Match of the Round
Lambton Jaffas FC vs Broadmeadow Magic
Arthur Edden Oval, Saturday 7pm
Lambton Jaffas FC coach David Tanchevski is staying grounded ahead of welcoming Broadmeadow Magic to Arthur Edden Oval for a 2025 grand final rematch on Saturday night, with victory potentially seeing his side clinch the top of the table pending other results.
Lambton enter the match sitting in third on the table, after they blasted out of the blocks with a 5-0 victory over newcomers Kahibah FC before last week saw them share the points in a 2-2 draw with Edgeworth Eagles.
Despite the draw, Tanchevski believes his side is sitting in a good position, delighted with the growing depth and performances of young defenders Lawson Weeks and goalkeeper Ethan Lewis against a dangerous Eagles attack.
The side will welcome back two key heads of experience in Ben Kennedy and Jordan Gu this weekend, while Jimmy Oates still fights to be available after pulling up injured after the victory over Kahibah.
“We put down last year as an achievement for us, we’d lost half the Jaffas’ senior squad that had been our backbone for a number of years,” Tanchevski said.
“It was a big rebuild, we had to turn players into regular starters, which took a bit of time, but by the backend of the season, we were firing on all cylinders and that’s how we wanted to start this year.
“We’ve got the right puzzles in the right places, there’s competition for places, which is a luxury to have. The big difference for us is that we’ll bring experience back in this week.
“We’ll be going out there to try and take points from Magic, it’s a good opportunity to get a sense of where we are at. We want to compete with who we think are the top teams on the table.”
Magic coach Jim Cresnar has called for consistency after his side turned around a 1-0 loss to Edgeworth in the opening round with a 2-0 victory at home last week against Valentine FC.
While Cresnar believes it has been a slow start, he expects his side to step up their standards after notching their first win.
A similar side is expected to take the field to the one that defeated the Phoenix last week, with growing focus on Luis Lara Delgado, one of the new faces who has impressed for Magic over the last month.
“It’s probably been a bit of a slow start. We definitely need to step up against Lambton,” Cresnar said.
“For me, [our focus] has been consistency. Inconsistency, actions in what we do in our training and our performance on the park, that’s where we need to get better throughout the season.
“Luis is a very good player and a very good person; he’s fitting in with the team very well. He’s got a lot more potential to offer; he can play anywhere in the front third.
“There’s a lot of good history between Lambton and Magic. Both clubs have been very successful for so many years.
“It’s going to be a tough game. We’ve got to make sure we’re consistent and do our jobs. There are particular individuals in Lambton who are very good and we’ve got to make sure we keep them quiet.”
Valentine FC vs Cooks Hill United FC
Croudace Bay Complex, Friday 8pm
Valentine FC coach Lee Sterrey believes addressing his side’s naivety and execution will prove the difference when they face Cooks Hill United FC on Friday night at Croudace Bay Complex.
The Phoenix sit near the bottom of the table after the opening fortnight of the competition but proved to be more than a handful in their losses to Belmont Swansea United FC and Broadmeadow Magic.
Sterrey believes that has come down to the hard work during their preseason and the club surviving the promotion/relegation play-off final with a 4-0 win over West Wallsend SFC.
“We’re aiming to build the club properly, in a nutshell,” Sterrey said.
“Valo is a team that every year should be in the mid-table and nowhere near relegation. We’re trying to build for the long term, for longevity. We’re giving kids an opportunity and that’s a way to build the club for the future.”
Boasting one of the younger sides in the competition, Sterrey has aimed to add experience to the group with the signings of Max Middleby and Kurtis White.
White is currently nursing a hamstring problem, while Reinhard Lloyd is battling an ankle injury to be fit for the weekend.
Sterrey believes his side can be more than competitive if they overcome moments of naivety and deliver strong execution, particularly upfront.
“I think they’ve been more than competitive. They’ve been in both games up to their eyeballs,” Sterrey said.
“The boys are in good spirits; they’ve been fantastic in their attitude thus far.
“We just need to get a three-pointer in the bag, and the confidence just flows from there. It’s a new club, a new direction.
“[In terms of improvement], it’s frontline, nowhere else but frontline.
“I think Cooks Hill are very good, they’ve got a lot of experience. That’s the opposite end of the sphere to where we are.
“I know they’re going to be well coached. I’ve got a lot of respect for them as a club overall. They’re very solid and will work their socks off.
“They’ll be hurting from last week, they’ll be expecting a reaction. I expect a tough battle, that’s for sure.”
Cookers will enter the match without a win in their opening two rounds with a competitive 2-2 draw with Maitland FC being offset by a disappointing 2-1 loss to BelSwans last week.
The results come after the club delivered an improved performance in the 2026 HMRI Charity Shield.
With a big turnover of players and influx of experience, head coach Jamie Dunning will expect his side to deliver a ruthless performance on Friday as they chase their first win of the year.
Kahibah FC vs Edgeworth Eagles
Fred Wright Oval, Friday 8pm
After notching up their first win in NPL NNSW history, Kahibah FC will look to reward their fans when they welcome Edgeworth Eagles to Fred Wright Oval on Friday night.
The Rams had a disappointing opening match at home, going down 5-0 to Lambton Jaffas, but bounced back last week with a strong 3-1 win against Adamstown Rosebud FC.
The newcomers brought their strong attacking form to Adamstown Oval, netting three goals in a ten-minute burst from set pieces and repeatedly catching the Buds’ defence out of position to seize control and shut the hosts out by halftime.
The Buds’ result has breathed new life into the Rams’ faithful, with the club anticipating strong support as they chase a maiden home victory at Fred Wright Oval.
But they face one of the strongest defensive sides in the competition, with Edgeworth extending their league-best defensive record in 2025 into the opening fortnight of 2026.
A last gasp 1-0 win over Broadmeadow Magic and a 2-2 draw away from home against a high-flying Jaffas outfit sees the Eagles in a good position as they head into round three.
The extent of the squad turnover since 2025 makes the side’s form all the more notable, with several new arrivals adding fresh dimension to an already imposing Edgeworth attack.
Belmont Swansea United FC vs Maitland FC
Blacksmiths Oval, Saturday 5pm
Belmont Swansea United FC will be looking to keep their perfect start to the season alive when they welcome Maitland FC to Blacksmiths Oval on Saturday afternoon.
BelSwans have had a strong start to the season, overcoming a determined Valentine FC 2-1 in a fiery match to open the season.
The side backed it up with a 2-1 home win over a dangerous Cooks Hill United FC outfit boasting plenty of experience, with BelSwans’ strong defensive display rewarded by goals at the end of each half.
The side has found strong strikers in Andrew McGee and Marco Gueli, who have proven to be some of the standout finishers in the opening two rounds of the competition.
This weekend, they will host a wounded Maitland side coming off a home loss to Weston Bears in the El Clasicoal, eager to claim their first win of the season following a draw in the opening round against Cooks Hill.
Maitland will be without Lochlan Reus as he serves a one match suspension for a red card last week against the Bears.
The Magpies will hope their attack will be ready to deliver a big performance, after the side struggled to assert their structure in round two.
The visitors will also need to put in a strong defensive effort to contain BelSwans attacking threats, with James Thompson being eased back into the side off the bench and Ben Grant expected to still be out of action.
Weston Bears FC vs Charlestown Azzurri FC
Hunter City Motor Group Stadium, Saturday 7 pm
Weston Bears FC will be looking to keep their position at the top of the table when they welcome Charlestown Azzurri FC to Hunter City Motor Group Stadium for Saturday’s third fixture of the day.
The Bears overcame a disrupted week of preparation, which included a change in head coach and injuries to Dom Archbold and George Stephens, to prevail 2-1 in a dogged El Clasicoal clash against Maitland last week.
The result, combined with an impressive 4-1 win over Newcastle Olympic FC in the opening round, sees the Bears in a strong position at the top of the table as they head into round three.
Azzurri will be desperate to take three points from their trip to Weston, having been out-enthused at home last week by Olympic despite a consolation goal from Matthew Cahill.
Charlestown enters the fixture on a short turnaround, with coach James Pascoe set to field a younger side that has shown flashes of promise in the opening fortnight, including their 2-0 win over Adamstown Rosebuds FC, which offered glimpses of maturity.
Azzurri will have their work cut out trying to contain a high-flying Bears attack but do have the defensive capabilities to cause plenty of problems.
Newcastle Olympic FC vs Adamstown Rosebud FC
Darling Street Oval, Sunday 5pm
Newcastle Olympic FC will return home for the first time in 2026 when they welcome Adamstown Rosebud FC to Darling Street Oval on Sunday afternoon.
Adamstown will come into the match desperate to earn their first win of the season after a 2-0 loss to Charlestown Azzurri FC and a 3-1 loss at home to newcomers Kahibah sees the side sit at the bottom of the table.
But the Buds are primed for an improved performance, with head coach Chris Moylan managing a five-day turnaround and coping with the loss of goalkeeper George Scorer to a red card in round one.
With Scorer having now served his suspension and the side having a full week of preparation, Moylan will expect his side to deliver a much-improved performance.
Olympic overcame a difficult 4-1 loss to Weston Bears in the opening round, producing a strong defensive effort last week to defeat Charlestown Azzurri FC 2-1 away from home.
Head coach Michael Bolch welcomed nine new names into a very young outfit in 2026, their bounce-back win over Azzurri coming at a critical time as they look to establish combinations and settle themselves into the season.
With several promising young stars standing up and showing resilience in both attack and defence in round two, a first win at home could prove critical for Olympic’s broader campaign.