Shane Flanagan has resisted the urge to swing the selection axe despite St George Illawarra suffering their fourth loss in five games.

Flanagan has retained the same 17-man line-up that went down 31-24 to the Roosters for this Saturday’s must-win match against Canterbury at Accor Stadium.

Sitting in 11th spot on the ladder with a 6-10 record, they need to win at least seven of their remaining eight matches to have any hope of qualifying for the finals.

They are four points adrift of eighth spot and face a Bulldogs team riding high in third spot after their 12-8 road win over the Cowboys last Saturday night at QCB Stadium.

Utility back Mat Feagai’s return from an ankle injury to the extended reserves list is the only change Flanagan has made to his squad of 21 which will be cut back on game day.

Gerringong Lions forward Hamish Stewart has retained his spot on the interchange despite a knee injury limiting his involvement to just 21 minutes against the Roosters.

Veteran second-rower Luciano Leilua has been named to play despite suffering a laceration in his leg which also kept him off the field last Saturday.

The Dragons gave the Roosters a good run for their money at Kogarah but the visitors overcame an 18-12 deficit late in the first half to go up by seven midway through the second stanza.

St George Illawarra narrowed the gap to one before Victor Radley sealed the win with a try in the 77th minute.

Canterbury have been one of the form teams of the 2025 season but have had a bumpy ride in recent weeks, losing to Penrith and Brisbane before getting the better of the struggling Cowboys last weekend.

Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo has pulled a selection surprise by naming mid-season recruit Lachie Galvin at halfback for the duel with the Dragons after dropping him altogether from the team that conquered the Cowboys.

Regular halfback Toby Sexton has been relegated to the reserves.

State of Origin stars Stephen Crichton and Kurt Mann are back in the line-up after they were rested last week.

Crichton replaces injured centre Bronson Xerri with Mann on the bench.

Rookie winger Jethro Rinakama keeps his spot on the wing after a strong debut against the Cowboys while second-rower Sitili Tupouniua could be a late inclusion if he can prove his fitness after a recent hamstring injury.

In the NRLW, Dragons coach Nathan Cross has also kept the same 17 for their game against the Dogs at Homebush.

They started the season with a 36-14 triumph over Canberra but were brought back to earth with a thud by the Roosters, who beat them 24-10.

The NRLW kicks off Saturday’s Accor Stadium schedule at 3.15pm, followed by the NRL at 5.30pm.