New Eels coach Ryles initially named Addo-Carr in his extended squad to face Canterbury on Sunday, but has since confirmed he will return from the four-game ban he incurred late last year.

Addo-Carr had his Bulldogs contract terminated in the fallout from his drug-driving saga, which cast a pall over the club’s fairytale return to finals last year.

But Ryles dispelled any suggestions the clash at CommBank Stadium shaped as a grudge match for premiership-winner Addo-Carr, who played three seasons at the Bulldogs.

“He speaks very highly of the Dogs so there’s no animosity at all there. He’s just looking forward to playing footy again,” Ryles said.

“He’s had a really good week at training, he’s had a really good prep leading in, he knew this would be his return game. He’s basically pointed all his preparation to this.”

Recent debutant Jordan Samrani appears the likeliest candidate to drop out of the backline to accommodate Addo-Carr’s return, with Sean Russell another option.

Elsewhere, Canterbury prop Max King conceded it would take another full year of consistently aiming up for the Bulldogs’ forwards to not be seen as easy targets for rivals.

Often maligned for their lack of size, the Bulldogs’ pack made a genuine statement in last week’s 16-point win over Gold Coast.

Against a team that features some of the NRL’s biggest-name forwards, Canterbury steamrolled the Titans and scored multiple soft tries through the middle.

The Bulldogs have a chance to go 3-0 for the first time since 2012 against a struggling Parramatta, before a heavyweight clash with Cronulla next week.

But King said last year was proof to the Bulldogs that it would take more than one good week or month of aiming up for sides not to target Canterbury’s pack.

“It always seems to be a talking point of us, where teams are going to attack and they go straight through the front door,” King told AAP.

“There were games last year where I felt like we didn’t do a good job through the front door as middles. I felt like we got dominated.

“You play 24 games a year, there’s probably three or four games where we we did lose the battle as middles and the rest we held our own.

“I know the feeling of walking off the field after those games and it’s not a good feeling.”

The Bulldogs have lost Viliame Kikau from their pack for Sunday’s game, with Sitili Tupouniua to instead start in the second row after a hot start to the season.

King and Josh Curran are also again listed to start against Parramatta, after combining for 170 metres in their opening stint against Gold Coast last week.

But the former Gold Coast and Melbourne prop said that would mean very little in the long run unless the physicality was replicated on a weekly basis.

“Teams always aim up and they like to sort of take themselves on against us and we know it,” King said.

“It’s a big emphasis for us middles and it’s great for challenges like that.”

Eels v Bulldogs NRL R3 best bets

NRL Round 3: Eels vs Bulldogs betting preview

Parramatta have endured a horror start to the 2025 NRL season and will be hoping to bounce back against the Canterbury Bulldogs at CommBank Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The Eels have conceded 88 points across their opening two games, showing little resistance defensively.

Their 32-6 loss to the Tigers last week was particularly concerning, as they failed to capitalise on early field position and were completely outmuscled in the second half.

Jason Ryles’ men will need to find defensive steel quickly, but with star halfback Mitchell Moses still sidelined, their attack continues to lack fluency and direction.

On the other hand, the Bulldogs have enjoyed a strong 2-0 start, brushing aside both the Titans and Warriors with clinical attacking displays.

However, they face a test of their depth with Matt Burton and Viliame Kikau sidelined through injury.

Those are big shoes to fill, and how well they adjust will be key to Canterbury’s chances of covering the spread set by the rugby league betting sites.

The Eels have won four of their last five games against the Bulldogs, but current form suggests they will struggle to match Canterbury’s powerful forward pack and structured backline movements.

If their defensive frailties persist, it could be another tough afternoon for the blue and gold faithful, with Parra pegged as $3.10 outsiders with the top NRL bookmakers.

Eels v Bulldogs Round 3 team news

Ronald Volkman has been dropped, with Dean Hawkins handed a club debut at halfback. Josh Addo-Carr returns from suspension but has been named in the reserves.

Bailey Hayward starts at five-eighth for Burton, and Sitili Tupouniua replaces Kikau in the back row. Kurt Morrin and Daniel Suluka-Fifita bolster the interchange.