NRL Match Preview: Anzac Day v Roosters

Author: Dragons.com.au dragons.com.au
Timestamp: Wed 23 Apr 2025, 10:16 AM

The Dragons will take on the Roosters in the 24th annual Anzac Day clash this Friday afternoon at Allianz Stadium.

Round 8 - Round 8 - Friday 25 Apr

Full Time

Roosters

Dragons

Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney

Highlights Latest

KEY INFO

Get Your Tickets
Date Friday, April 25th
Venue Allianz Stadium, Moore Park
Watch Nine, 9Now, Kayo & Foxtel
12:30PM Plaza Two-Up Starts
1:00PM EP2 & EP3 Car Parks Open
1:30PM Gates Open
1:50PM Australian Defence Force v NZ Defence Force
3:30PM Pre-Game Anzac Ceremony Commences
4:00PM Dragons v Roosters

A SPECIAL DAY

The Dragons and Roosters will be playing for the 24th annual Anzac Day Cup.

The Red V have taken home the Anzac Day Cup on 12 occasions having last won it in 2022 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The clash has a habit of producing memorable moments from Mathew Head's match-winning conversion in 2005 to Ben Creagh's last-second try in 2012.

The Australian Defence Force will take on the New Zealand Defence Force in the lead-up to the main game at 1:50pm before the pre-game Anzac Day Ceremony kicks off at 3:30pm.

A JERSEY HONOURING ONE OF OUR OWN

The side will don their 2025 Commemorative Jersey honouring St George Dragon #221, Lance Corporal Spencer Henry Walklate.

The Walklate Family were on hand at training on Monday as players were educated on his heroic exploits during Australia's World War II campaign in Papua New Guinea as well as his 15-game career with St George back in the 1940s.

On April 11, 1945, Walklate was one of eight Australian Army Z Special Unit commandoes assigned to ‘Operation Copper’ – a reconnaissance mission to Japanese-occupied Muschu Island off the north coast of Papua New Guinea.

The mission was fraught from the start with the unit issued obsolete weapons and equipment but, despite many obstacles, Operation Copper continued their mission and successfully located concealed guns, sabotaged other weapons on the island, and gathered intelligence of Japanese operations.

Unable to use their damaged equipment to signal the awaiting patrol boat for pick-up, the group split into two with Walklate last seen swimming out to sea with three other members of the operation in the hope they’d be spotted by an Australian plane or patrol boat.

After years of investigations by the Unrecovered War Casualties Unit, Spencer Walklate’s remains were discovered in 2013 in an abandoned medical dump on Kairiru Island.

The Inspiring Story of Lance Corporal Spencer Walklate

LAWRIE NOTCHES MILESTONE

Local junior and Dragons Academy graduate Blake Lawrie will be celebrating his 150th first grade match for the club on Anzac Day.

He becomes the 14th player in St George Illawarra history to reach the milestone joining club greats Ben Hornby, Ben Creagh, Jason Nightingale, Matt Cooper, Jack de Belin, Dean Young, Mark Gasnier, Brett Morris, Tyson Frizell, Jason Ryles, Trent Merrin, Trent Barrett and Dan Hunt.

A Junior Kangaroo and Blue, Lawrie debuted for the Dragons in Round 17, 2017 on the Gold Coast.

He came off the bench in the side’s 2018 Elimination Final win over the Broncos and secured his spot in the 17 the following season taking home the club’s Immortals Trophy in the process.

He captained the club for the first time in his career in Round 19, 2023 and took home the Dragons Medal as the club's Player of the Year that same season.

DE BELIN REACHES DOUBLE DIGITS

Jack de Belin becomes just the fifth Dragon to appear in 10 Anzac Day matches joining Matt Cooper, Ben Creagh, Jason Nightingale and Ben Hornby.

De Belin's first Anzac Day outing came in 2013 with the now 34-year-old having lifted the Anzac Day Cup on four occasions.

TEAM NEWS

DRAGONS

Hamish Stewart unfortunately misses the clash after suffering a head knock in the side's win over Manly, but Emre Guler returns from suspension and onto the interchange.
Mathew Feagai will also spend an extended stint on the sideline having suffered a nasty ankle injury in Round 7.
Sione Finau starts on the wing in his place after coming onto the field in the second half last week against Manly as the side's replacement player.
Guler and Finau, along with Clint Gutherson, Damien Cook, Valentine Holmes, Lachlan Ilias, David Klemmer and Dylan Egan will be appearing in their first Anzac Day matches for the club.

ROOSTERS

Billy Smith (suspension) returns pushing Mark Nawaqanitawase out to the wing and Dominic Young to the reserves.
Spencer Leniu starts in the front row with Nat Butcher (knee) out whilst Angus Crichton (groin) returns at second row.
Salesi Foketi reverts to the interchange and Taylor Losalu to the reserves whilst Egan Butcher is back in first grade for the first time since Round 12, 2024 having returned from an ACL tear via Knock-On Effect NSW Cup last week.

Round 8 - Round 8 - Friday 25 Apr

Full Time

Roosters

Dragons

Team Lists

Backs

Fullback for Roosters is number 1 James Tedesco

Fullback for Dragons is number 1 Clinton Gutherson
Winger for Roosters is number 2 Daniel Tupou

Winger for Dragons is number 2 Tyrell Sloan
Centre for Roosters is number 3 Billy Smith

Centre for Dragons is number 3 Moses Suli
Centre for Roosters is number 4 Robert Toia

Centre for Dragons is number 4 Valentine Holmes
Winger for Roosters is number 5 Mark Nawaqanitawase

Winger for Dragons is number 5 Sione Finau
Five-Eighth for Roosters is number 6 Sandon Smith

Five-Eighth for Dragons is number 6 Kyle Flanagan
Halfback for Roosters is number 7 Hugo Savala

Halfback for Dragons is number 7 Lachlan Ilias

Forwards

Prop for Roosters is number 8 Spencer Leniu

Prop for Dragons is number 8 Toby Couchman
Hooker for Roosters is number 9 Connor Watson

Hooker for Dragons is number 9 Damien Cook
Prop for Roosters is number 10 Naufahu Whyte

Prop for Dragons is number 10 David Klemmer
2nd Row for Roosters is number 11 Angus Crichton

2nd Row for Dragons is number 12 Jaydn Su'A
2nd Row for Roosters is number 12 Siua Wong

2nd Row for Dragons is number 17 Dylan Egan
Lock for Roosters is number 13 Victor Radley

Lock for Dragons is number 13 Jack De Belin

Interchange

Interchange for Roosters is number 14 Zach Dockar-Clay

Interchange for Dragons is number 11 Luciano Leilua
Interchange for Roosters is number 15 Salesi Foketi

Interchange for Dragons is number 14 Jacob Liddle
Interchange for Roosters is number 16 Blake Steep

Interchange for Dragons is number 15 Blake Lawrie
Interchange for Roosters is number 17 Egan Butcher

Interchange for Dragons is number 16 Emre Guler