Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs face off against the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in Round 16 this Saturday at Bankwest Stadium behind closed doors.
Trent Barrett will face the Silvertails for the first time since he left the helm of the northern beaches. Former Bulldog's coach Des Hasler will look to continue his side's surge up the ladder when he faces his former club.
Ultimate Security Match Preview: Round 16 v Sea Eagles
Team News
Bulldogs: Corey Allan (shoulder) returns on the wing for his first game since round nine and is part of a new-look backline which also features debutant Falakiko Manu in the centres and Kyle Flanagan at five-eighth. With Adam Elliott sidelined by a cheekbone injury, Jackson Topine comes into the side. Joe Stimson also gets a recall on the bench alongside two more debutants in Bailey Biondi-Odo and Christopher Patolo.
Sea Eagles: Des Hasler has the luxury of naming the same 17 that produced a devastating second-half display against the Titans. Origin stars Tom Trbojevic and Daly Cherry-Evans will play but Tom's brother Jake remains sidelined with a glute injury. Jack Gosiewski and Tevita Funa were dropped when the squad was trimmed to 19 players 24 hours out from kick-off.
Match: Bulldogs v Sea Eagles
Round 16 -
home Team
Bulldogs
away Team
Sea Eagles
Team Lists
Backs
-
Fullback for Bulldogs is number 1 Nick MeaneyFullback for Sea Eagles is number 1 Tom Trbojevic
-
Winger for Bulldogs is number 2 Corey AllanWinger for Sea Eagles is number 2 Jason Saab
-
Centre for Bulldogs is number 3 Will HopoateCentre for Sea Eagles is number 3 Brad Parker
-
Centre for Bulldogs is number 4 Falakiko ManuCentre for Sea Eagles is number 4 Morgan Harper
-
Winger for Bulldogs is number 5 Tuipulotu KatoaWinger for Sea Eagles is number 5 Reuben Garrick
-
Five-Eighth for Bulldogs is number 6 Kyle FlanaganFive-Eighth for Sea Eagles is number 6 Kieran Foran
-
Halfback for Bulldogs is number 7 Jake AverilloHalfback for Sea Eagles is number 7 Daly Cherry-Evans
Forwards
-
Prop for Bulldogs is number 8 Jack HetheringtonProp for Sea Eagles is number 8 Taniela Paseka
-
Hooker for Bulldogs is number 9 Jeremy Marshall-KingHooker for Sea Eagles is number 9 Lachlan Croker
-
Prop for Bulldogs is number 10 Luke ThompsonProp for Sea Eagles is number 10 Martin Taupau
-
2nd Row for Bulldogs is number 11 Jackson Topine2nd Row for Sea Eagles is number 11 Haumole Olakau'atu
-
2nd Row for Bulldogs is number 12 Matt Doorey2nd Row for Sea Eagles is number 12 Karl Lawton
-
Lock for Bulldogs is number 13 Josh JacksonLock for Sea Eagles is number 13 Sean Keppie
Interchange
-
Interchange for Bulldogs is number 14 Bailey Biondi-OdoInterchange for Sea Eagles is number 14 Dylan Walker
-
Interchange for Bulldogs is number 15 Joe StimsonInterchange for Sea Eagles is number 15 Ben Trbojevic
-
Interchange for Bulldogs is number 16 Ava SeumanufagaiInterchange for Sea Eagles is number 16 Kurt De Luis
-
Interchange for Bulldogs is number 17 Chris PatoloInterchange for Sea Eagles is number 17 Toafofoa Sipley
Reserves
-
Reserve for Bulldogs is number 19 Lachlan LewisReserve for Sea Eagles is number 18 Moses Suli
Match Officials
- Referee: Gerard Sutton
- Touch Judge: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski
- Touch Judge: Jon Stone
- Senior Review Official: Alan Shortall
Last updated:
Key Match-Up
Luke Thompson v Martin Taupau: English forward Luke Thompson has been a shining light amongst the Bulldog's pack. The British bulldog has been a consistent performer averaging 15 hit ups and 57 post contact metres per game.
Samoan enforcer Martin Taupau will be primed for the occasion when the Canterbury-Bankstown local junior faces the club he made his NRL debut for. The prop has registered 23 offloads for the season, posing a threat for the opposition defence with Tom Trbojevic often lurking around the ruck.
Stat Attack
Thompson has grabbed two tries to date in 2021. The forward has also averaged 142 running metres per game as well as putting up a respectable total average of 35 tackles per fixture.
Taupau has delivered similar stats this season, scoring two tries in his last 13 games. He has charged through an average of 155 metres per game, whilst completing roughly 27 tackles per hit out.
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs face Manly Warringah Sea Eagles at Bankwest Stadium this Saturday afternoon kicking off at 3:00PM AEST.
