Check out the match preview and prediction for the 2025 National Rugby League round 15 clash between the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and St George Illawarra Dragons.
MATCHDAY NEWS
MATCHDAY SCHEDULE
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Vs St George Illawarra Dragons
Venue: Sharks Stadium, Sydney
Date: Thursday June 12, 7:50pm (AEST)
MATCHDAY TEAM NEWS
Sharks: 1. William Kennedy 2. Sione Katoa 3. Jesse Ramien 4. Mawene Hiroti 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Braydon Trindall 7. Nicho Hynes 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Oregon Kaufusi 11. Briton Nikora 12. Teig Wilton 13. Cameron McInnes 14. Daniel Atkinson 15. Jesse Colquhoun 16. Siosifa Talakai 17. Braden Hamlin-Uele 18. Tuku Hau Tapuha 19. Hohepa Puru 20. Jayden Berrell 21. Toby Rudolf 22. Billy Burns
Dragons: 1. Clinton Gutherson 2. Nathan Lawson 3. Moses Suli 4. Corey Allan 5. Tyrell Sloan 6. Lyhkan King-Togia 7. Kyle Flanagan 8. Emre Guler 9. Damien Cook 10. David Klemmer 11. Luciano Leilua 12. Toby Couchman 13. Jack de Belin 14. Jacob Liddle 15. Hamish Stewart 16. Loko Jnr Pasifiki Tonga 17. Hame Sele 18. Blake Lawrie 19. Lachlan Ilias 20. Michael Molo 21. Nicholas Tsougranis 22. Sione Finau
Referee:
Bunker:
MATCHDAY PREVIEW
On Thursday night, Sharks Stadium will play host to the local derby, a round 15 encounter between the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and the St George Illawarra Dragons, with both clubs competing for dominance in the Shire and the NRL ladder.
The fifth-placed Sharks will be seeking redemption after last weekend’s devastating 40-10 loss to the New Zealand Warriors at home. With six wins and seven losses, they will be even more hungry to win at home.
The Sharks last faced the Dragons in round 25 of 2024, defeating them 38-10 at WIN Stadium in Wollongong. They will attempt to put up a similar performance in front of their home crowd on Thursday night, as the Sharks narrowly won 20-10 the previous time they met at this ground back in round 9 of 2024.
The local derby at Sharks Stadium appears to be in their favour, with the Dragons having not won there since 2018.
The Sharks also lead in the head-to-head results, having played 54 games against the Dragons since 1998. The Sharks have won 30 of them, while the Dragons have only won 23, with one draw.
The Sharks may have suffered a setback with the loss of KL Iro, who is out with a pectoral injury. He has been a reliable try-scorer for them, scoring in every game since the beginning of the season. Replacing him will be Mawene Hiroti, who moves to the centres, while Ronaldo Mulitalo returns to the wing after suspension to help reinforce the Sharks’ pack. Toby Rudolf is on the extended bench as he recovers from a syndesmosis injury.
Briton Nikora will make his 150th NRL appearance and could be set to make an impression for the Sharks at home.
When the 11th-placed Dragons face the Sharks, they will be out to prove a point: that they are worthy of a place in the top eight.
Following two consecutive victories, they were made to believe that their match against the Dolphins would be a walk in the park, but the result left them questioning their ability after being defeated by a monstrous 56-6.
Another source of concern for them will be the absence of Val Holmes due to Origin duties. He will be replaced in the centres by Corey Allan; the flying Red V winger Christian Tuipulotu, who suffered a hamstring injury in his comeback against the Dolphins, will be replaced by Tyrell Sloan.
Moses Suli will play his 150th NRL game and could be set to make his presence known in the centres.
The Dragons will need to be on their toes against the sharp-shooting trio of Nicho Hynes, Brayden Trindall, and William Kennedy, but the Sharks may have a few surprises in store to catch the Dragons off-guard.
While the Sharks will be keeping guard on the Dragons’ captain, Clint Gutherson, who has been a prolific try-scorer for them, young gun Lyhkhan King Togia, Tyrell Sloan, and Damien Cook all look to pose a threat equally with not only kicking ability but also speed and defence.
Fortune favours the brave in this epic clash between two teams, one Shire, and a top eight position.
MATCHDAY PREDICTION
Sharks by 16 points
Check out our round 15 predictions here.
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