Canterbury Bulldogs make it 2-0, Burton & Kikau injured

The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs continued their red-hot start to the 2025 NRL season with a dominant 40-24 victory over the Gold Coast Titans at a packed Belmore Sports Ground.

However, the win came at a significant cost, with star duo Matt Burton and Viliame Kikau both succumbing to knee injuries in a brutal night for the club.

The Bulldogs exploded out of the blocks, piling on 22 unanswered points in the opening 20 minutes, with tries to Marcelo Montoya, Jaeman Salmon, Reed Mahoney, and Josh Curran electrifying the 17,892-strong Belmore crowd.

However, the momentum shifted when Burton was forced off the field in the 27th minute after suffering a suspected MCL injury while attempting a tackle on Jojo Fifita.

Gold Coast capitalised on the disruption, with speedster Alofiana Khan-Pereira crossing twice to cut the deficit to 22-12 at the break.

But Canterbury regrouped in the second half, reasserting their dominance with quick tries to Jacob Preston and Kurt Mann.

The Titans responded through Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Fifita, narrowing the margin to 34-24 with 10 minutes remaining.

Just as the Bulldogs were closing in on victory, their night took another turn for the worse when Kikau went down in the 74th minute with his own suspected MCL injury after his knee twisted awkwardly in a tackle.

Despite the setbacks, Canterbury sealed the result in the 78th minute with a long-range effort from Connor Tracey, ensuring back-to-back wins to start the season for the first time since 2016, with the top NRL bookmakers having them as $1.44 favourites pre-game.

NRL Round 2 Highlights: Bulldogs v Titans

Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo acknowledged the injury setbacks but praised his side’s resilience.

“We had challenges throughout the game, but I was really impressed with the way we responded. We’re hopeful Burton and Kikau won’t be out too long, but we’ll know more after scans,” Ciraldo said post-match.

Stephen Crichton, who stepped up in Burton’s absence, emphasised the squad’s adaptability.

“We trained all pre-season for situations like this. If someone goes down, we’re ready to adjust,” Crichton said.

For the Titans, it was a frustrating start to the season after their Round 1 bye, with coach Des Hasler lamenting his side’s slow start.

“We gave them too much possession and field position early on, and you can’t chase down a 22-point deficit against a quality side like the Bulldogs,” Hasler said.

With Burton and Kikau set for a stint on the sidelines, the Bulldogs will face a major test in their upcoming matches against Parramatta, Cronulla, and Newcastle.

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