Match of the Round
Maitland FC vs Weston Bears FC
Cooks Square Park, Saturday 7pm
Maitland FC coach Adam Hughes is optimistic that three-time Jennings Medal winner Braedyn Crowley will be available this weekend, as the Magpies prepare to welcome local rivals Weston Bears FC to Cooks Square Park for the El Clasicoal on Saturday night.
The Magpies are fresh off a 2-2 draw with Cooks Hill United in the opening round of the 2026 season, coming from behind thanks to a second-half equaliser from substitute Jayden Ritchie.
Hughes was optimistic following the result, as the Magpies came away with points over a much-improved Cookers despite missing Crowley and Ben Grant, with James Thompson only making a small cameo off the bench as part of his staged return.
While Grant is overcoming several niggles and Thompson will continue to build up game time after missing most of 2025, Hughes is hopeful Crowley, who has had a strong week of training, will be able to recover from his shoulder injury and play this weekend.
With a fierce history on the line against the Bears, Hughes believes Crowley’s return will be the perfect lift for his side.
“There were a few moments [after Cookers] where we spoke as a collective on things that we could do better,” Hughes said.
“Overall, the way, especially how the second half played out and the way we executed our principles and met our standards, it was evident what we were trying to do.
“We just need to get better and better and switch on for longer periods of time. We know how to prevent these [errors], the understanding is there.
“All we want to do is continue to get better at what we’re doing. It will come. That’s what we’ll be going out to try and achieve.
“If we find he [Crowley] can get back in, he’ll immediately come back in. It’s a massive boost for the playing group as well.
“He just adds that different dynamic to the way that we combine, connect and convert, he’s that extra predator. You give him a half chance, it’s in the back of the net.
“Weston are a decent footballing team. They’ve got top players all over the park, the way they kept growing, kept grinding [last week], they’ve got a clear identity on what they’re doing.
“I think it’ll be a very good contest.”
The Bears come into the derby fresh off an impressive 4-1 win over Newcastle Olympic FC at home, with two goals to Brock Beveridge headlining a strong opening performance.
But the side has had to contend with a sudden change of head coach, with Kew Jaliens stepping back from the role and experienced campaigner Damian Zane taking his place.
Despite the change at the top, Zane inherits a settled side, with Cooper Buswell the only big omission due to injury.
“We’re not trying to change too much too early,” Zane said.
“The players are pretty settled, they showed that last week.
“I think [Assistant Coach] Nathan [Morris] has to take a lot of credit for preparing them. It was a tough preseason, [he’s] brought stability and set them up really well.
“First game [against Olympic] was a great hitout, but there is always stuff to improve.
“As a coach, I like [the team] to have as much control as possible. If you do that, you have more wins than losses, and it’s not by luck.
“They’re [Maitland] well coached, they’ve got proven players. It’s going to be a tough game, Maitland and Weston, they normally are. I’m looking forward to it.
“Their pitch is really conducive to good football. It should be a bit fiery, but we’ll be looking to match them in all facets.”
Charlestown Azzurri FC vs Newcastle Olympic FC
Lisle Carr Oval, Sunday 5pm
Charlestown Azzurri FC coach James Pascoe is wary of a hurt Newcastle Olympic FC side following their loss to Weston last week and believes the visitors will come out firing when they play at Lisle Carr Oval on Sunday.
The two sides had differing fortunes in the opening round, with Olympic conceding quick back-to-back goals in the second half against the Bears. By comparison, Azzurri fielded a younger side featuring four teenage players and produced two late goals in the final ten minutes to overcome Adamstown Rosebuds FC at home.
For Pascoe, the challenges faced was not only to be expected in the opening rounds, but also a reflection of the growing depth in the wider club.
“It was a round one-type performance in really hot conditions,” Pascoe said.
“We knew we were going to have to be patient, we knew things weren’t going to be easy, things wouldn’t function as perfectly as we would like.
“The biggest thing that influenced our end of season last year was we lost five players to contact injuries and they ended up being season-ending injuries. We weren’t able to put out a really balanced team at the backend of the year.
“We made the decision last year to renew and reinvigorate our reserve grade squad. What I was able to do was bring up the floor of the squad [and create] a great group of young players that are highly interchangeable.”
With such a young squad, Pascoe sees back-to-back home games as a valuable platform for success in 2026, making a victory over Olympic even more important.
“Our ground had some maintenance done to it, which meant we had to play the bulk of our preseason away from home,” Pascoe said.
“That [Buds match] was only our second game with a fairly new group at the venue, so to have [a win], it was important to have a positive experience there.
“We’ll absolutely expect a response from them [Olympic].
“They’ll be stinging from the result. In a very short period of time, the [Weston] game got away from them.
“If anything, they’ll be extra keen to bounce back this weekend, which means we’ve got to match that early doors and do our best to not give them a head start.”
Olympic entered the second half against Weston just 1-0 down, but three goals in 20 minutes saw their hopes of a round one win slip away.
A late goal from Kale Bradberry allowed Olympic to claw one back, but coach Michael Bolch will be determined for his side to come out of the blocks firing rather than waiting until the 80th minute to find the back of the net.
Adamstown Rosebud FC vs Kahibah FC
Adamstown Oval, Friday 8pm
The opening clash of the second round will see Adamstown Rosebud FC face off against newcomers Kahibah FC at Adamstown Oval on Friday night, with both sides hungry to make up for ugly starts to their season.
The Buds come into the clash after a disappointing result against Charlestown Azzurri, with second-half discipline costing them as they conceded two late goals at Lisle Carr Oval.
Having to navigate a short five-day turnaround, head coach Chris Moylan will also be without George Scorer after he received a red card and one-match suspension for denying a goal scoring opportunity against Azzurri striker Matthew Cahill.
Despite the challenges, Adamstown will be eager to turn their fortunes around quickly when they host Kahibah in their first home game.
It was a difficult evening for Kahibah in their inaugural NPL NNSW match last week as they lost valuable experience in captain Robbie Turnbull moments before kick-off.
While head coach Blair Newham was pleased with his side’s efforts in the first half, poor second half discipline saw the Jaffas score four goals, with defender Lewis Hextell also unavailable this week after copping a one match suspension for an ugly tackle in injury time.
The return of Turnbull and veteran Jackson Burston is expected to add valuable experience to the Rams’ outfit, while strikers Matthew Homer and Daniel Byrne will be determined to find the back of the net after asking plenty of questions of the Jaffas’ defence last week.
Broadmeadow Magic vs Valentine FC
Magic Park, Friday 8pm
Two sides chasing their first win of the season will go head-to-head when Broadmeadow Magic and Valentine FC meet at Magic Park on Friday night, fresh off narrow opening-round losses.
The reigning champions welcomed back several players last week but had a tough pill to swallow when they went down 1-0 to Edgeworth Eagles in the 88th minute.
It was déjà vu for Magic, as their only loss in the 2025 NPL NNSW season came at the hands of the Eagles in round one.
Magic coach Jim Cresnar will be expecting a big showing from attacking trio Jarred Baker, James Cresnar and newcomer Luis Lara Delgado as the team looks to bounce back to its usual form.
Valentine came into round one determined to hit the ground running after surviving relegation in 2025.
But a tough 2-1 loss to Belmont Swansea United after they opened the scoring in the 16th minute proved otherwise.
Despite the loss, the youthful Phoenix side showed plenty of grit, something coach Lee Sterrey will hope his team can display again this weekend against the reigning champions.
With star signing Max Middleby yet to return to the field, Valentine will continue to showcase their youthful talent and aim to step up this weekend to secure all three points.
Lambton Jaffas FC vs Edgeworth Eagles FC
Arthur Edden Oval, Saturday 5pm
Fresh off a big win over newcomers Kahibah FC, Lambton Jaffas FC will host Edgeworth Eagles in their first home game of the season on Saturday at Arthur Edden Oval.
The two sides met only a few weeks ago during the preseason, with Jaffas prevailing 2-0 in the clash.
Despite the loss, Eagles head coach Peter McGuinness will be aware of what awaits him upon arrival in hostile territory and what is needed to reverse the result now that points are up for grabs.
Edgeworth overcame reigning premiers Broadmeadow Magic last week thanks to an 88th minute goal from Aaron Niyonkuru, as well as a strong defensive effort from Xander Woweries, Tyson Jackson and goalkeeper Ben Conway.
It will be a tough task for the Eagles this weekend, as Lambton kicked off their season with a dominant 5-0 victory over Kahibah.
James Oates, Pat Bond and Lachlan Griffiths will all be looking to back up their efforts, but goalkeeper Ben Kennedy will also be a player to watch, containing a dangerous Kahibah attack and earning a clean sheet for his efforts.
After taking 10 games last year to score seven goals, Lambton will be hoping to use last week’s result as a springboard for their attack in 2026, but the Eagles will be a critical challenge for them to maintain their form.
Belmont Swansea United FC vs Cooks Hill United FC
Blacksmiths Oval, Sunday 5pm
The final match of round two will see Belmont Swansea United FC welcome Cooks Hill United FC to Blacksmiths Oval for their first home game of the season.
BelSwans opened their account with a fiery 2-1 win over Valentine FC, securing a crucial victory to start the season as they aim to climb the ladder after narrowly avoiding the promotion/relegation battle in 2025.
They will be relying on visa signings Andrew McGee and Sho Goto this weekend, with McGee having scored the match-winning goal against Valentine in round one.
The club will also be celebrating Old Boys Day down at Blacksmiths Oval, with a solid crowd expected.
But BelSwans will have to remain focused amidst the celebrations as they face a different Cooks Hill side from the one they met last season.
Cooks Hill were held to a 2-2 draw with Maitland FC at home last week thanks to a late Magpies equaliser.
Cookers played the final 20 minutes with 10 men after Matthew Berrigan went down injured and the side had already used all their substitutes.
Despite the injury, the side looked rejuvenated under new coach Jamie Dunning, with Kane Woolston scoring a double last week up front, backed by strong support from Kai Bradley and Jye Bailey.