St George Illawarra Dragons host Canterbury Bulldogs in Round 25 of the 2026 NRL season at Allianz Stadium on Saturday, 22nd August at 7:35 PM AEST. Read on for our full match preview, insider NRL betting tips, and best footy odds for the weekend.
Enjoying a late-season renaissance and an outside chance of offloading the spoon, the Dragons will be relishing the prospect of putting a spanner in the works of the Bulldogs’ Top 8 bid.
FORM: The Saints have doubled their season win tally in the past fortnight, chalking up back-to-back victories for the first time via a 24-16 upset of Cronulla and a 24-22 eclipse of Wests Tigers.
The Bulldogs’ resurgence has hit a roadblock over the past two rounds courtesy of a valiant 20-18 loss to the Roosters and an upset 22-6 defeat to the Rabbitohs.
INS AND OUTS: Dan Atkinson is at fullback and Mat Feagai on the wing for the Dragons with Clint Gutherson out again. Josh Kerr replaces Blake Lawrie on the bench.
The Bulldogs have lost Jethro Rinakama for the season, so Enari Tuala goes to the wing, and Bronson Xerri comes back at centre. Sean O’Sullivan joins the six-man interchange.
KEY MATCH-UP: The initial spike has faded slightly after Stephen Crichton’s move to five-eighth for the Bulldogs, while Lykhan King-Tongia is thriving in the Dragons’ No.6 jersey.
HISTORY: The Bulldogs are on a six-match winning streak against the Dragons, including a controversial 15-14 golden point escape in Las Vegas in Round 1.
KEY STAT: Four of the last six Dragons-Bulldogs encounters have produced totals of 38 points or less.
VERDICT: Last week’s flat performance from the Bulldogs came out of nowhere after a highly impressive month of football that had some proclaiming them a genuine dark horse. This is a non-negotiable must-win clash for the ninth-placed outfit, who face Penrith next week.
The Dragons are showing real fight with a talented young pack standing tall, but they are likely to come up short against a team with everything to play for and boasting a slew of game-breakers.
Prediction: Back Over 43.5 Total Points @ $1.90
SGM: BULLDOGS WIN / JACOB PRESTON ANYTIME TRYSCORER / MATT BURTON ANYTIME TRYSCORER / TYRELL SLOAN ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $17.46
St George Illawarra Dragons vs Canterbury Bulldogs Odds & Popular Betting Markets
Here’s a quick look at the current odds and popular betting markets for the St George Illawarra Dragons vs Canterbury Bulldogs matchup.
*odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change
| Team | Odds | |
|---|---|---|
| Canterbury Bulldogs (-6.5) | 1.96 | Bet Now |
| St George Illawarra Dragons (6.5) | 1.85 | Bet Now |
NRL odds correct as of 21/08/2026 and subject to change. Event scheduled to start at 22/08/2026 7:35pm AEST.
NRL odds correct as of 21/08/2026 and subject to change. Event scheduled to start at 22/08/2026 7:35pm AEST.