As it happened: Bulldogs win has Belmore rocking; Tigers roar in big victory

There's no better way to close out Round 2 than a couple of Sunday blockbusters in rugby league heartland.

An onslaught at the start of each half has laid the platform for the Bulldogs to claim a 40-24 victory over the Titans at a packed Belmore Sports Ground. 

Canterbury had a vocal home crowd on their feet early after jumping out to a 22-0 lead with four tries in the opening 19 minutes. 

From there, the Titans were always playing catch up and while they fought hard, were unable to reel their opponents in. 

The win came at a cost for the Bulldogs, with both Matt Burton and Viliame Kikau suffering suspected MCL injuries. The pair will be sent for scans on Monday but are facing a month on the sidelines.

Meanwhile, a Sunia Turuva hat-trick has inspired the Wests Tigers to a commanding victory over the Eels in scorching conditions at CommBank Stadium. 

Benji Marshall's men were slow out of their blocks but there was no looking back once they hit their stride. 

Off-season recruit Terrell May laid the platform up front, while halves Lachlan Galvin and Jarome Luai combined to great effect for the Tigers to lead their side to a 32-6 victory.

It was another tough afternoon for the Eels, with Jason Ryles still searching for the first win of his coaching career. 

Follow all the action from Round 2 of the 2025 Telstra Premiership on NRL.com's live blog.

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Bulldogs v Titans at Belmore Sports Ground

Press Conferences: Hear from both coaches and captains as they discuss what they made of the clash at Belmore Sports Ground, with the post-game press conference coming up soon.

Full-time: The celebrations have begun in Belmore after the Bulldogs held off a fast-finishing Titans to secure a 16-point victory. 

The 40 points scored was Canterbury's most at Belmore since 1998 and is a sign of their improved point-scoring ability in 2025. 

As for the Titans, they will rue a slow start to both the first and second halves and will return to the Gold Coast to host the Knights next Saturday.

77th minute: The Belmore faithful can finally breathe a sigh of relief after Connor Tracey finished off a counterattack to put this game to bed with three minutes left in the contest.

The Bulldogs fans erupted as Tracey grounded the ball and there will no doubt be plenty of singing and chanting around the streets of Belmore tonight. 

Canterbury have also provided an update on Kikau, with the forward also suffering a suspected MCL injury. Kikau will be sent for scans and is looking at around one month on the sidelines. Bulldogs 40 - Titans 24.

74th minute: The toll of this match continues to grow for the Bulldogs, with forward Viliame Kikau limping from the field with a knee injury. The injury occurred in similar fashion to Matt Burton, the forward falling awkwardly in a tackle under the weight of a Titans player. Bulldogs 34 - Titans 24.

63rd minute: The sold-out crowd at Belmore is starting to get a little nervous after Jojo Fifita socred a long-range try for the Titans. Fullback Keano Kini broke free on a kick return and Fifita finished off the effort to pull his side within 10 points. Bulldogs 34 - Titans 24. 

52nd minute: The match hasn't gone exactly to plan for the Gold Coast but Titans skipper Tino Fa'asuamaleaui has enjoyed a solid return to the NRL in his first game since Round 3 last year and he now has a try in his comeback match. The four-pointer has given the visitors a sniff, cutting the deficit to 16 with 28 minutes remaining.

48th minute: Another Gold Coast error has handed Canterbury an attacking opportunity and the hosts have made no mistake. This time it was Kurt Mann who burst through a big hole to score under the sticks. 

The Titans entered the break with plenty of momentum however the Bulldogs are the side who have burst out of the gates to start the second. Two tries in seven minutes have allowed the hosts to kick out to a 22-point lead and they'll be eager to kick further clear. Bulldogs 34 - Titans 12.

42nd minute: Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo called for a response from his side during the break and it hasn't taken long for them to answer the call. Khan-Pereira spilled a bomb and multiple Canterbury players were ready to pounce on the loose ball, Jacob Preston the man to score the try. Bulldogs 28 - Titans 12.

40th minute: The Titans have managed to silence the crowd as the two teams head to the sheds, with Khan-Pereira crossing for his second to keep his team in the contest. 

A Bulldogs error put the visitors on the attack, and they struck immediately to cut the deficit to just 10. Bulldogs 22 - Titans 12.

30th minute: It's taken nearly half an hour but the Titans have started to play their way into the clash and pose some questions for the Bulldogs defence. Five-eighth AJ Brimson got over the line but dropped the ball attempting to ground it. 

Moments later, Alofiana Khan-Pereira made no mistake and Jayden Campbell nailed the sideline conversion to make it 22-6. 

There was also more bad news for Bulldogs fans with Matt Burton ruled out for the remainder of the match with an MCL injury. 

27th minute: Concerning scenes for the Bulldogs after five-eighth Matt Burton landed awkwardly in a tackle. The playmaker limped from the field with what looks to be a knee injury. Bulldogs 22 - Titans 0.

21st minute: The Bulldogs pack has dominated this game so far and it's fitting another forward has the side's fourth. This time it was Josh Curran carrying four Titans defenders over the line to score his first try of the season. Bulldogs 22 - Titans 0.

16 min: The Canterbury onslaught continues and the sold-out crowd at Belmore Oval is having a party after Reed Mahony finished off a long-range effort. Viliame Kikau got the play started before offloading to Matt Burton, who burst through the line and linked up with Mahoney for the third try of the match. 

A shellshocked Titans side has no answer, the visitors beaten to the punch throughout the opening quarter of the game. Bulldogs 16 - Titans 0.

12th minute: It's all Bulldogs at Belmore with Jaeman Salmon throwing a dummy and sliding through for his side's second try. Canterbury have dominated the opening exchanges, rolling through the middle and punishing the Gold Coast errors. Bulldogs 10 - Titans 0.

4 min: The Bulldogs have enjoyed a dream start, crossing a minute into the contest. A Reed Mahony charge down put the hosts on the attack and they capitalised when Marcelo Montoya scored in the corner to send the Belmore crowd into raptures. Bulldogs 4 - Titans 0.

Kick-off: We are underway at Belmore, with the Bulldogs kicking off in front of a loud and vocal home crowd. The Titans have made a horror start, Jayden Campbell's kick charged down, putting Canterbury hot on the attack. 

Late Mail: Canterbury have made a handful of changes in their final team update, with both Josh Curran and Jaeman Salmon promoted to the starting side. Kurt Mann moves from lock to the interchange, while prop Daniel Suluka-Fifita drops out of the side completely. The forward played reserve grade earlier on Sunday. Harry Hayes is the new face on the bench in jumper No.19, with Luke Smith the 18th man.

Eels v Wests Tigers at CommBank Stadium

Press Conferences: Hear from both coaches and captains as they discuss what they made of the clash at CommBank Stadium.

Full-time: Parramatta have given their fans something to celebrate, however Sean Russell's 80th minute try is little more than a consolation for the hosts. 

The Tigers were slow out of the blocks however they flexed their muscles midway through the first half and didn't look back. Halves Lachlan Galvin and Jarome Luai were outstanding, while fullback Jahream Bula was excellent in his first match of the year. The youngster did leave the field late in the contest with what appeared to be a calf injury. 

Sunia Turuva crossed for a hat-trick in what was a comprehensive victory. West Tigers 32 - Eels 6. 

74th minute: The Eels thought they had scored at one end of the field, only to be denied by the bunker due to an obstruction but there were no such concerns for the Tigers down the other, with Turuva crossing for his third of the game.

In what has become a regular occurrence today, the Tigers attacked down the right flank and they capitalised on a disjointed defensive line. Samuela Fainu was the man to break into the clear, before linking up with Turuva to extend the margin. Wests Tigers 32 - Eels 0.

68th minute: Turuva has completed a double in what could be the final nail for the Eels this afternoon. Having withstood a lengthy period of defence, the Tigers forced an error and they quickly capitalised on the opportunity. Wests Tigers 28 - Eels 0

60th minute: Benji Marshall may have just watched his most pleasing passage of the match, with the Tigers withstanding five consecutive Eels attacking sets. 

Parramatta threw plenty at their opponents, however Marshall's men were up to the task and the Eels eventually spilled the ball to turn over possession. Wests Tigers 22 - Eels 0.

43rd minute: The match took a while to warm up, but the Tigers are putting on a show now. Luai and Galvin were again in the thick of the action, the halfback putting through a grubber before Galvin gathered and produced a kick for winger Jeral Skelton, who finished it off. Wests Tigers 22 - Eels 0.

40th minute: It hasn't taken long for Jahream Bula to make an impact in his first game of the season, the fullback laying on one of the tries of the season. 

Bula claimed the ball on his own goal line, beat multiple defenders before linking up with Adam Doueihi. The centre streaked away before kicking in field, Galvin gathering it and completing a length of the field effort in the final play of the first half. 

The try ensures Benji Marshall's men head to the break with a commanding lead and they'll be looking to kick further clear in the second 40. Wests Tigers 16 - Eels 0.

36th minute: The right edge is proving a happy hunting ground for the Tigers, with centre Star To'a scoring his side's second down that flank. Galvin produced another superb pass, allowing To'a to get on the outside of his opposite man and the centre beat a desperate cover tackle to ground the ball. Wests Tigers 10 - Eels 0.

26th minute: Sunia Turuva has his first try as a West Tiger, the winger finishing off a slick move to the right edge to cross in the corner. 

Halves Jarome Luai and Lachlan Galvin linked up through the middle of the field before fullback Jahream Bula created an extra man to open up the space for Turuva to cross. Wests Tigers 4 - Eels 0.

20th minute: It's been tough going throughout the opening quarter of the match, with both teams generating attacking opportunities but unable to convert chances into points. 

The defence has been strong, however both the Tigers and Eels will be disappointed with their execution in the red zone. 

Kickoff: We are underway at a scorching CommBank Stadium, with the temperature sitting at 37 degrees at kickoff. It's been a big week for Eels five-eighth Dylan Brown, with the playmaker signing a 10-year deal to join the Knights next season. 

With play underway, Brown now has a chance to let his football do the talking and turn his attention to leading the Eels to victory.

Late Mail: There have been no changes to either side in Sunday's team updates, with both teams to line up 1-17. Charlie Staines remains in the squad as 18th man for the Tigers and Dan Keir will take on the role for the Eels.