Bulldogs vs Panthers
Round 6 2026, Thursday 9 April 2026
Verdict: Panthers by 7
BulldogsPanthers
Result: Bulldogs 32 defeated Panthers 16 ✗ Tip wrong
Match facts
- Kick-off
- Thu 9 Apr, 7:50pm AEST
- Venue
- Accor Stadium, Sydney
- Ladder going in
- Bulldogs 9th, Panthers 1st
- Referee
- Gerard Sutton
- Crowd
- 23,984
- Weather
- Fine, good ground
How the experts tipped
Bulldogs 8%92% Panthers
| Expert | Tip | Tip correct |
|---|---|---|
| Jordan Baker | Bulldogs | ✓ |
| Chris Barrett | Panthers | ✗ |
| Zoe Samios | Panthers | ✗ |
| Zac Bailey | Panthers | ✗ |
| Frances Howe | Panthers | ✗ |
| Christian Nicolussi | Panthers | ✗ |
| Billie Eder | Panthers | ✗ |
| Adrian Proszenko | Panthers | ✗ |
| Dan Walsh | Panthers | ✗ |
| Andrew Johns | Panthers | ✗ |
| Emma Kemp | Panthers | ✗ |
| Neil Breen | Panthers | ✗ |
Going in
| Club | Ladder going in | Last five, oldest first | Model rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulldogs | 9th | WWLL | -0.2 |
| Panthers | 1st | WWWWW | +11.7 |
Last five games
Bulldogs
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Round 5 | at Rabbitohs | L 24–32 |
| Round 4 | v Knights | L 16–24 |
| Round 3 | at Raiders | W 14–10 |
| Round 1 | v Dragons | W 15–14 |
| Semi-Finals 2025 | v Panthers | L 26–46 |
Panthers
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Round 5 | v Storm | W 50–10 |
| Round 4 | v Eels | W 48–20 |
| Round 3 | at Roosters | W 40–4 |
| Round 2 | v Sharks | W 26–6 |
| Round 1 | at Broncos | W 26–0 |
Head to head since 2024
| Season | Round | Game | Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Round 26 | Panthers v Bulldogs | 24–10 | CommBank Stadium |
| 2025 | Semi-Finals | Bulldogs v Panthers | 26–46 | Accor Stadium |
| 2025 | Round 26 | Bulldogs v Panthers | 28–4 | Accor Stadium |
| 2025 | Round 17 | Panthers v Bulldogs | 8–6 | CommBank Stadium |
| 2024 | Round 10 | Panthers v Bulldogs | 16–10 | BlueBet Stadium |
Team lists
Bulldogs
- 1 Connor Tracey Fullback
- 2 Jacob Kiraz Winger
- 3 Enari Tuala Centre
- 4 Bronson Xerri Centre
- 5 Marcelo Montoya Winger
- 6 Matt Burton Five-Eighth
- 7 Lachlan Galvin Halfback
- 8 Max King Prop
- 9 Bailey Hayward Hooker
- 10 Samuel Hughes Prop
- 11 Viliame Kikau 2nd Row
- 12 Jacob Preston 2nd Row
- 13 Jaeman Salmon Lock
- 14 Kurt Mann Interchange
- 15 Sitili Tupouniua Interchange
- 16 Harry Hayes Interchange
- 19 Jake Turpin Interchange
- 20 Lipoi Hopoi Reserve
- 23 Jethro Rinakama Reserve
Coach: Cameron Ciraldo
Panthers
- 1 Dylan Edwards Fullback
- 2 Thomas Jenkins Winger
- 3 Paul Alamoti Centre
- 4 Casey McLean Centre
- 5 Brian To'o Winger
- 6 Blaize Talagi Five-Eighth
- 7 Nathan Cleary (c) Halfback
- 8 Moses Leota Prop
- 9 Mitch Kenny Hooker
- 10 Lindsay Smith Prop
- 11 Isaiah Papali'i 2nd Row
- 12 Liam Martin 2nd Row
- 13 Isaah Yeo (c) Lock
- 14 Jack Cogger Interchange
- 15 Billy Phillips Interchange
- 16 Scott Sorensen Interchange
- 17 Luke Garner Interchange
- 18 Izack Tago Reserve
- 19 Freddy Lussick Reserve
Coach: Ivan Cleary
Numbers as named by each club on nrl.com. Changes are measured against the club's previous game.
Why the model leaned this way
Going in, Bulldogs rated -0.2 and Panthers +11.7 on our scale, a gap of 11.9 points, plus 4.5 points for playing at their own ground.
Scoring
- Bulldogs
- Tries Viliame Kikau 5', Jacob Kiraz 9', Samuel Hughes 20', Jacob Preston 47', Sitili Tupouniua 69'
- Goals 4/5, pen Matt Burton 73', Matt Burton 79'
- Half-time 16
- Panthers
- Tries Thomas Jenkins 25', Dylan Edwards 29', Thomas Jenkins 42'
- Goals 2/3
- Half-time 12
Draw, teams and scoring: nrl.com match centre. Expert tips: The Sydney Morning Herald panel.