The St George Illawarra Dragons will meet the Warriors on Friday, June 23rd at WIN Stadium, Wollongong. This is your game day guide.
A major milestone for de Belin
Jack de Belin will become just the sixth St George Illawarra Dragon to play 200 NRL games for the club when he runs out on Friday night against the Warriors.
He joins Ben Hornby, Ben Creagh, Jason Nightingale, Matt Cooper and Dean Young on the club’s illustrious 200-game list.
A Cootamundra Bulldogs junior and Junior Kangaroo, de Belin made his NRL debut at WIN Stadium as a 20-year-old against Manly in Round 16, 2011 and has spent the entirety of his career with the Red V.
In 2018, he was rewarded with a debut State of Origin jersey and played a part in NSW’s victorious campaign.
Key Timings:
Gates open: 6.45pm
Kick-off: Friday, June 23rd 8.00pm
Where: WIN Stadium, Wollongong
Watch: Nine, Kayo & Foxtel
Bird, de Belin return for Dragons
The Dragons will welcome Jack Bird and Jack de Belin back into the side after the pair were unavailable for the side's Round 15 win over the Rabbitohs.
Bird returns from a two-match rest to start in the second row with Ben Murdoch-Masila named on the interchange whilst de Belin's return from a head knock pushes Jaiyden Hunt to the reserves.
Blake Lawrie will also start after making his comeback from a hand fracture in Round 15 with Michael Molo reverting to the interchange and Josh Kerr dropping out.
Walker returns for Warriors
The Warriors will be boosted by the return of Dylan Walker onto the interchange after a three-match injury layoff.
He replaces the suspended Mitchell Barnett whilst Rocco Berry returns from a head knock into the centres pushing Round 15 debutant Ali Leiataua out of the side.
Jackson Ford, a Gerringong junior who played 33 games with the Dragons from 2019 to 2022, has been named to start for the Warriors in the second row.
Back in Wollongong
The Dragons will be back for their first game at WIN Stadium in almost two months when they face the Warriors on Friday night and will play four of their next five games at the venue.
They will face the Warriors, Raiders, Wests Tigers and Sea Eagles in Wollongong all before the end of next month.
The side has won six of their past seven games in Wollongong and 10 of their 11 meetings against the Warriors there.
Mikaele Ravalawa has scored two doubles across his past three games at WIN Stadium.
Last time they met…
The Dragons last faced the Warriors in Round 11 last year with the Red V pulling off a 24-18 win in soggy conditions at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.
Zac Lomax opened the scoring for the hosts off a Junior Amone grubber before the Warriors answered with a pair of quick tries.
Cody Ramsey weaved his way over the line to respond for the Dragons before the visitors snagged another prior to the break.
Another Warriors try on the other side of half-time gave them a six-point lead which the Dragons managed to run down thanks to a try to debutant Michael Molo and a second to Lomax.
