The Brisbane Broncos will be desperate to revive their premiership defence when they host the winless St. George Illawarra Dragons at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday afternoon. 

The bye came at a good time for the reigning premiers, who entered the break on a three-game losing streak, including a 42-12 defeat to the Warriors in Magic Round. 

St. George Illawarra’s latest loss also came against New Zealand, with the 30-12 result marking the Dragons’ 15th straight defeat. 

However, the Dragons can take some confidence from having won the past two meetings against the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium. 

Michael Maguire regains Origin quartet Kotoni Staggs, Patrick Carrigan, Ezra Mam and Gehamat Shibasaki, while Payne Haas returns for his first game since Round 7. 

Grant Anderson and Jack Gosiewski have also been named on the extended bench following their respective layoffs, although Jordan Riki is sidelined after foot surgery. 

Moses Suli and Mathew Feagai replace injured pair Hayden Buchanan and Christian Tuipulotu in the Dragons starting side, while Jacob Liddle returns on the interchange.

For the latest news, odds and analysis ahead of this Sunday showdown at Suncorp, check out our Broncos vs Dragons tips and predictions below.

Broncos vs Dragons Prediction and Betting Tips 

Head-to-Head Prediction 

Ok, this is getting worrying. We’re officially entering “delete the club” territory. We’re in Round 13 and the Dragons are still yet to win a game. 

They’ll face reigning Premiers Brisbane this weekend up at Suncorp Stadium and there’s no prizes for guessing who we are tipping. 

For the first time in what feels like forever, every member of the Broncos spine have dodged Origin Selection, with livewire fullback Reece Walsh being the biggest surprise inclusion for the Broncos after missing out on the QLD No.1 jersey.

Blues enforcer Payne Haas is also tipped to return from injury in this one, which is a week too late to play Origin, but just in time to run riot against the hapless Dragons. 

Betting tip: Brisbane Broncos. 

First Try Scorer Prediction 

When looking for a first try scorer, we always like to pick a man with a point to prove. Here, Reece Walsh is that man. How will he respond to watching Queensland’s Origin loss, which was largely due to his replacement, Kalyn Ponga being sent off. 

The door is now ajar for Walsh to return to the Origin arena and if he wants to steal his spot back off Ponga, he’ll need to start getting runs on the board, quick. 

Walsh has also scored at least one try in seven of his last eight appearances against opponents that were ranked in the bottom four, making him a prime candidate for this market in this game. 

Betting tip: Reece Walsh.

Over/Under Prediction 

Each of Brisbane's last seven home matches against St. George Illawarra have gone over the total match points line.

Betting tip: Over (54.5) total match points. 

Line Prediction

Brisbane has covered the line in each of its last five home matches when playing with a rest advantage.

Betting tip: Broncos (-19.5) line.

Broncos vs Dragons Anytime Try Scorer Betting Tips 

Clint Gutherson

Clint Gutherson has scored at least one try in four of his last five appearances against Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium.

Kotoni Staggs

Kotoni Staggs has scored at least one try in each of Brisbane's last five home matches against St. George Illawarra.

Jacob Liddle

Jacob Liddle has scored at least one try in each of his last three appearances at Suncorp Stadium against opponents that were ranked higher on the ladder.

Ezra Mam

Ezra Mam has scored a try in each of his four previous appearances against St. George Illawarra.

Setu Tu

Setu Tu has scored a try in three of St. George Illawarra's last four matches.

Gehamat Shibasaki

Gehamat Shibasaki has scored a try in each of his three previous home appearances against St. George Illawarra.

Broncos vs Dragons Teams 

Brisbane Broncos Team List 

1. Reece Walsh

2. Josiah Karapani

3. Kotoni Staggs

4. Gehamat Shibasaki

5. Jesse Arthars

6. Ezra Mam

7. Adam Reynolds (c)

8. Preston Riki

9. Cory Paix

10. Payne Haas

11. Brendan Piakura

12. Xavier Willison

13. Pat Carrigan

14. Ben Hunt

15. Ben Talty

16. Va'a Semu

17. Jack Gosiewski

18. Grant Anderson

St George Illawarra Dragons Team List 

1. Clint Gutherson 

2. Setu Tu

3. Moses Suli

4. Valentine Holmes

5. Mathew Feagai 

6. Daniel Atkinson

7. Kyle Flanagan

8. Loko Jnr Pasifiki Tonga

9. Damien Cook (c)

10. Toby Couchman 

11. Dylan Egan 

12. Hamish Stewart

13. Ryan Couchman

14. Jacob Liddle

15. Blake Lawrie

16. Josh Kerr

17. Luciano Leilua

18. Emre Guler

Broncos vs Dragons Match Details 

Date: Sunday, May 31, 2026. 

Kick-off: 2:00pm AEST. 

Location: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane.