Match of the Round
Belmont Swansea United v Kahibah FC
Blacksmiths Oval, Saturday 4.30pm
Reigning champions Belmont Swansea United host Kahibah FC on Saturday with an eagerness to continue where they left off in 2022.
Joshua Rufo has returned to the club as first team coach and has eyes on the prize of a place in the NPL Men’s NNSW competition.
“Everyone is eagerly looking forward to the new season and it's come around very quick,” the former Newcastle NSL player said.
“The goal is to reach the NPL. We will build on the platform built from successful past seasons.”
Belswans also have a new stream of emerging talent, though the gaffer remained coy on who.
“Look, there is transition here. We've got a lot of younger players learning our style of play. I won't single out anyone out,” Rufo said.
“We've got a lot of exciting younger players and a lot of experienced players that have brought a lot of success over the last couple of years who have re-signed.
“We will be very competitive.”
Possession football is not Rufo’s style. The new coach wants to see attacking football with an end-product.
“We need to be very attacking with fast-paced build up play and a really solid defensive base,” Rufo said.
“90s Italian football was direct and effective. My thoughts and thinking is influenced by that,” Rufo, a Lazio fan, said.
Kahibah finished third last season before Belswans eliminated the Rams one match short of the grand final. Coach Mat Moncrieff is relishing the opportunity to lock horns with the 2022 champions.
“We’re looking forward to it, taking on the champions in round one is a good test for us,” Moncrieff said.
“It’s been a short pre-season but it's been fairly good for us, we played two trial games last weekend so we’re ready to go.
“There’s generally not much between us when we play.
“It's always a tough game, especially at Blacksmiths Oval and we expect nothing less on Saturday.
“Ben Higgins is a new signing for us. He has 251 first grade games under his belt and will strengthen our backline along with a few young bloods from different clubs.”
While Moncrieff has a preferred style of football, adaptability is his key ingredient.
“Our players and opposition change from week to week, flexibility to adapt is key, especially at the beginning of the season,” Moncrieff said.
“I don't start the year with a set plan how to do things. I have base rules that we start with and it's all flexible from there.
“Some teams will give you freedom to play, sometimes you can press, sometimes you can't.
“To be honest, we base our football on the match ahead and adjust according to the opposition.
“It's a pretty short pre-season this year. We had three or four weeks of pure fitness and squeezed in two trial games last week.
“So we're pretty happy where we are.”
Thornton Redbacks FC v South Cardiff FC
Pasadena Oval, Friday 8pm
The 2023 Hit106.9 Northern League One competition kicks off with a bang on Friday night as the Thornton Redbacks host South Cardiff at Pasadena Oval.
South Cardiff coach Perry Mellon has been eagerly awaiting the new season with the Gunners to field a team balanced with experience and emerging talent.
“Round one is always something you're excited for,” Mellon said.
“Pre-season has been good. We've been lucky enough to retain a large portion of our players from last season.
“We've also brought in a couple of experienced players from other clubs.
“We’ve focused on bringing back younger players who have been at the club previously, returning from NPL clubs.
“[Anthony Carter] has come across from New Lambton which adds really good experience to our group, which we probably needed.
“Wes [Pryce] is an experienced defender but he won't play in defence for us.
“Justin Bannick is an exciting prospect. He played his junior football in the [under]-13s and 14s for the Swans, so he’s someone to keep an eye out for.
“We are trying to get the right kind of mentality and blend between youth and experience to help us progress from last year.
“Players with quite a few years of experience combined with younger players who either have played a few games here and there or who are ready to step up to the next level.
“In my opinion you need some older players blended with younger players who can do the running and bring that extra layer of enthusiasm into the squad.”
While the coach enjoys possession football, it needs to have a purpose.
“I like possession-based football but again, it's time and place kind of thing,” Mellon said.
“It depends on the situation and we will adjust to it.
“But our principles remain keeping the ball moving quickly and finding the spaces.”
While the Northern League One fans embrace an early start to the season, it has come around quickly for Thornton Redbacks coach Gary Wand.
Wand’s game plan is contingent on the opposition and the personnel he has available.
Wand would not divulge any secrets but like a chameleon he was ready to adapt to the situation.
“It's all a little bit too soon. The earliest we've been kicked off prior to this is probably the middle of March but we’re looking forward to going around again,” Wand said.
“We've lost quite a few players, senior players like [Blake] Thompson, Ryan Broadley, Jordan Elphick and Jake Millsteed.
“They're getting on a bit. They've all gone back and played lower league stuff.
“We’ve got a couple of younger fellas playing. I don't like putting names on it because that can put pressure on them as well.
“I play cards very close to my chest. I don’t like naming names at this stage but if they play well, I will.
“We haven't had many pre-season matches because you have three byes. So you're playing 24 games a season, we will be a bit a bit rusty for the first few games.
“We'll be fairly cagey to start with because we won't have the legs.
“Later on in the year, I do like to press. I'm not possession mad because possession has a purpose and that's to go forward and try and score goals.
“Like I said, it's got to have a purpose. I like to be attacking but that's going to depend on who we're playing and how dominant the opposition is.
“So yeah, we always change. I always change depending on who we're playing.
“You'll come and watch one week and we'll be stepping off and letting the team have the ball.
“Next week we’ll be all over them in many areas so it just depends on who we're playing and the quality players that I've got available as well.”
Toronto Awaba FC v West Wallsend SFC
Lyall Peacock Field, Saturday 2.30pm
Toronto Awaba kick-off their season in front of their home supporters at Lyall Peacock Field facing old rivals West Wallsend on Saturday.
If pre-season is anything to go by, the match has goals written all over it.
Eight goals were scored in the Stags’ pre-season goal fest against Kahibah which finished 4-4.
Toronto Awaba will rely on goals from club legend Nicholas Roberts who has scored 59 goals from 161 matches.
Goalkeeper Drew Olsen has re-signed for his fifth season and young gun Jarrod Purcell has the pace and firepower to change a game with impressive stats of 26 goals from 65 games.
West Wallsend re-signed influential players Josh Carroll and Matt Paul and have been active in pre-season participating in the Fin Cairney Cup and are poised to kick-off their Australia Cup campaign.
Cessnock City Hornets FC v Singleton Strikers FC
Turner Park, Sunday 5.50pm
Cessnock City and Singleton will look to get their seasons off to a strong start when they meet at Turner Park on Sunday.
The Hornets will look to improve on a disappointing 2022 campaign, with Cessnock finishing second last, five points above Wallsend FC, with only four wins for the season.
Singleton will be out to build on an impressive effort last year which culminated in another finals appearance for the 2020 champions.
The Strikers and Hornets played out two tight matches last season, with Singleton winning their round three visit to Turner Park 2-1 after goals from Hayden Nicol and Jackson Cox cancelled out Isaac Peek’s effort for Cessnock.
Singleton and Cessnock also featured in a 2-2 draw in round 12.
Wallsend FC have the bye