Already down one key starter, it sounds like the Bulldogs could be down a host of other players as attention now turns towards the final six games of Round 1 after the NRL’s second foray into Las Vegas.
Meanwhile, a Storm star has been declared “ready to go”.
Read on for Late Mail ahead of Round 1!
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THURSDAY MARCH 6
Sydney Roosters vs. Brisbane Broncos at Allianz Stadium, 8.00pm AEDT
Roosters team: 1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Mark Nawaqanitawase 4. Robert Toia 5. Dominic Young 6. Sandon Smith 7. Chad Townsend 8. Lindsay Collins 9. Connor Watson 10. Naufahu Whyte 11. Angus Crichton 12. Victor Radley 13. Nat Butcher 14. Zach Dockar-Clay 15. Siua Wong 16. Blake Steep 17. Salesi Foketi 18. Hugo Savala 19. Taylor Losalu 20. Ethan King 21. Fetalaiga Pauga 22. Makahesi Makatoa
Late Mail: To come…
Broncos team: 1. Reece Walsh 2. Selwyn Cobbo 3. Deine Mariner 4. Gehamat Shibasaki 5. Jesse Arthars 6. Ben Hunt 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Patrick Carrigan 9. Cory Paix 10. Payne Haas 11. Jack Gosiewski 12. Jordan Riki 13. Kobe Hetherington 14. Billy Walters 15. Corey Jensen 16. Xavier Willison 17. Brendan Piakura 18. Tyson Smoothy 19. Delouise Hoeter 20. Martin Taupau 21. Benjamin Te Kura 22. Jaiyden Hunt
Late Mail: To come…
Panthers all class amid live TV chaos | 00:34
FRIDAY MARCH 7
Wests Tigers vs. Newcastle Knights at Campbelltown Sports Stadium, 6.00pm AEDT
Tigers team: 1. Heath Mason 2. Sunia Turuva 3. Adam Doueihi 4. Solomona Faataape 5. Jeral Skelton 6. Lachlan Galvin 7. Jarome Luai 8. Terrell May 9. Tallyn Da Silva 10. Fonua Pole 11. Samuela Fainu 12. Alex Seyfarth 13. Alex Twal 14. Tristan Hope 15. Royce Hunt 16. Jack Bird 17. Sione Fainu 18. Latu Fainu 19. Charlie Staines 20. Kit Laulilii 21. Tony Sukkar 22. Reuben Porter
Late Mail: To come…
Knights team: 1. Kalyn Ponga 2. James Schiller 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Fletcher Sharpe 7. Jack Cogger 8. Jacob Saifiti 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Leo Thompson 11. Dylan Lucas 12. Kai Pearce-Paul 13. Tyson Frizell 14. Jayden Brailey 15. Jack Hetherington 16. Brodie Jones 17. Mathew Croker 18. Thomas Cant 19. Will Pryce 20. Logan Aoake 21. Jackson Hastings 22. Adam Elliott
Late Mail: To come…
Was four games too many in Vegas? | 01:25
Dolphins vs. South Sydney Rabbitohs at Suncorp Stadium, 8.05pm AEDT
Dolphins team: 1. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Jake Averillo 4. Herbie Farnworth 5. Junior Tupou 6. Kodi Nikorima 7. Isaiya Katoa 8. Daniel Saifiti 9. Jeremy Marshall-King 10. Felise Kaufusi 11. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki 12. Max Plath 13. Tom Gilbert 14. Kurt Donoghoe 15. Connelly Lemuelu 16. Mark Nicholls 17. Ray Stone 18. Kenny Bromwich 19. Josh Kerr 20. Sean O’Sullivan 21. Harrison Graham 22. Max Feagai
Late Mail: To come…
Rabbitohs team: 1. Jye Gray 2. Isaiah Tass 3. Jack Wighton 4. Campbell Graham 5. Tyrone Munro 6. Cody Walker 7. Jamie Humphreys 8. Sean Keppie 9. Peter Mamouzelos 10. Davvy Moale 11. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Jai Arrow 13. Lachlan Hubner 14. Jayden Sullivan 15. Siliva Havili 16. Tallis Duncan 17. Tevita Tatola 18. Liam Le Blanc 19. Fletcher Myers 20. Jacob Host 21. Thomas Fletcher 22. Salesi Ataata
Late Mail: To come…
The successes of NRL in Vegas 2025 | 07:06
SATURDAY MARCH 8
St George Illawarra Dragons vs. Canterbury Bulldogs at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, 5.30pm AEDT
Dragons team: 1. Clinton Gutherson 2. Mathew Feagai 3. Moses Suli 4. Valentine Holmes 5. Christian Tuipulotu 6. Kyle Flanagan 7. Lachlan Ilias 8. Toby Couchman 9. Damien Cook 10. Emre Guler 11. Luciano Leilua 12. Jaydn Su’A 13. Jack de Belin 14. Jacob Liddle 15. Ryan Couchman 16. Raymond Faitala-Mariner 17. Hamish Stewart 18. Dylan Egan 19. Tyrell Sloan 20. Lyhkan King-Togia 21. Loko Jnr Pasifiki Tonga 22. Tom Eisenhuth
Late Mail: To come…
Bulldogs team: 1. Connor Tracey 2. Blake Wilson 3. Bronson Xerri 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Marcelo Montoya 6. Matt Burton 7. Toby Sexton 8. Max King 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Samuel Hughes 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Jacob Preston 13. Kurt Mann 14. Bailey Hayward 15. Sitili Tupouniua 16. Harry Hayes 17. Jaeman Salmon 19. Blake Taaffe 20. Kurtis Morrin 21. Daniel Suluka-Fifita 22. Luke Smith 23. Ratu Rinakama
Late Mail: Jacob Kiraz (back) is already unavailable and it sounds like there could be more changes on the horizon for the Bulldogs. General manager Phil Gould said on his Six Tackles with Gus podcast that “there will be some changes before the weekend”.
“It’s a little unfortunate that we’ll have a couple missing, but that will give some opportunities,” he explained.
“We’ve had to get approval for two players outside the top 30 in Luke Smith and Jethro Rinakama to be in the 23 we have named. We are already outside the top 30.
“There may be a couple of others missing by the time we get to game day.”
It is unclear at this stage who Gould may be referring to, although Sitili Tupouniua had been held out of the trial games with what was reported by Code Sports to be a hamstring injury.
The publication later reported, however, that the former Roosters second rower had “ran freely” during a skills session on Monday.
Cleary leads Panthers to thrilling win! | 03:00
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Manly Sea Eagles vs. North Queensland Cowboys at 4 Pines Park, 7.35pm AEDT
Sea Eagles team: 1. Tom Trbojevic 2. Jason Saab 3. Tolutau Koula 4. Reuben Garrick 5. Lehi Hopoate 6. Luke Brooks 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Taniela Paseka 9. Jazz Tevaga 10. Siosiua Taukeiaho 11. Haumole Olakau’atu 12. Ben Trbojevic 13. Jake Trbojevic 14. Jake Simpkin 15. Corey Waddell 16. Ethan Bullemor 17. Toafofoa Sipley 18. Clayton Faulalo 19. Dean Matterson 20. Gordon Chan Kum Tong 21. Jakob Arthur 22. Josh Aloiai
Late Mail: To come…
Cowboys team: 1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Braidon Burns 3. Jaxon Purdue 4. Viliami Vailea 5. Murray Taulagi 6. Tom Dearden 7. Thomas Duffy 8. Jordan McLean 9. Reece Robson 10. Sam McIntyre 11. John Bateman 12. Jeremiah Nanai 13. Reuben Cotter 14. Karl Lawton 15. Harrison Edwards 16. Griffin Neame 17. Coen Hess 18. Kai O’Donnell 19. Jake Clifford 20. Thomas Mikaele 21. Jaxson Paulo 22. Jason Taumalolo
Late Mail: To come…
Cleary unphased after fan distraction! | 00:36
SUNDAY MARCH 9
Melbourne Storm vs. Parramatta Eels at AAMI Park, 4.05pm AEDT
Storm team: 1. Ryan Papenhuyzen 2. William Warbrick 3. Jack Howarth 4. Nick Meaney 5. Xavier Coates 6. Cameron Munster 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Stefano Utoikamanu 9. Harry Grant 10. Josh King 11. Shawn Blore 12. Eliesa Katoa 13. Trent Loiero 14. Tyran Wishart 15. Alec MacDonald 16. Tui Kamikamica 17. Lazarus Vaalepu 18. Grant Anderson 19. Bronson Garlick 20. Joe Chan 21. Sualauvi Faalogo 22. Kane Bradley
Late Mail:Storm captain Harry Grant said Ryan Papenhuyzen was ready despite battling knee and ankle issues during the pre-season. Speaking on his podcast this week, Papenhuyzen said Bellamy had thrown him “under the bus” by declaring the fullback was doubtful to take on the Eels after missing both of his team’s trial games.
“He said it was my knee and ankle and made it sound like I’m breaking down – it’s not my ankle, it’s just my knee,” Papenhuyzen told the 167 Podcast he hosts with teammates Jahrome Hughes and Cameron Munster.
“I had a little tear in my meniscus and while that’s sweet now I’ve got a little stitching from my knee surgery that’s calcified … that’s just caused a bit of irritation.
“I’ve run the last couple of training sessions. It just seems to be one thing after the next, but it’s not too bad. I’ve just got to manage what it is. Hopefully, I get the all clear.”
He was named in the team on Tuesday and Grant said Papenhuyzen was a “resilient bugger” and would take his place at AAMI Park on Sunday.
“He’s just been training and completed all his training since off the back of that trial,” Grant said on Wednesday.
“We know what ‘Paps’ is like, he’s a resilient bugger, and he’s professional with the way he does these things.
“He’ll definitely be ready to go round 1.”
Eels team: 1. Isaiah Iongi 2. Sean Russell 3. Viliami Penisini 4. Zac Lomax 5. Jake Tago 6. Dylan Brown 7. Ronald Volkman 8. Joe Ofahengaue 9. Brendan Hands 10. Junior Paulo 11. Jack Williams 12. Kelma Tuilagi 13. J’maine Hopgood 14. Ryley Smith 15. Matt Doorey 16. Ryan Matterson 17. Charlie Guymer 18. Joash Papali’i 19. Jordan Samrani 20. Toni Mataele 21. Sam Tuivaiti 22. Joey Lussick
Late Mail: To come…
BYE – Gold Coast Titans
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