Match of the Round
Armidale City Westside FC v Port United FC
Harris Park, Saturday 10 May 3pm
Armidale City Westside FC co-coach Steve Gray is expecting a challenging contest when his side welcomes Port United FC to Harris Park on Saturday for round one of the inaugural NNSW Regional Super League Match of the Round.
Armidale City Westside is a well-established club within the Northern Inland football community and competes in the Northern Inland Premier League competition.
The side is headed by brother coaching duo Steve and Anthony Gray, each of whom have been involved with the club on and off their whole lives.
Armidale City Westside have gone from strength to strength in the local competitions, earning promotion into the Northern Inland Premier League in 2022 and have sat in the top half of the table ever since.
They have had a stop-start local season so far due to wet weather but have secured one win, one draw and one loss. They will be eager to enter the NNSW RSL with a fresh slate in round one.
These two sides have met before but Steve Gray believed Saturday would be a whole new playing field.
“We are super excited and it is a big opportunity to be a part of the competition in the first year,” Gray said.
“We just need to go in and focus on ourselves and get the simple things right. We have come across Port United at the Challenge Cup but we know it’s a pre-season competition and lots of things can change.
“Our squad is fairly similar to previous years except we have lost a couple of key players but we have brought in some great players.
“We are looking forward to it. Hopefully it will be a good contest.”
Gray said that it would mean everything to his side to kick off the competition with a win in front of a home crowd.
“It’s fantastic to be playing at home and we are really looking forward to Port coming along,” Gray said.
“It would be massive to get a win. We are expecting a hard game.
“To come away with three points would be outstanding to set us up for the rest of the competition. We want to set up and establish ourselves in this competition.”
Port United also enters the contest as another strong club in their local football community.
They finished top of Football Mid North Coast’s Zone League table and won the grand final in 2024.
But the squad has seen significant player turnover for its 2025 campaign, with new players joining the club and younger players stepping up into the senior space.
Port United have had a disrupted start to their local competition as they played the first two rounds before the next two were washed out.
Port United coach Glen Morris believed those two factors could disadvantage them as they head into round one but said the competition was a great opportunity for his players to gain experience against some of the best in regional northern NSW.
“I think myself, the club and the squad are grateful for the opportunity. It is good to test your skills outside of the area,” Morris said.
“In our own competition in previous years we have pretty much always been in the grand finals. During the pre-season we had a lot of offers from clubs outside of our area to play us in trial games which I think is a great compliment.
“We have a new squad as we have lost of lot from last year but we have some great new guys and younger players who have stepped up.
“You can’t prepare too much against opposition you don't know a lot about, so you have to prepare for the worst. We are going into it by training like we normally do and will play our normal game.
“We have not had as much preparation as I would have liked and I think we might be at a slight disadvantage due to the wet weather.
“I think that this weekend is more about the experience for our boys and to help them grow. I have seen a few of the teams and they loom strong.
“As long as our boys go out there and have some fun that’s the main thing.”
Don’t miss out on all of the action from the NNSW RSL round one Match of the Round which will be streamed live and free on NNSWF’s YouTube channel HERE.
Urunga FC v Macleay Valley Rangers FC
Urunga Recreational Reserve, Saturday 31 May 3pm
Urunga FC coach Jaxen Heward says that his side want to get off on the right foot when they welcome Macleay Valley Rangers FC to Urunga Recreational Reserve on Saturday 31 May.
Urunga competes in North Coast Football’s Men's HIT105.5FM Premier League, where they have proved that they are one of the top teams in the area after they finished third on the table last season.
The Raiders have had a mixed start to their local competition with one win, one draw and one loss so far.
These two sides are not unfamiliar with each other, as they have gone head-to-head various times in recent years in Australia Cup and pre-season matches.
But Heward said that this time there would be much more on the line for each club.
“The guys are looking forward to it to play against different faces in this competition,” Heward said.
“I think that it is great for men’s and women’s teams to have access to a competition that opens up that next level without being a knockout or preseason competition.
“We have seen [Macleay] in trial and Australia Cup matches but it is good to play them when the season is in full swing and when it means so much more.
“It definitely helps us to be a bit more prepared as we do know how they play.
“We have had a little bit of turn over so we have slotted a few new players in and are building those relationships.
“It has been a bit of a mixed up and down start to the season but we want to get off on the right foot early in the competition and set the tone.”
Macleay Valley Rangers are located in the mid north coast town of Kempsey and are a part of Football Mid North Coast’s Zone League competition.
They have also had an inconsistent start to their 2025 campaign with one win and two losses.
Macleay Valley Rangers would hope that they can hit the ground running and make their debut in the NNSW RSL one to remember.
Inverell FC v Woolgoolga United FC
Inverell Sporting Complex, Saturday 10 May 3pm
Two local powerhouse clubs will look to put their stamp on the competition when Inverell FC and Woolgoolga United FC go head-to-head at Inverell Sporting Complex on Saturday afternoon.
Inverell FC have established themselves as a club to beat in the northern inland region.
In 2024 they were crowned premiers and grand final winners of the Northern Inland Premier League. They have started their 2025 season in a similar fashion with two wins and one loss.
They will hope that they can continue to shine on the northern NSW stage and start their NNSW RSL campaign with a win at home.
Located about 20 minutes north of Coffs Harbour, Woolgoolga United will also enter the NNSW RSL with something to prove after a successful 2024 season in their local competition.
They compete in North Coast Football’s Men's HIT105.5FM Premier League, where they finished second on the table and lost in the grand final on penalties last season.
Woolgoolga United have a mixed start to their 2025 campaign with a win and loss in the Men's HIT105.5FM Premier League.
But they would hope to return to their previous form and challenge Inverell with the hope of returning home with all three points in round one.
Port Saints FC v Northern Storm FC
Findlay Park, Saturday 31 May 3pm
Two sides will be eager to kick off round one of the NNSW RSL with a bang when Port Saints FC welcomes Northern Storm FC to Findlay Park.
The two sides will get to see how some of the competition starts in round one this weekend before they take to the pitch on Saturday 31 May.
Port Saints FC are a club with a proud football history located in Port Macquarie and participate in Football Mid North Coast’s Zone League One competition.
They have had a mixed start to their 2025 local season in their local Zone League competition with a win and a loss to their name.
They will be determined to start the competition strongly and hope they can use their home ground advantage to secure the win.
Northern Storm are located in the Coffs Harbour region and play in North Coast Football’s Men's HIT105.5FM Premier League.
They have a strong footballing presence in the region and had a standout 2024 campaign, where they finished second on the table and won the grand final.
Northern Storm will hope to emulate their 2024 success in the inaugural NNSW RSL and return up north with all three points.
