Round 7 Team News: Squad updated for Eel's showdown

The Bulldogs will enter Parramatta to take on the Eels, this Sunday at Commbank Stadium (4:05pm kick-off).

Multiple changes have been made in the lead-up to Sunday's clash against Parramatta.

Andrew Davey will become Bulldogs No. 846 after being named to replace Viliame Kikau, who succumbed to an injury sustained earlier in the week. 

Corey Waddell has been named to start in the back row alongside Jacob Preston and the returning Raymond Faitala-Mariner, with Davey providing cover on the interchange bench.

Braidon Burns has been ruled out after the winger was unable to recover from an ankle injury picked up in last week’s NSW Cup fixture against the Rabbitohs.

Head Coach Cameron Ciraldo has opted to pair Jayden Okunbor with fellow Milperra Colt's alumni, Paul Alamoti on the left edge.

Okunbor's shift to the backline sees Jackson Topine included on the interchange, with Sam Hughes and Declan Casey named on the extended bench.

The rivalry between the Bulldogs and the Eels is one of the fiercest in the NRL. The two clubs share bordering territories, with less than 20km separating the two sides.

Through history the two clubs have a storied past which was highlighted in the 1980s, when Canterbury and Parramatta both won four premierships each and played against each other in two grand finals (1984 and 1986).

This year, the age-old rivalry is set to be intensified as On-Field Co Captain, Reed Mahoney faces off against his former Club for the first time.

After conceding more than 50 points to fellow bordering rivals, South Sydney last week, the Bulldogs will be sure to find their bite again to try and avoid another bitter loss.

The Round 7 match-up will see the much anticipated return of Tevita Pangai Junior (returns from a calf injury for his first match of the 2023 season).

Fans will also be looking out for Jake Averillo, who has scored four tries in the last five games against the Eels, and opened Friday's match with an almost full-field run to score the first try.