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Sport Nation
Kiraz excels as Origin hopefuls push their case in big Bulldogs' win
Sam Kosack • May 4th, 2025 6:13 pm
A Magic Round hat-trick has seen Jacob Kiraz cement himself in the Origin selection conversations, as a depleted Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs side defeated the Gold Coast Titans 38-18.
With Zac Lomax and Brian To’o both racing the clock to return and get match fitness before State of Origin Game I, Kiraz’s standout performance sees the Bulldogs’ winger push for a debut for the Blues, running for 221 metres, two line breaks, two line break assists, one try assist, and 14 tackle breaks to go with his three tries.
Kiraz scored the opener, leaping over Alofiana Khan-Pereira to ground the ball, before finishing off two pieces of individual brilliance from his inside men.
Fellow Bulldog Jacob Preston also pushed his case for Origin selection, with a try, try assist, line break, and 37 tackles.
However, Preston was controversially sin-binned with three minutes remaining, leaving him with a nervous wait to see if he’ll face suspension for a crusher tackle.
Squads for the first Origin are due to be announced in two weeks, and with the likes of Hudson Young, Haumole Olakau’atu, and incumbents Angus Crichton and Liam Martin all pushing for selection in the second row, weeks on the sideline could cost Preston a maiden Blues jersey.
“If Tino gets to his feet and plays the ball, nothing is said. Completely accidental, there’s no malice in this, it’s not high, is it a crusher? 10 in the bin for a crusher?,” SEN League expert Corey Parker questioned.
“In fairness, that’s not the referee’s call, that’s come from above.
“The NRL have been trying to eradicate players milking penalties!
“It’s a howler!”
For the Titans, second rower Beau Fermor has one hand on a first Queensland jersey, with another strong performance for an overall disappointing Titans.
Fermor had two tries, a line break, and 131 metres, providing a silver lining in the Titans’ fifth straight loss.
Parker believes Fermor should firmly be in Billy Slater’s selection conversations.
“He’s well and truly in my conversation,” Parker said.
“The thing with him is he can play back row, play in the middle or play in the centres.
“He is a hell of a player and we’re seeing it in the early parts of this season.”
The Bulldogs were in control for most of the match, reinstating their authority atop the NRL ladder and responding to their heavy loss to the Brisbane Broncos last week without the likes of the suspended Matt Burton, Josh Curran, and Sitili Tupouniua. It is the club's first ever win at Magic Round.
The magic of a Tino Fa'asuamaleaui chip and chase that led to a Philip Sami try wasn’t enough for the Titans, with serious selection conversations needing to happen for Des Hasler, particularly around the best position for AJ Brimson.
