Matchday Details
Saturday 14 March – 5:30pm (AEDT) – WIN Stadium, Wollongong
📺 Broadcast: Fox League / Kayo
Referee: Gerard Sutton | Bunker: Adam Gee
St George Illawarra Dragons
1. Clinton Gutherson (c), 2. Christian Tuipulotu, 3. Moses Suli, 4. Valentine Holmes, 5. Setu Tu, 6. Kyle Flanagan, 7. Daniel Atkinson, 8. Emre Guler, 9. Damien Cook, 10. Toby Couchman, 11. Luciano Leilua, 12. Jaydn Su’A, 13. Hamish Stewart, 14. Hame Sele, 15. Josh Kerr, 16. Blake Lawrie, 17. Ryan Couchman, 18. Lyhkan King-Togia, 19. David Fale, 20. Jacob Halangahu, 21. Mathew Feagai, 22. Tyrell Sloan
Melbourne Storm
1. Sualauvi Faalogo, 2. Will Warbrick, 3. Jack Howarth, 4. Moses Leo, 5. Nick Meaney, 6. Cameron Munster, 7. Jahrome Hughes, 8. Stefano Utoikamanu, 9. Harry Grant (c), 10. Josh King, 11. Joe Chan, 12. Ativalu Lisati, 13. Tui Kamikamica, 14. Tyran Wishart, 15. Cooper Clarke, 16. Jack Hetherington, 17. Davvy Moale, 18. Preston Conn, 19. Siulagi Tuimalatu-Brown, 20. Angus Hinchey, 21. Shawn Blore, 22. Hugo Peel
Match Preview
St George Illawarra and Melbourne enter this game on the back of contrasting round 1 results.
Melbourne blew Parramatta away with nine tries at AAMI Park. While the Storm took time to get going (losing Alec MacDonald in the opening minute and trailing 4-0 after four minutes), once Will Warbrick and Harry Grant scored two tries in four minutes, the Storm were away and it was game over (doubles to Grant and Sualauvi Faalogo). They looked more clinical than most of their wins last year, and the spine of Faalaogo/Munster/Hughes/Grant could cause plenty of damage this season. To paraphrase a famous quote, “The reports of Melbourne’s demise are greatly exaggerated.”
The Dragons would feel hard done by after their Las Vegas loss to Canterbury-Bankstown. Written off by many as bottom four minimum (if not wooden spoon favourites), the Dragons dragged back a 14-8 deficit, with Setu Tu scoring on NRL debut and Kyle Flanagan kicking the game-tying penalty goal to go to Golden Point. Then came the Illegal Steal penalty against Ryan Couchman. There’s been plenty of discussion on various footy panel shows and podcasts, so there’s no point analysing it again here, though the Dragons were unlucky to not leave Vegas with a 14-14 draw. Bad fortune aside, debate will also continue over the correct alignment of the Daniel Atkinson/Flanagan halves combo until they find their groove.
While Melbourne will be warm favourites in this game, Dragons fans shouldn’t be resigned to an 0-2 start. They won the last two games against Melbourne: (14-8 in 2025 and 18-16 in 2024) and they have a decent record at WIN Stadium (92 wins, 60 losses, 9 draws). They played six games there last season for a 3-3 record: they beat the Gold Coast, Parramatta, and Canberra, and had one-point losses to Souths and the Warriors.
The same Dragons’ squad from Vegas remains for this game, while Tui Kamikamica comes in at lock for Alec MacDonald for Melbourne.
One of the big match-ups will be the fullback battle between the veteran and the potential superstar: Clinton Gutherson vs Sualauvi Faalogo. “King Gutho” started his 14th NRL season in Vegas, and played all 24 games for the Dragons in 2025, his biggest season since he played 28 games in Parramatta’s run to the 2022 Grand Final. He’ll need another solid season if the Dragons are to escape the bottom four (let alone be a finals hope). After three injury-interrupted seasons at Melbourne, Faalogo can own the fullback jersey after Ryan Papenhuyzen’s departure. He showed signs of what he can do, with two tries in the Storm’s win over Parramatta.
Prediction
RLZ Tip: Storm by 8 points.
Bold call: Faalogo to continue his development as Melbourne’s next superstar fullback with another double.
Related
- NRL Round 2 2026 Predictions & Tips
- NRL Round 2 Team Lists – 2026 Season
- NRL 2026 Results Tracker
- 2026 NRL Match Review Results Tracker: Charges, Suspensions & Fines
