{"id":595409,"date":"2026-04-09T10:04:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T10:04:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/595409\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T10:04:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T10:04:15","slug":"nrl-live-updates-canterbury-bankstown-bulldogs-vs-penrith-panthers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/595409\/","title":{"rendered":"NRL live updates: Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs vs Penrith Panthers"},"content":{"rendered":"

13m agoThu 9 Apr 2026 at 9:50amLive updates: Bulldogs vs Panthers\"Simon1m agoThu 9 Apr 2026 at 10:02am9′ Casey McLean is in the bin!\"Simon<\/p>\n

1m agoThu 9 Apr 2026 at 10:01am<\/p>\n

Kikau was … not good last week\"Simon<\/p>\n

Last weeks invisible man, Kikau, certainly visible tonight.<\/p>\n

– KB<\/p>\n

Nine runs for 44 metres last week.<\/p>\n

Woeful.<\/p>\n

Not woeful tonight so far.<\/p>\n

2m agoThu 9 Apr 2026 at 10:01am6′ The Bulldogs score!\"Simon<\/p>\n

The Bulldogs score!<\/p>\n

It’s Kikau, who was woeful last week, has stepped up against his former club, bouncing through a tackle, fending Isaah Yeo with a solid right.<\/p>\n

Galvin did so well to hold onto a Connor Tracey offload in the lead up after the fullback made a break.<\/p>\n

It’s a lovely try.<\/p>\n

The Panthers had only trailed by 11 points so far this season.<\/p>\n

But they trail now.<\/p>\n

The kick is missed and it’s 4-0.<\/p>\n

4m agoThu 9 Apr 2026 at 9:59am<\/p>\n

5′ Isaah Yeo loses the ball!\"Simon<\/p>\n

My my!<\/p>\n

Nathan Cleary’s pass was dropped by Isaah Yeo!<\/p>\n

Unusual errors.<\/p>\n

5m agoThu 9 Apr 2026 at 9:58am<\/p>\n

5′ The Bulldogs are over!\"Simon<\/p>\n

But it’s a penalty to the Panthers!<\/p>\n

Connor Tracey burst through a gap between Paul Alamoti and Casey McLean, but Jacob Preston created the space and that’s why there was the hole.<\/p>\n

6m agoThu 9 Apr 2026 at 9:57am<\/p>\n

4′ Tuala with the break!\"Simon<\/p>\n

Brilliant start from the Bulldogs.<\/p>\n

Enari Tuala did really well to break through the line and the Bulldogs made the most of their advantageous field position.<\/p>\n

Matt Burton stabbed a kick through and Brian To’o had to scoop up and is tackled in the in-goal.<\/p>\n

The Panthers go short and the Bulldogs win it!<\/p>\n

9m agoThu 9 Apr 2026 at 9:54am<\/p>\n

3′ Bulldogs on the charge\"Simon<\/p>\n

Canterbury are defending very, very well to start this game.<\/p>\n

They only allowed the Panthers 33m with their first set.<\/p>\n

They only allowed them 23m with their second.<\/p>\n

The Bulldogs are fired up.<\/p>\n

11m agoThu 9 Apr 2026 at 9:52am<\/p>\n

1′ We’re underway in Sydney\"Simon<\/p>\n

The Bulldogs kick off and Lindsay Smith brings the ball back and is met hard at the 10 metre line.<\/p>\n

16m agoThu 9 Apr 2026 at 9:47am<\/p>\n

The three reasons behind Penrith’s record-breaking start to the 2026 NRL season\"Simon<\/p>\n

Why oh why are Penrith so damn good?<\/p>\n

I mean, they’ve been good before.<\/p>\n

But this good?<\/p>\n

As Nick Campton writes:<\/p>\n

For all the winning Penrith have done in recent years, they’ve never won like this, with such terror and wonder.<\/p>\n

It’s true. This year has been terrible for anyone not a fan of the boys from the foot of the mountains.<\/p>\n

So what gives?<\/p>\n

Campo gives his thoughts here.<\/p>\n

17m agoThu 9 Apr 2026 at 9:46am<\/p>\n

Penrith’s favourite son plays his 200th\"Simon<\/p>\n

71 per cent.<\/p>\n

That’s how many of Nathan Cleary’s 199 NRL games have resulted in Panthers victories since his debut in 2016.<\/p>\n

It’s the best of anyone in the NRL era who has played 200 games.<\/p>\n

You can see why they love him in Penrith.<\/p>\n

Since 2020, the Panthers have only dropped below an 80 per cent winning record twice, in 2023 (77 per cent) and last year (59 per cent).<\/p>\n

In the 10 completed seasons he has had as a Panther, Cleary has only had a losing record once, in 2019.<\/p>\n

It’s remarkable.<\/p>\n

Some other numbers, because I know we’re all numbers fans, he’s scored 69 tries, kicked 747 goals at 84.5 per cent, kicked 12 field goals and four two-point field goals.<\/p>\n

17m agoThu 9 Apr 2026 at 9:45am<\/p>\n

They are so good to watch\"Simon<\/p>\n

Evening Simon. I\u2019m still in raptures after last rounds superb display by the Panthers. Looking forward to an encore and no injuries please.<\/p>\n

– KB<\/p>\n

For anyone who is getting a bit over the Panthers dominance, you do have to take your hat off to the sheer quality of their play.<\/p>\n

They are sublime and last weekend<\/a> was some of the best I think I’ve ever seen.<\/p>\n

21m agoThu 9 Apr 2026 at 9:42am<\/p>\n

Tom Jenkins, try scoring machine\"Simon\"\"(Getty Images)<\/p>\n

If you were to have a quick glance at the NRL stats lists for this season, you might need to have a quick double-check of one of the leaders.<\/p>\n

Thomas Jenkins, of the Panthers, has played five games this season.<\/p>\n

He’s scored 12 tries already, four more than the next highest scorers Dom Young and Sua Fa’alogo.<\/p>\n

Jenkins’s potency on the left edge is unlike anything the league can handle.<\/p>\n

He’s also made a league-high 10 line breaks, had two try-assists and averages 199 running metres per game.<\/p>\n

27m agoThu 9 Apr 2026 at 9:36am<\/p>\n

Panthers pride\"Simon<\/p>\n

Hello Simon, happy Thursday! I was tempted to tip the Bulldogs to take advantage of the Panthers stumbling tonight but weakened and went Panthers to continue their rampage…<\/p>\n

– Mike<\/p>\n

I am conscious of making a fool of myself, but I think I’d have a very hard time tipping against the Panthers any time soon.<\/p>\n

It’s almost going to be more interesting trying to work out how many they’re going to win by, for me…<\/p>\n

But, on a Thursday night, a Bulldogs team desperate for redemption after last week – could complacency kick in?<\/p>\n

29m agoThu 9 Apr 2026 at 9:34am<\/p>\n

Ivan proud as Nathan makes 200th start\"Simon<\/p>\n

– AAP<\/p>\n

\"\"(Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Superstar Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary plays his 200th game on Thursday, joining Isaah Yeo and Moses Leota as one of three active Panthers to have made that many appearances for the club.<\/p>\n

Cleary sits atop the Dally M Medal leaderboard after five rounds and appears in career-best form, an ominous prospect given his pivotal role in four previous premiership wins.<\/p>\n

“This off-season in particular, I reckon he’s probably come back fitter than ever and as hungry as ever as well,” said father and coach Ivan Cleary.<\/p>\n

The elder Cleary presented his son with his 200th jersey at Panthers headquarters on Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n

“It’s times like this where you do reflect a little bit,” the coach said beforehand.<\/p>\n

“Obviously very proud of him as his dad and also as his coach as well for a lot of those games. I just feel lucky to have been able to share a fair chunk of that journey with him.”<\/p>\n

32m agoThu 9 Apr 2026 at 9:30am<\/p>\n

Football friends…\"Simon<\/p>\n

Remember when these two were on the same team?<\/p>\n

Yikes. The thought of them coming together brings me out in a cold sweat on behalf of opposition defences.<\/p>\n

So good luck Queensland, I suppose.<\/p>\n

36m agoThu 9 Apr 2026 at 9:27am<\/p>\n

Xerri starts but future not assured\"Simon<\/p>\n

– with AAP<\/p>\n

\"\"(Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Cameron Ciraldo has refused to guarantee Bronson Xerri’s future at Canterbury despite the centre’s dramatic turnaround in attitude ahead of his NRL comeback.<\/p>\n

Stephen Crichton’s AC joint injury<\/a> clears the way for 25-year-old Xerri to line up at left centre against undefeated Penrith tonight.<\/p>\n

The Bulldogs will have a clearer picture about Crichton’s return-to-play timeline next week, but Ciraldo expects the 12-time NSW representative will be fit for the State of Origin series opener on May 27.<\/p>\n

“I think he’ll be ready for that,” the Bulldogs coach said.<\/p>\n

“He got a scan, there’s nothing broken there, but the injury’s got to heal. He’s healing pretty well so far.”<\/p>\n

Ciraldo previously voiced his disappointment at media reports saying Xerri was unhappy at the Bulldogs only hours after being told he would be axed to NSW Cup for round two.<\/p>\n

Xerri has since reapplied himself to training at the Bulldogs and was an unused interchange player for last week’s loss to South Sydney.<\/p>\n

His second start of the season comes at Stadium Australia in round six.<\/p>\n

“He’s had a bit of a rocky patch there which many players go through. But his reaction in the last few weeks has been tremendous,” Ciraldo said.<\/p>\n

“The way he’s training, the way he’s preparing and the way he’s committing himself right now, those are the signs we’re looking for.”<\/p>\n

But Ciraldo stopped short of guaranteeing Xerri was now completely committed to the Bulldogs for the final year-and-a-half of his contract.<\/p>\n

“We don’t need to think too far ahead right now,” Ciraldo said.<\/p>\n

“He’s excited about the opportunity he’s got tomorrow night. He’s putting all his eggs in the preparation basket and he’ll be ready to rip in.”<\/p>\n

41m agoThu 9 Apr 2026 at 9:22amBulldogs vs Panthers team news\"Simon<\/p>\n

Here’s how the two teams line up tonight.<\/p>\n

\"\"(NRL.com)Bulldogs:<\/p>\n

Bronson Xerri comes into the side for the first time since being dropped and put on the outer earlier this year.<\/p>\n

He was named on the bench last week but strangely did not come on when skipper Stephen Crichton was taken off with a shoulder injury.<\/p>\n

He gets his chance tonight, though.<\/p>\n

Harry Hayes comes into the interchange after his return from concussion was delayed last week.<\/p>\n

Jake Turpin replaces Xerri on the six-man bench, with winger Jethro Rinakama a late call up to the bench after a successful return from shoulder injury in NSW Cup last week.<\/p>\n

Panthers:<\/p>\n

You don’t improve on perfection, but the Panthers have made a single change from last week’s devastating victory over the Storm.<\/p>\n

It’s at hooker too, with Mitch Kenny returning from suspension to replace Freddy Lussick at hooker.<\/p>\n

Izack Tago comes back onto the bench, still waiting for a first NRL appearance since last year’s preliminary final.<\/p>\n

46m agoThu 9 Apr 2026 at 9:17am<\/p>\n

Xavier Savage out for eight weeks\"Simon<\/p>\n

– with AAP<\/p>\n

\"\"(Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Before we get stuck into events in Sydney’s west tonight, lets go even further inland to the nation’s capital, where Canberra’s depth has suffered another blow with left winger Xavier Savage ruled out for eight weeks with an ankle injury.<\/p>\n

Savage was cleared of any fractures after his foot got stuck underneath centre Simi Sasagi against Newcastle last Sunday.<\/p>\n

But the Raiders’ 2024 top try scorer will still spend a lengthy stint on the sidelines, adding further strain to Canberra’s roster.<\/p>\n

Sasagi is already filling in for Matt Timoko (foot) while Matty Nicholson (shoulder) is out for at least three months.<\/p>\n

Jed Stuart has replaced Savage for their clash with South Sydney on Saturday in Perth.<\/p>\n

The match is looming as a crucial one for last year’s minor premiers as they look to snap a four-game losing streak, which has caused them to drop to second last on the NRL ladder.<\/p>\n

Back-rower Hudson Young said Stuart is experienced, having played in the top-grade squad last year.<\/p>\n

“He’s a velcro out there. He doesn’t miss any tackles and doesn’t drop many balls. I’m really looking forward to having Jed back in the team,” he said earlier on Thursday.<\/p>\n

54m agoThu 9 Apr 2026 at 9:09am<\/p>\n

NRL ladder\"Simon<\/p>\n

Here’s how the NRL ladder stands at the start of round six.<\/p>\n

What’s that coming over the hill? Is it the Panthers premiership push?<\/p>\n

Far too early for that kind of chat to be fair, but still…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"13m agoThu 9 Apr 2026 at 9:50amLive updates: Bulldogs vs Panthers1m agoThu 9 Apr 2026 at 10:02am9′ Casey…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":595410,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,4026,25907,105244,160,6462,761,762,158,5357,16284,4598,159,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-595409","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nrl","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-bulldogs","11":"tag-canterbury","12":"tag-canterbury-bankstown","13":"tag-live-blog","14":"tag-live-updates","15":"tag-national-rugby-league","16":"tag-nationalrugbyleague","17":"tag-nrl","18":"tag-panthers","19":"tag-penrith","20":"tag-penrith-panthers","21":"tag-rugby-league","22":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/595409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=595409"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/595409\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/595410"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=595409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=595409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=595409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}