Round 4: Sharks v Bulldogs preview
Undoubtedly the match of the round as two top 6 sides from last year, and also currently, square off in the Shire.
The Sharks had a Round 1 loss, but it wasn't a disappointing loss, as they went down narrowly to the defending Premiers in Las Vegas 28-22, never allowing the Panthers to breathe comfortably the whole game. Since then their defence has improved markedly, but their attack has lifted even further. They easily accounted for the Cowboys 36-12 in Round 2 and last week handled the Bunnies without threat, scoring a 27-12 victory.
The Sharks forwards are a united and cohesive unit, including on the bench, making it very hard to get on top of them, let alone for an entire match. They get phenomenal service and direction from the underrated hooker Blayke Brailey, while half Braydon Trindall plays more like an organising halfback than the actual Sharks halfback, Nicho Hynes, does.
The Sharks back three are a menace to edge defences, while the edge ball carriers, especially Kayal Iro, Briton Nikora and Teig Wilton have brilliant line running instincts and are able to find the gaps between two defenders regularly. The varied aspects of their attack makes the Sharks a constant and genuine threat to every opponent for all 80 minutes in a game.
The Bulldogs adopted one of the stingiest defensive systems throughout most of 2024 and not much has changed in that aspect in 2025, although there is room for improvement. They too possess a brilliant pack which has plenty of variation in styles through the middle and on the edges. Their spine lacks some of the polish of their more experienced counterparts here, but they are plenty skillful enough and have proven to be very effective thus far.
The Dogs may struggle to match up when it comes to the forward rotation, but if they can go toe-to-toe with the Sharks defensively, the scoreboard will remain close. This is the key for the Dogs, because the Sharks have shown in previous seasons that if they get frustrated by a good defensive unit, they start to panic in attack, forget their very effective systems and typically end up throwing the match away. The Bulldogs need to be defensively strong and patient - two things they have become very good at over the last 12 months - and the win could very well come their way.
Last meeting: Round 17 2024 - Bulldogs 15 Sharks 14
Who to watch: For the Sharks, Braydon Trindall is in great form, taking control of the side when they need a playmaker to step up. He has a great short kicking game and an equally good passing game. His kicks for his wingers are always threatening, especially towards Ronaldo Mulitalo who has a great leap and is a regular try scorer. Hooker Blayke Brailey continues to get better every year, he has always been a very skillful ball player, often able to drop out to first receiver to take pressure off his halves, can score from close range and continues to get stronger and more effective defensively. If he can continue playing great footy, he will be in the conversation for a Blues jumper this year.
Stephen Crichton is undoubtedly the Bulldogs key man for the Sharks defence. He will likely line up opposite Jesse Ramien, who is a good defender, but lacks the footspeed of Crichton. The Bulldogs captain will use this pace to get outside Ramien, draw in the Sharks outside defender and then create some space for Marcelo Montoya. Toby Sexton is also capable of mixing up his kicking game enough to try and keep the Sharks back three either start their sets being flat footed or having to turn around to retrieve a kick. This will be vital for the Bulldogs defence to shut the Sharks down early in the set.
Favourite: The Sharks are clear favourites for this match, but it could well prove to be a closer encounter than the bookies suggest.
My tip: Sharks should be able to get the win here, but the Dogs are one of the teams that could trouble them. Sharks by 8.
