Check out the match preview and prediction for the 2025 National Rugby League round 12 clash between the Sydney Roosters and the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.
MATCHDAY NEWS
MATCHDAY SCHEDULE
Sydney Roosters Vs Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Venue: Industree Group Stadium, Gosford
Date: Saturday May 24, 7:35pm (AEST)
MATCHDAY TEAM NEWS
Roosters: 1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Billy Smith 4. Mark Nawaqanitawase 5. Dominic Young 6. Sandon Smith 7. Hugo Savala 8. Makahesi Makatoa 9. Zach Dockar-Clay 10. Salesi Foketi 11. Egan Butcher 12. Siua Wong 13. Victor Radley 14. Benaiah Ioelu 15. Taylor Losalu 16. Blake Steep 17. Nat Butcher 18. Ethan King 19. Xavier Va’a 20. Ethan Roberts 21. Tom Rodwell 22. Toby Rodwell
Sharks: 1. William Kennedy 2. Mawene Hiroti 3. Jesse Ramien 4. KL Iro 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Braydon Trindall 7. Nicho Hynes 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Oregon Kaufusi 11. Briton Nikora 12. Billy Burns 13. Cameron McInnes 14. Daniel Atkinson 15. Jesse Colquhoun 16. Siosifa Talakai 17. Braden Hamlin-Uele 18. Hohepa Puru 19. Tuku Hau Tapuha 20. Jayden Berrell 21. Teig Wilton 22. Chris Vea’ila
Referee: Grant Atkins
Bunker: Chris Butler
MATCHDAY PREVIEW
The first of the Origin-affected rounds has arrived, although only one of the teams taking the field in Gosford on Saturday night is affected. The Roosters will be without Angus Crichton, Spencer Leniu, Connor Watson (all New South Wales), Lindsay Collins, and Robert Toia (both Queensland), while the Sharks remarkably haven’t had a single player selected for the series opener.
In addition to the Origin unavailabilities, the Roosters have suffered a further disruption to the forwards, with in-form prop Naufahu Whyte suffering an MCL injury that will sideline him for a month. In some good news for the Roosters, Nat Butcher has been named to make a timely return from a knee injury of his own on the bench. Salesi Foketi and Makahesi Makatoa both make up a new look front row pairing with Zach Dockar-Clay at hooker, while Egan Butcher has been named to start in the second row, with Taylor Losalu returning on the bench. Mark Nawaqanitawase will slide in one position to right centre to cover Toia, with Dom Young earning a recall to the side – for the first time since round 7 – on the wing.
Auckland-born hooker Benaiah Ioelu will become the sixth graduate of the Roosters Academy program when he makes his first grade debut from the bench.
There is one change for the Sharks, with Sam Stonestreet out of the side after suffering a syndesmosis injury in the win against Melbourne. Mawene Hiroti will take his place on the wing. Jesse Ramien has been named despite suffering an eye injury on the weekend and is expected to take his place, while Teig Wilton has been included among the reserves as he prepares to return from a shoulder issue that has kept him sidelined since round 8.
It’s a battle of the master and the apprentice in the coaching box when Trent Robinson and Craig Fitzgibbon go head-to-head. After working together to win three premierships, the two have split results two-all in their four meetings as opponents. Fitzgibbon’s first win over Robinson in 2023 broke a long run of outs for the Sharks, who hadn’t beaten the Roosters since 2017, incidentally the two teams’ only previous encounter on the Central Coast.
Despite a bad start to the season, the Roosters breathed life into their campaign with three wins in four matches before the bye, as Sandon Smith and Hugo Savala started to gel in the halves and young guns like Whyte, Toia, Blake Steep, Nawaqanitawase, and Siua Wong hit their stride. They were brought back down to Earth by Canterbury in round 11 as bad habits like poor handling returned, costing them a 14-0 lead and resulting in a 24-20 defeat.
The Sharks started their season in indifferent form but have quietly hit form in recent weeks, winning five of their past six and only losing to Wests Tigers in Golden Point in that time. The Sharks haven’t blown teams away, instead backing their sturdy defence to get them over the line. They’ve conceded the second-fewest points per game (18.73) and are one of only two teams, along with Canterbury, to concede fewer than 20 points per game.
With the Roosters light on for troops and such a gulf of experience between the halves and forwards, it’s hard to see them upsetting the in-form Sharks on Saturday night.
MATCHDAY PREDICTION
Sharks by 18 points.
Check out our round 12 predictions here.
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