Match of the Round
Kahibah FC v Lambton Jaffas FC
Fred Wright Oval, Thursday 8pm
Kahibah FC captain Robbie Turnbull is eager to make more history as the club prepares for its NPL Men’s NNSW debut against Lambton Jaffas at Fred Wright Oval on Thursday night, aiming to prove they can compete in the top league.
Fresh off celebrating the club’s centennial anniversary, the Rams topped the HIT106.9 Northern League One competition nine points clear of second place, losing only one game across the 2025 season.
Their promotion comes with more historic firsts, with the club officially opening the redeveloped Harold Knight Sports Complex on Thursday ahead of their inaugural fixture.
Head coach Blair Newham has kept the core of last season’s squad together, re-signing 2025 HIT106.9 Northern League One Young Player of the Year Daniel Byrne, along with Riley Ferguson, Justin Houtzager, Jaidyn Kianou, Tyson Masters and Lewis Hextell, among several other key contributors.
This will combine with several new faces of the next generation, including Oscar Crakanthorp (Lambton Jaffas), Billy Eick and Shiwa Dul (Newcastle Jets Academy) and Matt Homer (Broadmeadow Magic).
These players will also be bolstered by the experience of skipper Turnbull, the veteran being no stranger to the challenges of the top league from his time at Weston Bears.
Turnbull is excited to now spearhead an exciting inaugural season for Kahibah but also believes the Rams’ playing group is under no illusion of what 2026 will bring.
“It’s a privilege, to be honest,” Turnbull said.
“Our focus has been stepping up in the standards of our training, from the player’s perspective and the coaching perspective, we’ve really focused on what we need to do to be successful in this division.
“There’s been a lot of hard work, we started preseason in October to prepare ourselves.
“Those little tweaks we need to do to be ready for NPL, and we’ve sprinkled that with a bit of quality to bring ourselves up but also keep the quality we have to give ourselves the best opportunity.
“We’re not going to shy away from the fact that promoted clubs have a big hill to climb to bring ourselves up to the level of the more established clubs.
“Only 11 years ago, this club was playing community football, in 11 years we’ve gotten ourselves to NPL level. It’s the opportunity now for us and a privilege for the players to be able to really step up.
“I don’t think there will be a lack of quality from our team to be able to compete at this level, and that is what we’re going to do.”
The Rams will have a good challenger to measure themselves against in Lambton Jaffas, as last year’s grand finalists look to go one better in 2026.
Defence played a key part in Jaffas’ success in 2025, conceding the fourth-lowest amount of goals across the whole competition.
Head coach David Tanchevski will look to focus on improving his side’s attack in 2026, signing winger Tom Parkes (Broadmeadow Magic), and re-signing the 2025 top goalscorer for the club James Oates, as well as attacking options Bailey Newton, Lachie Griffiths, Archie Finn, Riley Taylor and Tommy Waller.
Winger Josh Culjak has also been officially promoted to the senior side, with Ethan Lewis (Edgeworth Eagles) also joining the side as a valuable gloveman option.
Vice-Captain Riley McNaughton believes the side is ready to make a statement, starting on Thursday night.
“We surprised ourselves at the backend of the season,” McNaughton said of Jaffas' finals run.
“It gives us the confidence for this year that we can win those games.
“We’ve got high aspirations, top two at least. [It’s been] a short prep, but it’s great to get back involved again and start playing for points on the weekend.”
Edgeworth Eagles FC v Broadmeadow Magic FC
Jack McLaughlan Oval, Friday 8pm
Broadmeadow Magic captain Jeremy Wilson believes his side’s new signings will play a crucial role when one of the fiercest rivalries reignites on Friday, as they travel to Jack McLaughlan Oval to face Edgeworth FC.
Fresh off their HMRI Charity Shield 2-1 victory over Cooks Hill United, Magic head coach Jim Cresnar used the match to blood new players and experiment with a new look coaching staff.
Magic have an opportunity to make history in 2026, with no club having ever been crowned both premiers and champions for three consecutive seasons in the NPL Men’s NNSW format.
Weston Bears are the only other club to achieve such a feat, doing so back in 1971-73 when the competition was the Northern First Division.
Keanu Moore and Luis Lara Delgardo were among several players who impressed in the HMRI Charity Shield victory, and Wilson believes the opportunity for new talent to press their case will prove invaluable as the season progresses.
“You want to get off on the right foot for the season and get every trophy you can,” Wilson said.
“You do have to freshen things up [as defending champions] otherwise things get a bit stale.
“We’ve lost a couple of players, gained a couple of players, and how we play the game has been freshened up a little this year.
“I don’t think anyone has done that in the NPL NNSW, won the premiership/grand final three times in a row. That’s our goal.”
Edgeworth Eagles head coach Peter McGuinness said he will call on his side to deliver a strong defensive effort to keep Magic at bay as the Eagles had a massive turnover of players in the off-season.
The turnover means McGuinness can call upon many new recruits to stifle Magic’s aggressive approach, with new signings in New Zealand midfielder Jarrod McKechnie (Midwestern State University), Stefan Cordwell (Sunshine Coast Wanderers), Reece McManus (Charlestown Azzurri) and Jayden Stewardson (Broadmeadow Magic).
McGuinness will hope his new look outfit can replicate some of their strong defensive efforts seen last year, with his side conceding only 15 goals in the regular season: the best defence in the competition.
McGuinness is determined to hit the ground running after a disappointing finals series, and victory over the current back-to-back champions will go a long way to bury those demons.
“It’s always a big game between Broadmeadow and Edgeworth, there's always rivalry there,” McGuinness said.
“They’re very consistent in regard to what their player roster is, we’re the contrast. That’s the challenge for us now: to hit the ground running as a completely new team.
“We’re in a position where everyone is hungry. Success can be there if we’re consistent.”
Valentine FC v Belmont Swansea United FC
Croudace Bay Complex, Saturday 5pm
Valentine FC will be hungry to reverse their fortunes after a disappointing 2025 season when they welcome Belmont Swansea United to Croudace Bay Complex on Saturday.
The Phoenix narrowly avoided relegation in 2025, as they secured their spot in the 2026 NPL NNSW competition with a 4-0 win over HIT106.9 Northern league One side West Wallsend in the Promotion/Relegation Play-Off final.
They welcome new players and experienced head coach Lee Sterrey to lead the side in 2026, using last season’s dire campaign as motivation to climb further up the table.
After a significant changing of the guard, captain Harry Lane will take a youthful squad into the season opener, with big signing Max Middleby (LA Galaxy) among several weapons up their sleeves.
BelSwans were just four points shy of the Promotion/Relegation Play-Off series spot and have since recruited strongly to turn their fortunes around in 2026, with head coach Mick Stafford re-signing eight players from last season.
Among several new names are NPL Men’s NNSW veteran goalkeeper Nathan Archbold (returning from season off), Chris Fayers (Edgeworth Eagles), Jed Hornery (Newcastle Olympic FC), Markus Wolscher (Newcastle Jets Academy) and Dean Pettit (Valentine FC).
Stafford will also call upon several international players as well, with Marco Gueli and Andrew McGee both new signings after playing their trade in the US, while also picking up a valuable defender in Japanese player Sho Goto.
Weston Bears v Newcastle Olympic
Hunter City Motor Group Stadium, Saturday 7pm
Weston Bears will be determined to go one better in 2026 after their preliminary final disappointment last year and will have a chance to set a benchmark when they take on Newcastle Olympic at home on Saturday.
Bears head coach Kew Jaliens has welcomed a valuable contingent of exciting young players and will look to build on his efforts in 2025 which saw Weston have the best attack in the league.
Among the new signings include Kyle McSeveney (Newcastle Jets Academy), Ryan Ensor (Broadmeadow Magic), JB Kim (Coker University, USA) and valuable Canadian attacker Carson Wood (Jacksonville University, USA), while also bringing back Matthew Buettner from Lambton Jaffas.
Newcastle Olympic narrowly missed out on finals in 2025 and head coach Michael Bolch has opted for consistency as he looks to push his side into the top half of the table.
Olympic have retained 11 players from last year, among the biggest being striker Kale Bradbery, who netted 11 goals across the season.
They will also turn to a mix of youth and experience to fill several gaps in their squad, with new faces in Loki Marchant (Coffs City United Lions), Dominik Brymora (returning from season off) and Yuhei Sato (Lambton Jaffas).
Cooks Hill United v Maitland FC
Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field 1, Sunday 5pm
Maitland FC will be looking to build on their 2025 finals run when they travel to Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field to face Cooks Hill United, a side many are calling as one of 2026’s dark horses.
Cookers new head coach Jamie Dunning had plenty to smile about despite his side going down 2-1 to Broadmeadow Magic in the HMRI Charity Shield, as his new look outfit asked plenty of questions of the defending champions.
Among his new signings to call upon are Nick Curran (Edgeworth Eagles), Stephen Hoyle (New Zealand), Kane Woolston, Matthew Ingham (Belmont Swansea), Kent Harrison and Cameron Howard (New Lambton FC).
Combined with 14 names also re-signing from last year, Cookers has the making of a dangerous side that could move up the ranks after finishing ninth in 2025.
Maitland FC have retained plenty of their 2025 squad, spearheaded by three-time Jennings Medal winner Braedyn Crowley, who topped the goal scoring in 2025 with an impressive 19 goals.
With NNSWF All-Star Aden Gage Raftery off to Broadmeadow, Maitland will likely also turn to the next generation, with plenty of exciting stars to call upon from their all-conquering reserve grade last year.
Charlestown Azzurri FC v Adamstown Rosebud FC
Lisle Carr Oval, Sunday 5pm
Closing out round one are two sides that ended 2025 overcoming multiple challenges, with Charlestown Azzurri and Adamstown Rosebud hungry to start the new season on a roll after finishing in seventh and eighth, respectively.
Coming into 2026, Adamstown have retained much of its 2025 squad, with head coach Chris Moylan navigating his side well out of the risk of relegation that plagued the side in 2024.
With one eye on going one better and pushing for finals, Dino Fajkovic will return to headline the side as captain in 2026 following a strong season that saw him pick up the sides Golden Boot.
Charlestown head coach James Pascoe will be looking to reverse his side’s fortunes after Azzurri slipped down the ranks after making finals in 2024 and faced a large turnover of key players to other clubs in the off-season.
Veteran defenders Taylor Regan and Richie Danquah remain valuable inclusions, with midfielders Reece Papas and Nathan Verity also set to reinforce Azzurri in the centre of the pitch.
With the side losing their last four matches of the 2025 season, including a 4-0 loss to Adamstown at home, Pascoe will be hoping they can put an ugly end to last year firmly behind them.