Three Key Points: Round 14 v Dragons

The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs face the St George Illawarra Dragons at Stadium Australia on Monday June 14, kicking off at 4pm.

Below are three things to know about the matchup:

JMK returns

Jeremy Marshall-King will return to the Bulldogs line-up on Monday for the first time since round three. The hooker has been sidelined with a foot injury which has reduced the 25-year old to only two games in the season to date. With a strong running game, the number nine’s return will be a huge boost for the Bulldogs.

Queen’s Birthday returns to Stadium Australia

The annual Queen’s Birthday clash will make its return to Stadium Australia after last year’s was played at Bankwest Stadium due to COVID with the Bulldogs grabbing a 22-2 win. The meeting between the two sides will be the seventh occasion the blue and whites have tackled the red and whites 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. Across the six matches, the Dogs have picked up four victories, while the Dragons have managed to win two.

Fresh off a bye

The Bulldogs come into the round 14 match off the back of a bye and a 16-day break since it’s last match in round 12 against the Penrith Panthers. The bye came at the halfway mark of the competition for the Bulldogs and gives the team the opportunity to refocus, set new goals and look ahead to the second half of the season. The week off allowed the injured players to get right and give Trent Barrett a stronger squad to pick from with Jayden Okunbor, Christian Crichton, Raymond Faitala-Mariner and Corey Allan the only players in the rehab group.