Friday night in Round 17 of the NRL Telstra Premiership kicks off with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs travelling to the Gold Coast to face the Titans in an all-important match for their finals hopes.
Both sides will be buoyed by their respective Golden Point victories over top four sides Manly and Penrith, but don’t be fooled by last week’s scoreline; there will be plenty of points on offer up on the glitter strip.
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As usual, there is plenty of team news, stats and info to unpack in our Round 17 Match Preview.
With Stephen Crichton’s move to five-eighth proving success last week, the skipper lines up in the No.6 again with Matt Burton in the centres. The loss of Sitili Tupouniua to a hamstring injury sees Josh Curran start in the back row and Lipoi Hopoi join the bench. Back-rower Jacob Preston is listed among the reserves as he looks to return from an arm injury suffered in Round 12 against the Storm.
Co-captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui returns to the starting side after being rested last weekend. The prop is joined in the forward pack by Chris Randall, who makes his return from a concussion at lock and replaces Cooper Bai (head knock). Fa’asuamaleaui’s return will see Klese Haas shift to the six-man bench. A season-ending ankle injury to Jensen Taumoepeau has seen Jaylan De Groot come on to the wing in an otherwise unchanged backline.
History vs Titans and Last Time Out: Round 9, 2025
Season 2026 marks the 20th year of battles against the Titans, with the Bulldogs leading 14-12 from their 26 encounters.
Few could forget the two big wins the Bulldogs had against the Titans at Belmore Sports Ground in recent years, with a 32-nil trouncing in 2024 and a follow up victory in Round 2 of the 2025 season in a 40-24 result.
While the Gold Coast hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for the Blue and Whites, with three solitary wins at Cbus Super Stadium, Friday presents the opportunity to rectify the recent run of form up north.
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NRL Match Highlights: Bulldogs vs Titans – Round 9, 2025
It’s been over twelve months since the sides went head-to-head, with a Jacob Kiraz hat-trick sparking at 38-18 thumping at Magic Round.
The stakes are much higher this time with ten matches left for the Bulldogs until the finals. A win will be necessary for both sides’ chances of reaching the post-season.
Key Match Up: The Men in the Middle
Off the back of two tightly-fought contests, the men in the middle – in particular milestone man Max King and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui – will be at the forefront of this contest.
King’s rare milestone, that sees him play not only his 100th Bulldogs match but also his 150th NRL match, will see him line up against the very same side he made his first-grade debut for back in 2017.
Coincidences aside, his stat sheet, contributions and consistency in 2026 will come as no surprise to Bulldogs Members and supporters.
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King Goes Straight Through!
While injury sidelined him throughout the early period of the competition, King has returned to his best form with 121 metres on average, 14 tackle breaks, 10 offloads and a stellar 94.6% tackle efficiency.
His opposite returns from State of Origin duties and is undeniably the hosts’ most important player: and it’s easy to see why.
The Titans’ skipper has been a pillar for his side in 2026, averaging 131 metres per game with a 93.1% tackle efficiency, offloading 9 times and making 8 tackle breaks to boot.
Both teams have clutch men in their line ups to ice off a match, but when it comes to laying the platform and putting in the one-percenters, look no further than these two bookends to get the job done.
What They Said: Max King and Connor Tracey
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Max King Round 17 Media
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Connor Tracey Round 17 Media
Max King will play his 150th NRL game and his 100th for the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs have won five of their past six games against the Titans.
The Bulldogs and Titans will face off on the Gold Coast for the first time since 2023.
Titans winger Phillip Sami has scored a try in his last four games.
Titans forward Kurtis Morrin has scored four tries in his last five games.
Stats supplied by David Middleton, League Information Services, author of the official annual of the NRL.
Bulldogs Members and supporters will be available to watch the match on FoxSports, or stream via Kayo.