NRL Good Friday Game
| Location | Stadium Australia, Sydney, New South Wales |
|---|---|
| Teams | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs South Sydney Rabbitohs |
| First meeting | 6 April 2012 South Sydney 20 def. Canterbury-Bankstown 10 |
| Latest meeting | 3 April 2026 South Sydney 32 def. Canterbury-Bankstown 24 |
| Next meeting | 26 March 2027 |
| Broadcasters | Fox League, Channel 9 |
| Statistics | |
| Most wins | South Sydney 10 wins |
| Largest victory | South-Sydney 38 points (2 April 2021) |
NRL Good Friday Game — The National Rugby League's Good Friday Game is held annually on the Good Friday holiday in Australia between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. It is traditionally played at Stadium Australia.[1]
In 2014, it took a Trent Hodkinson field goal in the 78th minute to gift the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs the win 15-14.[2] In the 2015 match, dubbed 'Bad Friday',[3] a controversial finish to the match ended with a penalty being awarded against James Graham of Canterbury-Bankstown, allowing South Sydney to score a winning penalty goal.[4]
This led to arguments between Canterbury players and referee Gerard Sutton, with David Klemmer being sin binned for dissent. Canterbury-Bankstown supporters then threw objects at the referees as they were escorted swiftly of the field straight after full-time.[5] In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, the NRL season was postponed meaning the match did not go ahead.
In round 4 of the 2021 NRL season, South Sydney recorded the biggest winning margin in the fixture defeating Canterbury-Bankstown 38-0.[6] In round 6 of the 2023 NRL season, South Sydney recorded the most points scored by a winning team in the Good Friday game as they defeated Canterbury 50-16.[7]
Head to head
| Team | Played | Games won | Draws | Games lost | Points For | Points Against | Point Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs |
14 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 218 | 301 | -83 |
 South Sydney Rabbitohs |
14 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 301 | 218 | +83 |
Results
| Date | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue | Crowd | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 April 2012 | South Sydney Rabbitohs |
20–10 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs |
ANZ Stadium, Sydney | 35,221 | [8] |
| 29 March 2013 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs |
12–17 | South Sydney Rabbitohs |
ANZ Stadium, Sydney | 51,686 | [9] |
| 18 April 2014 | South Sydney Rabbitohs |
14–15 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs |
ANZ Stadium, Sydney | 43,255 | [10] |
| 3 April 2015 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs |
17–18 | South Sydney Rabbitohs |
ANZ Stadium, Sydney | 40,523 | [11] |
| 25 March 2016 | South Sydney Rabbitohs |
12–42 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs |
ANZ Stadium, Sydney | 38,192 | [12] |
| 14 April 2017 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs |
24–9 | South Sydney Rabbitohs |
ANZ Stadium, Sydney | 35,984 | [13] |
| 30 March 2018 | South Sydney Rabbitohs |
20–16 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs |
ANZ Stadium, Sydney | 32,471 | [14] |
| 19 April 2019 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs |
6–14 | South Sydney Rabbitohs |
ANZ Stadium, Sydney | 30,040 | [15] |
| 2 April 2021 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs |
0–38 | South Sydney Rabbitohs |
Stadium Australia, Sydney | 23,240 | [16] |
| 15 April 2022 | South Sydney Rabbitohs |
36–16 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs |
Accor Stadium, Sydney | 30,194 | [17] |
| 7 April 2023 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs |
16–50 | South Sydney Rabbitohs |
Accor Stadium, Sydney | 35,211 | [18] |
| 29 March 2024 | South Sydney Rabbitohs |
20–16 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs |
Accor Stadium, Sydney | 35,275 | [19] |
| 18 April 2025 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs |
32–0 | South Sydney Rabbitohs |
Accor Stadium, Sydney | 65,305 | |
| 3 April 2026 | South Sydney Rabbitohs |
32–24 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs |
Accor Stadium, Sydney | 49,813 |
- 2020 NRL Good Friday Game cancelled due to COVID-19 lockdown
References
- Back to citation "Bulldogs and Rabbitohs Good Friday History". Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. 9 April 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
- Back to citation "Flash back Friday: Good Friday 2014". Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
- Back to citation "How 'Bad Friday' clash sparked a fire in NRL".
- Back to citation "Good Friday Battle". www.bulldogs.com.au. 10 April 2019.
- Back to citation Chammas, Michael (3 April 2015). "South Sydney Rabbitohs win by point over Canterbury Bulldogs in controversial Good Friday clash". The Age. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
- Back to citation "Rabbitohs shine, Dogs scoreless in third straight game". www.espn.com. 2 April 2021.
- Back to citation "Dolphins triumph over Cowboys 32-22 in Qld NRL derby, South Sydney thrashes Canterbury 50-16". ABC News. 7 April 2023.
- Back to citation "NRL 2012 - Round 6 - Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Archived from the original on 13 March 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
- Back to citation "NRL 2013 - Round 4 - Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Archived from the original on 13 March 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
- Back to citation "NRL 2014 - Round 7 - Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Archived from the original on 13 March 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
- Back to citation "NRL 2015 - Round 5 - Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Archived from the original on 13 March 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
- Back to citation "NRL 2016 - Round 4 - Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Archived from the original on 13 March 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
- Back to citation "NRL 2017 - Round 7 - Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Archived from the original on 13 March 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
- Back to citation "NRL 2018 - Round 4 - Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Archived from the original on 13 March 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
- Back to citation "NRL 2019 - Round 6 - Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Archived from the original on 13 March 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
- Back to citation "Bulldogs v Rabbitohs". National Rugby League. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- Back to citation "Bulldogs v Rabbitohs-Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- Back to citation "NRL 2023 - Round 6 Bulldogs vs Rabbitohs". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- Back to citation "NRL 2024 - Round 4 Rabbitohs vs Bulldogs". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 11 April 2024.