Matchday Details
Friday, 1 May 2026 – 6:00pm AEST – Accor Stadium, Sydney
📺 Kayo / Foxtel
Referee: Peter Gough | Senior Review Official: Chris Butler
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs: 1. Connor Tracey, 2. Jonathan Sua, 3. Bronson Xerri, 4. Stephen Crichton (c), 5. Enari Tuala, 6. Matt Burton, 7. Lachlan Galvin, 8. Samuel Hughes, 9. Bailey Hayward, 10. Leo Thompson, 11. Sitili Tupouniua, 12. Jacob Preston, 13. Jaeman Salmon, 14. Kurt Mann, 15. Josh Curran, 16. Lipoi Hopoi, 17. Jake Turpin, 19. Marcelo Montoya, 20. Alekolasimi Jones, 21. Sean O’Sullivan, 22. Logan Spinks, 23. Jethro Rinakama
North Queensland Cowboys: 1. Scott Drinkwater, 2. Braidon Burns, 3. Jaxon Purdue, 4. Tom Chester, 5. Zac Laybutt, 6. Jake Clifford, 7. Tom Dearden (c), 8. Coen Hess, 9. Reed Mahoney, 10. Jason Taumalolo, 11. Heilum Luki, 12. Jeremiah Nanai, 13. Reuben Cotter, 14. Soni Luke, 15. Sam McIntyre, 16. Thomas Mikaele, 17. Griffin Neame, 18. Matthew Lodge, 19. Mason Barber, 20. Kai O’Donnell, 21. Kaiden Lahrs, 22. Robert Derby
Match Preview
Friday night at Accor Stadium shapes as a genuine litmus test for two sides sitting close together on the ladder, with the Bulldogs 10th and the Cowboys eighth heading into Round 9.
Canterbury will be keen to respond after a stop-start opening two months, while North Queensland arrives with the sort of strike-power that can punish any lapse.
The Bulldogs have made a key forward change, with Sitili Tupouniua replacing the injured Viliame Kikau in the starting side, while Enari Tuala is back on the wing.
For the Cowboys, Zac Laybutt comes in for the injured Murray Taulagi, Jeremiah Nanai is named to start, and young Mason Barber is again hovering on the edge of an NRL debut.
With Connor Tracey, Matt Burton, and Lachlan Galvin steering the Bulldogs, and Scott Drinkwater, Tom Dearden, and Jason Taumalolo driving the Cowboys, there is no shortage of match-winners on either side.
However the talking points are again centred around the Bulldogs’ fall from grace. They reared their heads with a powerhouse performance against Penrith but their past fortnight has been disastrous.
Gone is their incredible steel in defence, instead replaced with clunky lapses and predictably boring attack.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys have had their own defensive issues but have had no issues in attack, often blitzing the opposition.
The match may be decided by which side handles the middle third better. NRL.com’s stat pack is a warning for Canterbury: the Bulldogs have won only one of their past five games at Accor Stadium and are ranked 16th in attack after eight rounds, while the Cowboys have won four of their past six games against the Bulldogs at Accor.
That suggests North Queensland can arrive with confidence, especially if Taumalolo and Cotter win the ruck battle and Drinkwater gets early ball in space.
Canterbury’s edge is home crowd energy and the creative upside of Burton and Galvin, but they will need sharper red-zone execution than they have shown so far.
It could really go either way, but surely Canterbury will be up for this one after a fortnight of disappointment.
Prediction
RLZ Tip: Bulldogs by 12.
Bold call: Two try scorers will be props.
Related
- NRL Round 9 Predictions
- NRL Round 9 Team Lists
- NRL Round 9 Hub
- NRL Injury List
- NRL Match Review Tracker
