Bulldogs v Roosters preview

Embed from Getty Images

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs v Sydney Roosters Friday 8:00pm at Accor Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park / Wanngal

Bulldogs look to continue momentum against resurgent Roosters

There is no doubt about it, the Bulldogs are currently the hottest team in Rugby League and as it stands are as good a shot as anybody to win the 2025 premiership. The way they effortlessly erased a 20-point deficit on the road against an equally surging Raiders side quieted any doubters the Belmore boys might've had left, with the 32 unanswered second half points sending a warning shot to the rest of the competition that defence isn't the only trick they have in the book.

They come up against a Roosters side who just had the bye, but before that were hitting some strong form themselves. On ANZAC day they towelled up a Dragons outfit that has been competitive in every other game they've played, before easily disposing of the Dolphins during magic round in a game that was more lopsided than the final scoreline suggests.

When the Roosters have struggled this season, it's mainly been because of their inability to convert their attacking opportunities into points. They're averaging just 11.6 points in every game they've lost, while that number skyrockets to 36.5 in wins. Obviously, the more points a team scores the more likely they are to win, but such a stark difference points to the Roosters attack as the most important aspect of their game.

While they have come off two great performances with ball in hand, it's one thing to do it against the Dragons and Dolphins and another to do it against the best defensive team in the comp by far. It warrants mentioning how far ahead of the pack the Bulldogs are in that regard, conceding 15.33 points per game to lead the league in that category, with the next closest being the Sharks at 18. 

Despite this, the Dogs have shown tendencies in recent weeks to clock off for periods in games. You don't come back from 20 points down in the second half without conceding 20 in the first half, and we're only a few weeks removed from the Broncos blitzing them 34-0 in the opening forty. A strong early defensive showing against a Roosters attack exhibiting strong signs of life will be a key point of emphasis for Cameron Ciraldo in this one.

Last meeting: Round 16 2024 - Roosters 26 Bulldogs 8

Who to watch: You won't see too many better individual takeovers of games in Rugby League history than what Stephen Crichton was able to produce in Canberra last week. With his side on the ropes down by 20, the Bulldogs captain put the team on his back as he cruised past Seb Kris to score a long range try before doing the same thing in set off the kick-off to assist another one. Watching such dominance in a first-grade game, let alone one between first and second on the table, was surreal, and his final stat line of 9 runs for 161 metres, 3 line breaks, 1 line break assist, 2 try assists and 4 tackle breaks probably doesn't do enough justice to how unstoppable he was out there. Centre is a position that the Blues origin side is spoilt for talent in, but Crichton might've done enough last week to lock up his spot for the next three series. Look for him to have another big one against a Roosters left edge that has struggled defensively for much of the season.

For the Roosters, James Tedesco has been the spearhead behind their recent attacking resurgence and will have extra motivation to put his best foot forward with origin selection right around the corner. It's well documented what a transcendent player Tedesco has been throughout his career, however there is a strong argument to be made that his current footy, whilst not being the best he's ever played, is the most impressive. This is a Roosters halves pairing that's combined for less than 50 NRL games, but have been freed up by Tedesco's involvement to pick their spots and play their natural games in a way that has translated to fairly immediate on-field results, with Smith and Savala suiting up for their first game together just four weeks ago. When tasked with this role in the past, Tedesco has often overplayed his hand, leading to frustration seeping into his game. The way he's been able to learn from his mistakes and adapt his style this late into his career is a testament to his stature in the sport. If the Roosters are to cause the upset, Tedesco is going to have to be heavily involved once again.

Favourite: The Bulldogs are 7-point favourites at the time of writing.

My tip: As a Roosters fan, I would love nothing more than to tip my boys to cause the boilover. Objectively speaking though, they've been far too inconsistent to suggest with any confidence that they can stop this well-oiled Canterbury machine. Bulldogs by 8.

1. Connor Tracey 2. Jacob Kiraz 3. Bronson Xerri 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Marcelo Montoya 6. Matt Burton 7. Toby Sexton 8. Max King 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Daniel Suluka-Fifita 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Harry Hayes 13. Kurt Mann 14. Bailey Hayward 15. Kurtis Morrin 16. Lipoi Hopoi 17. Luke Smith 23. Blake Taaffe 20. Blake Wilson

1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Billy Smith 4. Robert Toia 5. Mark Nawaqanitawase 6. Sandon Smith 7. Hugo Savala 8. Spencer Leniu 9. Connor Watson 10. Naufahu Whyte 11. Angus Crichton 12. Siua Wong 13. Victor Radley 14. Zach Dockar-Clay 15. Egan Butcher 16. Blake Steep 17. Lindsay Collins 18. Ethan King 19. Salesi Foketi

Referees: Ashley Klein; Sideline Officials: Phil Henderson, Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski; Video Referees: Chris Butler;