Check out the match preview and prediction for the 2025 National Rugby League round 6 clash between the St George Illawarra Dragons and the Gold Coast Titans.
MATCHDAY NEWS
MATCHDAY SCHEDULE
St George Illawarra Dragons Vs Gold Coast Titans
Venue: WIN Stadium, Wollongong
Date: Friday 11 April, 6:00pm (AEST)
MATCHDAY TEAM NEWS
Dragons: 1. Clinton Gutherson 2. Tyrell Sloan 3. Moses Suli 4. Valentine Holmes 5. Christian Tuipulotu 6. Kyle Flanagan 7. Lachlan Ilias 8. Toby Couchman 9. Damien Cook 10. David Klemmer 11. Luciano Leilua 12. Jaydn Su’A 13. Jack de Belin 14. Jacob Liddle 15. Blake Lawrie 16. Hamish Stewart 17. Dylan Egan 18. Mathew Feagai 19. Raymond Faitala-Mariner 20. Sione Finau 21. Lyhkan King-Togia 22. Loko Jnr Pasifiki Tonga
Titans: 1. Jaylan De Groot 2. Tony Francis 3. Brian Kelly 4. Phillip Sami 5. Jojo Fifita 6. AJ Brimson 7. Jayden Campbell 8. Moeaki Fotuaika 9. Sam Verrills 10. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 11. Klese Haas 12. Beau Fermor 13. Chris Randall 14. Arama Hau 15. David Fifita 16. Jaimin Jolliffe 17. Brock Gray 18. Tom Weaver 19. Jacob Alick-Wiencke 20. Sean Mullany 21. Tukimihia Simpkins 22. Allan Fitzgibbon
Referee: Chris Butler
Bunker: Liam Kennedy
MATCHDAY PREVIEW
The first Friday night game of round 6 kicks off at WIN Stadium with the Dragons hosting the Titans. The Dragons will be seething after their Golden Point loss to the Eels last week, while the Titans will be looking for a bounce back after going down 36-10 to the Dolphins at home.
For the Dragons, Shane Flanagan has named an unchanged 17 from the side that lost to the Eels last week.
In what was billed as a revenge game for Clint Gutherson, the Dragons fell just short of completing back-to-back wins for the first time this year. While they didn’t get the result, the Dragons captain was instrumental in their performance. He was everywhere in attack for the Dragons as he poached two tries against his old club. His combinations with his outside backs will only continue to flourish as the season rolls on. The emergence of youngsters Hamish Stewart and Dylan Egan has brought plenty of enthusiasm to the Dragons bench. Look for more of the same this week as the Dragons forward pack try to take advantage of a weakened Titans pack.
For the Titans, captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui will miss the game through suspension. He’s replaced at lock by Chris Randall, with Sam Verrills returning at hooker. Jojo Fifita is back on the wing, which triggers a reshuffle across the side. Phillip Sami moves back to centre, Beau Fermor back to second row, and David Fifita back to the bench. Last week’s debutant Sean Mullany drops back to the reserves.
The loss of Tino is a big one for the Titans, especially coming off a poor performance like the one they put in against the Dolphins in front of their home fans. They’re still searching for their identity this year with a new look spine and the loss of Kieran Foran’s experience. Verrills’ return at hooker should allow for improved service out of dummy half for the halves to get better quality ball. The key for the Titans will be improving their defensive resolve and winning the forward battle – areas that aren’t usually strengths for them. The odds are against them this week too when it comes to their head-to-head record at WIN Stadium. They’ve never won at WIN, with six losses from six games played there.
MATCHDAY PREDICTION
Dragons by 12 points.
Check out all the NRL Predictions here.
Follow Us on Facebook
