Kicking off Magic Round on Friday night, the Bulldogs will be out to claim the two competition points against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks celebrating milestones for two key men.
Following a disappointing performance against South Sydney last weekend, the Sharks will no doubt be on the hunt for a bounce back performance.
Captain Stephen Crichton will play his 150th NRL match, while five-eighth Matt Burton plays his 100th game for the Club in a match that could define the 2026 season for both sides.
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As usual, there is plenty of team news, stats and info to unpack in our Round 11 Match Preview.
Match: Sharks v Bulldogs
Round 11 -
home Team
Sharks
10th Position
away Team
Bulldogs
13th Position
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
- Teamlists and Team News
- History vs Sharks and Last Time Out
- Key Match Up
- What They Said
- Stat Attack
- Where to Watch
Teamlists and Team News
Three massive inclusions with Matt Burton (illness) back at five-eighth, Max King (jaw) returning in the front row and Kurt Mann (concussion) coming on to the interchange.
In a late change, Sam Hughes and Josh Curran have been ruled out mid-week, with young front rower Jack Underhill added to the extended squad. Young gun Jed Reardon has also been named in the squad.
Winger Ronaldo Mulitalo and centre Jesse Ramien return for the Sharks, while Siosifa Talakai shifts from centre to the interchange. The biggest change however is Jayden Berrell coming in at hooker for captain Blayke Brailey, while Cam McInnes (ankle) is replaced at lock by Jesse Colquhoun.
Team Lists
Backs
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Fullback for Sharks is number 1 William KennedyFullback for Bulldogs is number 1 Connor Tracey
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Winger for Sharks is number 2 Samuel StonestreetWinger for Bulldogs is number 2 Jonathan Sua
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Centre for Sharks is number 3 Jesse RamienCentre for Bulldogs is number 3 Bronson Xerri
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Centre for Sharks is number 4 KL IroCentre for Bulldogs is number 4 Stephen Crichton
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Winger for Sharks is number 5 Ronaldo MulitaloWinger for Bulldogs is number 5 Enari Tuala
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Five-Eighth for Sharks is number 6 Braydon TrindallFive-Eighth for Bulldogs is number 6 Matt Burton
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Halfback for Sharks is number 7 Nicholas HynesHalfback for Bulldogs is number 7 Lachlan Galvin
Forwards
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Prop for Sharks is number 8 Addin Fonua-BlakeProp for Bulldogs is number 8 Max King
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Hooker for Sharks is number 9 Jayden BerrellHooker for Bulldogs is number 9 Bailey Hayward
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Prop for Sharks is number 10 Toby RudolfProp for Bulldogs is number 10 Leo Thompson
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2nd Row for Sharks is number 11 Briton Nikora2nd Row for Bulldogs is number 11 Sitili Tupouniua
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2nd Row for Sharks is number 12 Teig Wilton2nd Row for Bulldogs is number 12 Jacob Preston
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Lock for Sharks is number 13 Jesse ColquhounLock for Bulldogs is number 13 Jaeman Salmon
Interchange
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Interchange for Sharks is number 14 Siosifa TalakaiInterchange for Bulldogs is number 14 Kurt Mann
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Interchange for Sharks is number 15 Billy BurnsInterchange for Bulldogs is number 16 Harry Hayes
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Interchange for Sharks is number 16 Oregon KaufusiInterchange for Bulldogs is number 17 Alekolasimi Jones
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Interchange for Sharks is number 17 Thomas HazeltonInterchange for Bulldogs is number 19 Jethro Rinakama
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Interchange for Sharks is number 18 Hohepa PuruInterchange for Bulldogs is number 20 Lipoi Hopoi
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Interchange for Sharks is number 19 Mawene HirotiInterchange for Bulldogs is number 22 Sean O'Sullivan
Reserves
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Reserve for Sharks is number 20 Braden UeleReserve for Bulldogs is number 23 Jed Reardon
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Reserve for Sharks is number 21 Riley JonesReserve for Bulldogs is number 25 Jack Underhill
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Reserve for Sharks is number 22 Niwhai Puru
Sharks Ins
- Braden Uele
- Jayden Berrell
- Jesse Ramien
- Niwhai Puru
- Ronaldo Mulitalo
Bulldogs Ins
- Jack Underhill
- Jed Reardon
- Kurt Mann
- Matt Burton
- Max King
Sharks Outs
- Blayke Brailey
- Cameron McInnes
Bulldogs Ins
- Josh Curran
- Logan Spinks
- Samuel Hughes
Match Officials
- Referee: Gerard Sutton
- Senior Review Official: Wyatt Raymond
Last updated:
History vs Sharks and Last Time Out: Round 27, 2025
Since 1967, the Bulldogs and Sharks have met a total of 103 times in the NRL, with Canterbury claiming 58 wins at an impressive 56% win rate.
Highlights include the 30-15 victory in the 1979 Minor Semi Final which saw doubles to Steve Mortimer and Chris Anderson, as well as the 1988 Major Semi, which saw Phil Gould's Bulldogs qualify for the Grand Final.
Last time out the Sharks got the chocolates in Round 27 in 2025, with the highlight for the Bulldogs being a length-of-the-field try to Enari Tuala.
Burton Seals the Win!
But the modern-day Bulldogs have their fair share of memorable victories against the Shire folk, including last year's dominant performance in Round 4 at Shark Park.
And who could forget Matt Burton's Golden Point field goal in 2024 to seal a 15-14 victory, despite scoring less tries than their opponents?
Key Match Up: Front Row Battle
The returning Max King is a massive boost to the Bulldogs' engine room, and the NSW Origin representative will be looking to stave off his opponent in Addin Fonua-Blake in what is a final audition before State of Origin.
It's safe to say King's presence has been missed in the middle of the field for the Blue and Whites; averaging 121 metres, a mammoth 36 tackles per match at an impressive 94.8% efficiency.
Addin Fonua-Blake has played four more matches than the Bulldogs' bookend in 2026, averaging 145 metres and 27 tackles per match, with six offloads to his name.
While they may have two different playing styles, both are as equally as important to their respective sides in the middle-third, so keep a close eye on this clash.
What They Said: Harry Hayes & Leo Thompson
Harry Hayes Round 11 Media
Leo Thompson Round 11 Media
Stat Attack via NRL.com
- The Bulldogs will be looking for back-to-back Magic Round victories for the first time.
- Stephen Crichton is set to play his 150th NRL match.
- Matt Burton is set to play his 100th NRL game for the Bulldogs.
- Sharks halfback Nicho Hynes is eight points away from 1000 career points.
Stats supplied by David Middleton, League Information Services, author of the official annual of the NRL.
Where to Watch
Bulldogs Members and supporters will be available to watch the match on FoxSports, or streamed via Kayo.
