Match of the Round
Valentine FC v Kahibah FC
Croudace Bay Complex, Sunday 1pm
Kahibah FC head coach Blair Newham is expecting his side to put several learnings from their first season in the NPL NNSW into practise when they take on Valentine FC at Croudace Bay Complex on Sunday.
The last time the sides met in round seven, the Rams claimed a 3-0 victory in a memorable day for the century-old club, securing their first win at the redeveloped Fred Wright Oval and their maiden home victory in the NPL NNSW.
When the teams meet again this weekend, the circumstances are very different. A disappointing run of mid-season losses has seen the Rams slip to 11th on the table heading into the round.
While they snapped the losing streak with a 4-1 win over Charlestown Azzurri, their catch-up games have seen the side struggle to take points, with close losses to Adamstown Rosebud and Edgeworth Eagles.
But with his side close to full strength, Newham expects them to rise to the challenge against a vastly improved Phoenix outfit and use the lessons learned throughout the season to climb out of the bottom two with a win.
“The boys know exactly what to do and how to execute it,” Newham said.
“Being able to make quality football decisions for an extended period of time becomes harder and harder when you throw pressure into the mix. We knew that would be the case with the group that we had.
“At the moment, we've got a group that are making their names in this competition and they're going to make mistakes.
“We're just trying to take the pressure out of the squad altogether. We know that Valentine will be tough to beat.
“They've probably been one of the better supported teams this year as far as home ground attendances go. Probably Valentine and us. It means something to those communities and we're going to need all the support we can get come Sunday.”
Valentine’s improved form came to a halt over the break, with a 3-0 catch-up loss to Cooks Hill United seeing the Phoenix slip back into the congested lower half of the table and down to 10th.
Despite the setback, head coach Lee Sterrey remains focused, knowing a home win this weekend could move the Phoenix more than three points clear of the relegation zone.
The Phoenix also have an opportunity to build momentum, with a run of matches against
teams around them on the table before finishing the regular season at home to Weston Bears.
Sterrey is under no illusion of the challenge the Rams bring but has also reminded the squad of the bigger picture and how much easier their run home gets should they prevail.
“We threw away a fair few points in that first round [of the season],” Sterrey said.
“I set a target for our boys, there's a certain amount of points that will keep us safe and that's what we're aiming for.
“We're not looking at one game at a time, that's an old cliche. It's about attitude and desire that keeps us up.
“We’ve spoke about back-to-back performances. Two wins can have you right in the penthouse and not in the other house.
“If our desire is at the highest level, we shouldn't have to worry about just a point here or there. We're looking to win games; we're not looking to draw or anything else.”
Edgeworth Eagles v Belmont Swansea United
Jack McLaughlan Oval, Saturday 2pm
Belmont Swansea United head coach Mick Stafford has used a valuable week off to give his squad a chance to rest before returning fresh for Saturday's trip to Jack McLaughlan Oval to face Edgeworth Eagles.
With their fixtures now up to date, BelSwans have enjoyed the past fortnight off after climbing to second on the table with a round 16 win over Broadmeadow Magic.
They backed that performance up with a 3-1 victory over Charlestown Azzurri, leaving them with three wins from their past four matches as they continue to build on their strong form from earlier in the season.
The side will spend much of the second half of the season on the road, with their next three matches away from home before finishing the campaign at home.
Stafford will welcome back a near full-strength squad and expects them to be ready to fire against the Eagles, with their NPL position secured and a chance to make history still within reach as they turn their attention towards finals calculations.
“We've switched off for 10 days, I think all the players have enjoyed the break,” Stafford said.
“There's no pressure on us in regard to the weekend. We've just got to go there and play our game. It's a quality Edgeworth side and they've turned a corner, so they're going to be a real threat on Saturday.
“If we can play to our strengths, which I think are very strong, we'll look just to get a result. That's huge for us to go to Edgeworth and get any kind of result.
“They're [his players] not playing within their shells anymore. They're playing with a lot of freedom. I'm letting them have that freedom now because of the position we're in. There's no pressure on us for relegation or anything like that.
“We can actually just play how we want and not be so conservative as we were last year. If we can continue to play with that sort of vigor and freedom, we could end up anywhere.”
Edgeworth have stormed back into the top three over the last three weeks, overcoming a slump in the middle of the season to claim consecutive victories over Lambton Jaffas, Adamstown Rosebud and Kahibah FC.
The Eagles only had one catch-up game against the latter side, meaning they will likely come into the weekend with plenty of momentum, a valuable advantage when facing a team as imposing as BelSwans.
While the hosts would need a six-goal victory or more to overtake BelSwans into second place, a win would see the sides level on competition points and open the door for Edgeworth to make a late charge at Magic with a favourable draw over the next fortnight.
With the sides producing a thrilling 4-3 result in favour of BelSwans when they last met in round seven, the Eagles know they will need to be at their best to secure a victory.
Weston Bears v Lambton Jaffas
Hunter City Motor Group Stadium, Saturday 2pm
Weston Bears will look to break back into the top three when they welcome Lambton Jaffas to Hunter City Motor Group Stadium on Saturday, with both sides entering the clash with plenty to play for as the race for finals positions heats up.
June proved a challenging month for the Bears, with two tight draws against in-form sides Belmont Swansea United and Cooks Hill United interrupted by a home loss to Maitland FC. Their struggles continued in round 17, with a second-half collapse resulting in a 5-1 defeat to Broadmeadow Magic.
The Bears do have a game in hand, their match earlier this week against Charlestown Azzurri postponed due to wet weather conditions.
With the side having the next three weeks at home, Weston are in a good position to push BelSwans for a top two finish and shake off moments where execution has let them down earlier in the season, and a victory over an in-form Jaffas would go a long way.
The visitors’ top-five aspirations have taken a hit following both the completion of catch-up fixtures by rival sides and a three-match winless run, leaving the Jaffas in seventh place and five points outside the finals positions.
Despite this, Lambton Jaffas have maintained their attacking threat, securing draws against in-form sides Adamstown Rosebud and Valentine FC, while their 3-2 defeat to Edgeworth Eagles was decided by a last-minute goal from the hosts.
With Weston’s struggles at home this season, the Jaffas will believe they are capable of taking points from the clash. A positive result would be valuable, with three challenging fixtures against Maitland, Cooks Hill and BelSwans to follow in the run home.
Cooks Hill United v Charlestown Azzurri
Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field, Saturday 4.30pm
Cooks Hill United will be chasing history when they welcome Charlestown Azzurri to Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field on Saturday afternoon.
The hosts have had mixed form with three draws and two wins in their last five games, but their ability to keep taking competition points has proven fruitful, with the team leading the chasing pack in sixth and sitting four points behind Maitland FC in fifth.
A key goal for head coach Jamie Dunning has been to get the side into their first-ever NPL NNSW finals, and his knack for chasing that position has clearly lit a fire under his side over the last two months of action.
The hosts know they need to make their next three weeks at home count, and if they can manage points against Charlestown and either Broadmeadow Magic and/or Lambton Jaffas, the side is well-placed to make a final push for the top five.
For Charlestown, their goal is simple: win at all costs.
Sitting last on the table, June was a difficult month for the Blues, a 2-2 draw in a round seven catch-up game with Cooks Hill the only points they’ve been able to secure.
The side’s defence has also notably dropped off, conceding 16 goals in their last four matches, including a 7-1 loss to Newcastle Olympic in their round 13 catch-up match.
The Blues have a game in hand, their Tuesday night round 14 catch-up clash with Weston Bears postponed due to wet weather.
Even so, Charlestown has a difficult run of home games for the rest of the season, and if they want to avoid relegation, they have to start producing results quickly.
Maitland FC v Adamstown Rosebud
Cooks Square Park, Saturday 4.30pm
Maitland FC will be looking to lock down their finals spot and chase a fifth consecutive win when they welcome an unpredictable Adamstown Rosebud to Cooks Square Park on Saturday afternoon.
Ever since their victory in their El Clásicoal clash with Weston Bears at the end of May, the Magpies have looked a different side, grinding out tough wins over in-form sides Belmont Swansea United and Valentine FC, as well a 1-0 home victory over a spirited Newcastle Olympic outfit.
It has proven a tricky part of the season to navigate, but for Maitland to come through with the results bodes well for their run home, the side facing tough fixtures ahead against Edgeworth Eagles, Broadmeadow Magic and Lambton Jaffas.
They will need that form again this weekend, as they face a Buds side who, despite sitting near the bottom of the table, have been one of the hardest sides across the whole season to put away.
The 2026 season has been nothing short of frustrating so far for Adamstown, the side boasting a talented outfit that has troubled many sides, yet the only metric they have struggled with this season is the number in the win column.
Consistency across 90 minutes has been their Achilles heel but given the level they have shown at their best, a strong performance against a higher-ranked side could spark a run of results, making them a dangerous opponent for Maitland.
Broadmeadow Magic v Newcastle Olympic
Magic Park, Sunday 3pm
Finishing off the round, Broadmeadow Magic will look to maintain their five-point lead at the top of the table when they welcome Newcastle Olympic to Magic Park on Sunday afternoon.
The loss to Belmont Swansea United may have been a difficult result for the defending champions to absorb, but it sparked a stunning response the following week, producing a dominant 5-1 victory over Weston Bears.
Having not played during the break, the time off to reset after such a strong performance will likely benefit Jim Cresnar’s side as they return refreshed and ready for a favourable run towards finals over the next five weeks.
By comparison, Olympic’s inconsistent form over the past five weeks left them in a precarious position in the bottom half of the table, before they responded emphatically in their round 13 catch-up fixture against Charlestown Azzurri.
The 7-1 win at Darling Street Oval saw Olympic execute their game plan perfectly, punishing the Blues’ mistakes either side of half-time with their transitional play proving decisive.
The result lifted Olympic out of the danger zone for now, but the side knows there is still work to do to secure their NPL NNSW position for next season, with their next three fixtures coming against teams currently sitting inside the top four.