A fascinating clash between two mid-table sides headlines Friday night\u2019s NRL action, as the Canterbury Bulldogs head to Suncorp to take on the Brisbane Broncos.<\/p>\n
The story heading into this fixture is Brisbane\u2019s injury list, which includes Reece Walsh, Payne Haas, Corey Jensen and Pat Carrigan.<\/p>\n
Despite their forward pack looking thin, the Broncos have been hanging on, with four wins from seven following a gritty one-point victory over the Tigers last week.<\/p>\n
The Bulldogs have a few injuries of their own, but their bigger issue is consistency. A brilliant win over the Panthers two weeks ago was followed by a poor loss to the Eels last round.<\/p>\n
Brisbane have had Canterbury\u2019s number in recent years, winning seven of their last eight meetings.<\/p>\n
The Broncos tend to respond well to adversity, and with a strong home crowd behind them, they should be competitive here.<\/p>\n
With Adam Reynolds, Ezra Mam and Kotoni Staggs leading the way, expect them to at least keep this close.<\/p>\n
Preston has an excellent strike rate at Suncorp Stadium, scoring five tries in five games.<\/p>\n
The Bulldogs second-rower has also been strong in 2026, crossing three times in six matches.<\/p>\n
He\u2019ll be running at a makeshift Brisbane middle, which should create opportunities. With five line breaks already this season, he only needs one to convert.<\/p>\n
The Broncos have scored 22+ points against the Bulldogs in six of their last eight meetings, including both games last season.<\/p>\n
They\u2019ve hit that mark four times already this year, and while Canterbury are typically strong defensively, they\u2019ve shown cracks recently.<\/p>\n
The Eels put 38 on them last week, the Rabbitohs 32 in Round 5, and even the Knights managed 24 last month.<\/p>\n