Matchday Details
Saturday, September 6 – 3 pm (AEST) – WIN Stadium, Wollongong
📺 Broadcast: Fox League / Kayo
Referee: Peter Gough | Bunker: Grany Atkins
Dragons
1. Clinton Gutherson, 2. Christian Tuipulotu, 3. Hayden Buchanan, 4. Mathew Feagai, 5. Tyrell Sloan, 6. Lyhkan King-Togia, 7. Kyle Flanagan, 8. Emre Guler, 9. Damien Cook, 10. David Klemmer, 11. Jacob Halangahu, 12. Jaydn Su’A, 13. Jack de Belin, 14. Jacob Liddle, 15. Luciano Leilua, 16. Hame Sele, 17. Loko Jnr Pasifiki Tonga
Panthers
1. Dylan Edwards, 2. Thomas Jenkins, 3. Izack Tago, 4. Casey McLean, 5. Paul Alamoti, 6. Blaize Talagi, 7. Nathan Cleary, 8. Moses Leota, 9. Mitch Kenny, 10. Lindsay Smith, 11. Scott Sorensen, 12. Luke Garner, 13. Isaah Yeo, 14. Brad Schneider, 15. Liam Henry, 16. Isaiah Papali’i, 17. Matt Eisenhuth
Match Preview
The Dragons showed glimpses of what they are capable of in their loss to the Sea Eagles last week, but playing for the full 80 minutes has been a problem for them this season. Wingers Tyrell Sloan and Christian Tuipulotu demonstrated their ability to sniff out a try or even set one up last week. Although Tuipulotu has missed some of the season due to injury, Sloan (on the other hand) was dropped a couple of times, which is somewhat of a mystery. There are times when he can make a mistake, but he has truly found a place on the wing, and unless he is injured, he is the best choice moving forward with Tuipulotu on the other wing.
Shane Flanagan has gone with the same 17 players as last week. Michael Molo has been named as a reserve and could be one of the changes coach Flanagan makes, but fans will have to wait until kick-off to find out.
A young Panthers side took to the field last week against the Bulldogs and they put up a gallant effort. While the Bulldogs have been winning games, they have not been playing like they were at the start of the year, but that’s another issue. In the end, it was a comfortable win for the Bulldogs, but the future looks bright for the Panthers, given the amount of talent the club has.
The majority of players who sat out last week’s game return this weekend, with Liam Martin and Brian To’o given another week of rest before the finals. Paul Alamoti remains on the wing and Matt Eisenhuth moves from lock to the bench. Brad Schnieder moves from halfback to the bench with the return of Nathan Cleary.
The Dragons have nothing to lose in the final game, so they will need to throw everything they can at the Panthers. Scoring tries is not difficult for them: it’s stopping them that is the issue. Even though this Panthers side isn’t what it used to be, they can still put 40 points on the lower sides like the Dragons, so they will really need to aim up in defence. It is the last game of the season, but the teams should be going for the upset in the final round.
Dragons halves Kyle Flanagan and Lyhkan King-Togia have copped their fair share of criticism this season, but coach Flanagan has stuck solid with them for most of the year. A good finish for them would be to go out strong against the Panthers’ halves, Cleary and Blaize Talagi. That won’t be an easy task though: Talagi and Cleary really hit their stride in the latter part of the season, and they are going to cause some headaches in the finals.
Though he has played back-up to Damien Cook during the season, Jacob Liddle has had a great year for the Red V, giving good service out of dummy half, and popping up when needed to score a try. While he may not score the match-winning try this weekend, he will no doubt produce some magic in the final game of the season.
The Dragons have won their last four games at WIN Stadium, which would be an encouraging stat when going up against any other team. However, the Panthers have beaten them in seven of their last eight games.
Prediction
RLZ Tip: Panthers by 18.
See our full Round 27 Predictions (live Wednesday 12pm) here: 2025 NRL Tipping: Round 27 Writer Predictions
Have your say: Who wins? Drop your tip in the comments or vote in our poll.
