Bankwest Stadium to host annual Queen's Birthday clash

The annual Queens Birthday clash between the Bulldogs and Dragons is on this weekend, Monday June 8.

The meeting between the two sides will be the sixth occasion the blue and whites have tackled the red and white on the public holiday.

The game has attracted an average crowd of 21,781 since the first clash was held in 2015, with the Dogs claiming a 29-16 victory in front of 27,291 fans at ANZ Stadium.

All five previous fixtures have been played at ANZ Stadium, but due to COVID-19, the 2020 match will be played at Bankwest Stadium as a Canterbury home game.

Across the five matches, the Dogs have picked up three victories, while the Dragons have managed to win two.

Canterbury’s wins came in the first three encounters and the Saints have won the past two.

2015: Bulldogs blaze past Dragons

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs turned it on for the 27,291 fans, prevailing 29-16 against the Dragons in a fast and furious 80 minutes of Monday afternoon football.

Seeking revenge for their 31-6 defeat back in Round 6 at the hands of their red and white rivals, the Bulldogs sprung out of the box with great intensity to set up an early 10-0 lead. The Dragons fought back to get their noses in front early in the second half but the ‘Dogs of War’ rallied to run out impressive 29-16 winners.

2016: Bulldogs too Strong for Dragons

An accidental knock-on and re-gather in the lead up to Will Hopoate's try midway through the second half helped seal the Bulldogs' 34-16 win over the Dragons on Monday afternoon. 

In the unlikeliest of comparisons in rugby league history, Williams evoked memories of Dally Messenger from over a century ago who forced a rule change when he used to throw and re-gather the ball over opposition defences.

Referee Jared Maxell told Red V skipper Gareth Widdop that there "was no deliberate push forward" by Williams – who initially passed it backwards before it came off his own left hand – and that there was no knock-on.

Up 20-16 at the time after Hopoate put Rona over in the corner, the Bulldogs' win was solidified through a Kerrod Holland penalty goal and a Josh Reynolds try in the final 15 minutes.

2017: Bulldogs hit back with win over Dragons

The Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs claimed a well-deserved 16-2 win over the third-placed Dragons at ANZ Stadium.

Three tries in the second half to Josh Morris, Michael Lichaa and Marcelo Montoya turned the game for the Bulldogs, but it was an improved defensive performance that set the platform for the win, with the Dragons held try-less for the first time that season.

After a tight first half that saw the Dragons take a 2-0 lead into the break, the Bulldogs went ahead in the 54th minute with Josh Morris finishing off some great lead up work from Will Hopoate.

Michael Lichaa then grabbed his first try of the year, darting from dummy half on the back of a great lead-up run from Brett Morris, before local junior Marcelo Montoya added his fifth of the year to put the game out of the visitors’ reach.

2018: Dragons beat Bulldogs at ANZ

St George Illawarra grabbed top position on the Telstra Premiership table once again but not before having to subdue a determined Bulldogs by just two points at ANZ Stadium on Monday.

Canterbury took the lead 16-14 in the 47th minute on the back of two quick tries. But then back-to-back penalties from Gareth Widdop put the Dragons back in front 18-16. There the score remained despite the Belmore boys running themselves ragged to try and grab just their fourth win of the season.

2019: Bulldogs fall to Dragons

The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs fell to the St George Illawarra Dragons, losing 36-12 at ANZ Stadium.

Canterbury began strongly, scoring just two minutes into the game through a charging Raymond Faitala-Mariner, who ran off a short pass from five-eighth Kieran Foran.

Dragons winger Mikaele Ravalawa netted a brace, while centre Zac Lomax kicked a perfect six goals from as many attempts for a 16-point personal haul.

Foran, who was arguably the Bulldogs' best with two line break assists and a try assist, grabbed a late consolation four-pointer.