Rugby League
2025-08-15 - Sydney Roosters vs Canterbury Bulldogs
A Sports Betting Pick by Stu
Rugby League : Australia : NRL Season 2025
Friday 15th August 2025 - KO 2000 AEST
Sydney Roosters
The Roosters enter this match on the back of a thumping away victory to Redcliffe 12-64, where the Roosters won convincingly in the end after 2 sin bins each and some all in “brawls”. Sydney remains in control of their own finals destiny by now sitting in 9th place with a 10-10 record and equal points with Redcliffe and one win behind the Broncos and Sharks.
Trent Robinson’s men have relied on their experienced core to grind out key wins this year and face Bulldogs, Eels, Storm and Rabbits in the final 4 weeks of the competition.
James Tedesco remains the heartbeat of the side, combining his trademark kick returns with strong link play in attack while Nawaqanitawase has been a constant danger, particularly in one-on-one situations.
The Roosters forward pack, led by Lindsay Collins and Angus Crichton, will look to win the middle battle early, allowing halves Sam Walker and Hugo Savala to dictate tempo. Back on home soil, where they have a negative 4–6 record this season, the Roosters will need to outperform one of the best teams in the NRL.
Sydney Roosters Team news : No major changes expected, Blake Steep comes onto the bench with Wong being out under the concussion rules.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
The Bulldogs have found their groove at just the right time. Two gritty wins over the last three weeks, including a big win over Manly, have kept their minor premiership hopes alive in second equal just one win behind the Raiders.
They currently sit 15–5 and know if they can win all of their remaining matches they will go close. However, Canterbury have a very tough run home, after this match against the Roosters, the Bulldogs will face, Melbourne away then Penrith and Cronulla at home.
Cameron Ciraldo’s men have shown a significant lift in defensive commitment if you excuse the Tigers loss 2 weeks ago, conceding just 15 points on average across their past three outings.
Matt Burton’s towering bombs and fifth-tackle options have been crucial for field position and his form in particular has been sensational, while Jacob Kiraz at fullback this week for Connor Tracey and Stephen Crichton have provided strike power when opportunities arise.
The key challenge for Canterbury will be replicating their defensive steel against one of the NRL’s most dangerous attacking backlines, and doing so in a venue where they’ve traditionally struggled.
Canterbury Bulldogs Team news : No changes expected, Connor Tracey is named on the extended bench otherwise the same 17 will start
Odds
Canterbury are the favoured team, $2.20 to $1.70, the line is 2.5 points and combined points 41.5
The Betting Verdict
Round 24 Friday night football features a pivotal clash at Allianz Stadium between two clubs still firmly in the finals race. The Sydney Roosters are fighting their way into a top-eight position, while the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, buoyed by recent form improvements, are firmly in the top 4 provided there isn’t many losses with just three rounds remaining after this round.
The spoils have been shared between these teams over the last few seasons, going 3-3 since 2021. Last season saw the Roosters win 26-8 in round 16 while earlier the same season, Canterbury won 30-26. These sides have already met once in 2025 at Accor stadium, Canterbury scoring a converted try with 5 to play to secure a come from behind victory 24-20.
The overall H2H is also quite even, Roosters 26-24 from 50 matches, Sydney win 63% of their home matches and the visiting Bulldogs are 22-21 at Allianz. The most telling stat is the roosters really struggle against top 4 teams, losing 4 from 5 this season and are 2 from 8 at Allianz this season.
From a betting perspective, the Roosters poor home record in 2025 and lack of victories against top opposition justify their underdog status, but the Roosters are hitting top form largely thanks to a brilliant return from injury from Sam Walker. This suggests this match could be a tighter contest than the odds imply. Sydney +2.5 is worth consideration for those expecting a low-scoring grind.
For try-scorer markets, Matt Burton remains value in the anytime market given his tendency to back himself close to the line and the fact he has scored 6 tries in his last 6 matches against Sydney.
Canterbury have proven themselves all season long and have shown quality in big games, which points towards them claiming the two points here. However, the Roosters recent offensive brilliance means this is unlikely to be a blowout.
The Pick :
Sydney Roosters 20-24 Canterbury Bulldogs
