Brown confident in young tyros

St George Illawarra coach Nathan Brown says his young forwards are more than capable of overpowering a Bulldogs pack containing five Test representatives in tonight's NRL blockbuster at Oki Jubilee Stadium.

The Dragons will be without former Test prop Jason Ryles due to a back injury with Ashton Sims the new man on the bench as they chase a club-record-equalling eighth-straight win. Sims will form an inexperienced Dragons bench along with Danny Wicks, Michael Henderson and Corey Payne.

The Bulldogs have no such concerns with coach Steve Folkes having the luxury of starting Kiwi sensation Sonny Bill Williams and Queensland Origin star Nate Myles from the bench. A sellout crowd is expected to pack into Oki Jubilee Stadium for the first clash between the two sides since round one last year.