form spearheaded by former Dragons Under 20s player Jack Bird.

Last Meeting: Round 13, 2014 - St. George Illawarra Dragons 30 Cronulla Sharks 0

Who to watch: Having been named 18th man for New South Wales, Tyson Frizell will be looking for a big game against his former club to earn himself a spot in Laurie Daley's final 17 for Game Two. Despite serving a two-match suspension, Frizell has been a standout for the Dragons in 2015, averaging close to 100 metres and 40 tackles per game. Alongside Joel Thompson and Trent Merrin, Frizell has formed one of the deadliest backrows in the NRL that will have a major role in determining the outcome of Sunday's match.

While his form last year failed to live up to expectations, former Wests Tiger Blake Ayshford will be out to grab his second chance in the NRL with open arms. Playing his second game of the season, Ayshford will be aiming to replicate the form that saw him earn a spot in the Auckland 9's Team of the Tournament. At his best, the Paddington junior is capable of blowing oppositions away, and if he can do so on the weekend, the Sharks will go along way to posting their fifth win of 2015.

The favourite: With seven wins from their last eight matches, the Dragons will be expected to dispose of the Sharks with ease.

My tip: Having seen the Sharks pull off an upset over the Roosters earlier in the year, they'll have a great opportunity to take down another contender away from home. Sharks by 6.

1. Josh Dugan 2. Eto Nabuli 3. Euan Aitken 4. Peter Mata'utia 5. Jason Nightingale 6. Gareth Widdop 7. Benji Marshall 8. Leeson Ah Mau 9. Mitch Rein 10. Mike Cooper 11. Tyson Frizell 12. Joel Thompson 13. Trent Merrin
Interchange: 14. Heath L'Estrange 15. Ben Creagh 16. Jack de Belin 17. Will Matthews 19. Jake Marketo

1. Ben Barba 2. Valentine Holmes 3. Gerard Beale 4. Blake Ayshford 5. Michael Gordon 6. Jack Bird 7. Jeff Robson 8. Andrew Fifita 9. Michael Ennis 10. Matt Prior 11. Jayson Bukuya 12. Wade Graham 13. Luke Lewis
Interchange: 14. Sami Sauiluma 15. Tinirau Arona 16. David Fifita 17. Sam Tagataese 19. Tim Robinson

Referees: Adam Devcich, Alan Shortall; Sideline Officials: Nick Beashel, Russell Turner; Video Referees: Shayne Hayne, Luke Patten;

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