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Port Macquarie to host NSWRL Regional Representatives Grand Final Day

nswrlmedia — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 03:32:10 +0000

Port Macquarie to host NSWRL Regional Representatives Grand Final Day

Author : NSWRL

Port Macquarie to host NSWRL Regional Representatives Grand Final Day

The NSWRL is pleased to announce that Port Macquarie will host the NSWRL 2026 Regional Representatives Grand Final Day with five games to be played on Saturday 28 March featuring the best regional teams from Major and Junior Representatives competitions across the state.

The titles will be decided for the Andrew Johns Cup (Under 16s Boys), Westpac Regional Lisa Fiaola Cup (Under 17s Girls), Laurie Daley Cup (Under 18s Boys), Men’s Country Championships and Women’s Country Championships at Port Macquarie Regional Sports Stadium.

It is the first time the NSWRL’s Regional Representatives Grand Final Day has been held at Port Macquarie and follows a proud tradition of taking the showpiece event to Rugby League heartland around NSW with Canberra, Cessnock and Woy Woy hosting previous editions.

“The NSWRL Regional Representatives Grand Final Day is always a special occasion as it represents the first of our Grand Final Days for the season but moreover, it is a wonderful celebration of regional Rugby League,” NSWRL Chief Executive David Trodden said.

“Rugby League plays an important role in regional NSW as it helps bind communities together and has also produced some true legends of our game who have gone on to represent at the highest level.

I am confident some of the players we will see on Saturday will follow the same path.

“I congratulate all the teams who have made it through to their respective Grand Finals and I wish all the players the very best of luck as they proudly represent their region.”

The day will kick off with a new premier to be crowned in the Westpac Regional Lisa Fiaola Cup with Northern Tigers taking on Riverina Bulls.

The Tigers will be hoping for a case of third-time lucky after making the Grand Final for the past two seasons only to come up short against the Western Rams (2024) and North Coast Bulldogs (2025), while the Bulls are shooting for their first title.

Macarthur Wests Tigers and Newcastle Maitland Region Knights will follow in the Andrew Johns Cup.

The Knights will be aiming to make it back-to-back titles after beating Northern Rivers Titans last year, while the Tigers last made the decider in 2024 only to go down to Central Coast Roosters.

Macarthur Wests Tigers will also feature in the Laurie Daley Cup when they take on Northern Rivers Titans.

The Tigers made the decider last year but will be hoping for better fortunes after losing to Illawarra South Coast Dragons, while the Titans are looking for their first title.

If Macarthur Wests Tigers are successful in both deciders, they will become the first region since the Central Coast Roosters in 2021 to claim the Andrew Johns Cup and Laurie Daley Cup in the same year.

Newcastle Rebels will be out to make it four straight titles in the Men’s Country Championships when they take on Central Coast Pelicans.

Newcastle have downed the Riverina Bulls (2023), Monaro Colts (2024) and Northern Rivers Titans (2025), while the Pelicans are into their first decider and will be hoping they can be the first team to break the Rebels’ stranglehold.

Western Rams will also be looking to continue their domination of the Women’s Country Championships and make it three consecutive titles when they take on Northern Rivers Titans.

The Rams beat the North Coast Bulldogs (2024) and were comfortable winners last year over the Titans, who will be keen to turn the tables after beating Monaro to make another decider.

Tickets are available at the gate and are only $10 for an adult, $5 for children aged 12-16, while children aged 11 and under and pensioners are free.

NSWRL Regional Representatives Grand Final Day

Port Macquarie Regional Sports Stadium

Saturday 28 March

Westpac Regional Lisa Fiaola Cup

10am: Northern Tigers v Riverina Bulls

Andrew Johns Cup

11.30am: Macarthur Wests Tigers v Newcastle Maitland Region Knights

Laurie Daley Cup

1.15pm: Macarthur Wests Tigers v Northern Rivers Titans

Men’s Country Championships

3pm: Newcastle Rebels v Central Coast Pelicans

Women’s Country Championships

4.45pm: Western Rams v Northern Rivers Titans

North Coast Bulldogs 2025 Season Preview

ourfooty — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 12:02:59 +0000

North Coast Bulldogs 2025 Season Preview

Author : Daily Telegraph

North Coast Bulldogs 2025 Season Preview

Andrew Johns Cup and Laurie Daley Cup

ANDREW JOHNS CUP

Captain: TBC

Coach: Geoff Batten

Last season: 4th in Northern Pool (1-4)

Why they will be competitive: After both Johns and Daley Cup sides finished fourth out of five teams in last year’s Northern Pool, the Bulldogs have tweaked their approach for 2025 by placing a greater focus on fitness and foundational skills.

“We’ve tried to teach them a lot in a short time,” said coach Geoff Batten. “Usually by this point they’ve absorbed everything you’ve put into them and we get to start to mould a bit of a squad. They’re reacting pretty well.”

Indeed, in addition to the training, Batten said the nature of the squad and the competition for starting spots will put the team in good stead ahead of round one.

“I just think we’ve got a bit more balance,” he said. “Last year we had some size that we hadn’t had for a while but I think that blinded us a little bit. We had some flair but we lost that early (through injuries).

“But this year I think we’re just a lot more consistent across the squad. There are a lot of like for likes and that brings a lot of competition into the squad to try and get those spots for round one. I think we just look more balanced across the entire squad.”

Key fixture:

Northern Tigers (Away – Round 4). With both zones falling under the Canterbury Bulldogs’ pathway system, there is more than just bragging rights on offer when these two teams face off, with the young guns fighting it out for attention as scouts from Belmore cast their eyes over the regional rep competition.

Players to watch:

One to impress so far in the pre-season is Port Macquarie back-rower Cooper Bannon. A powerful runner and solid defender, Bannon was selected in the NSWCCC side last year and looms as a key player for the Bulldogs.

Elsewhere, Wauchope’s Noah Langdon has shown not only his ability at fullback but also fantastic leadership skills in the group, while Sawtell half/five-eighth Javier House looms as a key playmaker for the side.

He’s looked comfortable at that next level with training and what we’ve learned – he’s taken all of that on,” said Batten.

Squad:

Aiden Lockwood, Aiden Hardy, Angus Bowen, Axl Pope, Bailey Pickvance, Chayse French, Connor Laverty, Cooper Bannon, Deion Cafe, Jairah Sheppard, Javier House, Kai Sjoberg, Kaleb Zamore, Koby Bedwell, Levi Newton, Logan Clarke, Malakye Clark, Mason White, Mitchell Hornick, Noah Langdon, Rafferty Gordon, Rhys Carrington, Rilye Schafer, Xavier Fittock.

LAURIE DALEY CUP

Captain: Toby Batten

Coach: Peter Wood

Last season: 4th in Northern Pool (1-4)

Why they will be competitive: Some underwhelming results in previous years has prompted the Bulldogs to alter their approach in 2025, with a more sharpened focus on game fundamentals expected to result in improved performances.

We’ve really focused on the one per centers, the things that have led to errors and cost us in games, and we’ve really upped the ante with fitness and strength,” said coach Peter Wood. “We’ll wait and see how that pans out.”

In particular, the coaching staff have kept a close eye on attitude and the willingness of their young guns to keep on pushing when the going gets tough.
“You look at their attitudes towards training and towards the hard work,” said Wood.

“How many of them grit their teeth, bite down on their mouthguard and have a crack? That’s what the pre-season that we’ve just gone through is about.

Key fixtures: Northern Tigers (Away – Round 4) and Central Coast Roosters (Away – Round 3). While the round four Bulldogs development derby with the Northern Tigers is always one that is pencilled into the calendar early on, the team will be looking forward to testing itself against one of the junior rep heavyweights in the Central Coast Roosters.

“There’s a bit of a rivalry with the Central Coast as well,” said Wood. “I always feel there’s a little bit more on the line when we play against the Roosters. In the last few years each time we’ve played them it’s only been a matter of two or four points.”

Players to watch:

The Bulldogs will have one of the most talented halves pairings in the competition in the form of Rielly Laverty and Toby Batten.

Long identified as gun juniors, the pair enjoyed breakout seasons playing A-grade football for Macksville and Nambucca respectively in the Group 2 competition in 2024, and have since been called down to Belmore to take part in Canterbury’s summer training squads.

They’ve got some eyes on them and are making themselves very well known. It’s a pleasure to work with those kids. They’re not just talented footballers, they’re good human beings,” said Wood.

It’s their attitude, it’s their application to training. They’ll do extras, they’ll go down to the park by themselves to practice their kicking for hours. When they do it on the football field everyone goes, ‘Oh wow, they’re pretty talented.’ But they put in the work.”

Elsewhere, another player looking to take his game to the next level is tough-as-nails middle forward Gus Single. A good ball-carrier and excellent defender, Single played the entire Group 2 season in first grade for Macksville and will look to set the platform for his halves.

Squad:

Aidan Langham, Alfie Walsh, Antwone Quinlin-Randall, Brennan Cuffe, Cale Ogilvy, Cooper Lorger, Cooper Armfield-Stevens, Gus Single, Jesse Stevens, Jett Hanson, Karl Turner, Koby Toomey, Laine Paulson, Logan Bes, Rave Brazier, Rielly Laverty, Sam Schilt, Sam Eggins, Tashiem Abbott, Tim Broderick, Toby Batten, Tyler Abbott, Tynan Forsyth, Wes Le Rougetel, Zayne Shute

National Finals Action Photo Galleries

Lisa Fiaola Cup strengthening women’s pathways

nswrlmedia — Thu, 29 Sep 2022 07:34:24 +0000

Lisa Fiaola Cup strengthening women’s pathways

Author : Margie McDonald NSWRL

Return of Lisa Fiaola Cup key to strengthening women’s pathways

Creating the link between U17s and U19s girls wanting to continue to play Rugby League was further strengthened this week at the Lisa Fiaola Cup gala day at Tuggerah’s Central Coast Regional Sporting Complex.

Harvey Norman NSW Sky Blues head coach Kylie Hilder, who is also the NSWRL’s Female Pathways Manager, was on hand to see what the talent pool looks like this year.

There were 15 sides playing on Tuesday 27 September under the watchful eye of Hilder with several Sky Blues players helping in a coaching consultant role

“We don’t have winners coming out of the day. It was more about girls turning up and having a game of footy,” Hilder said.

“We’re trying to create that next step in the pathway. We need to fill that void in that younger age group before Tarsha Gale.”

Lisa Fiaola CupBaxter and Studdon mic’d up for Lisa Fiaola Cup (Photo : Steve Montgomery)

The Harvey Norman Tasha Gale Cup for U19s has been part of the NSWRL calendar since 2018. Twelve clubs took part in the 2022 season with the Sydney Roosters Indigenous Academy beating the Newcastle Knights 12-10 in the grand final.

Hilder said it was her hope that an U17s competition could be set up running in tandem with the U19s.

“We need to accommodate these younger girls and watching them today I can tell you there’s some extremely good talent,” she said.

It was the first Lisa Fiaola Cup gala day in three years – the previous two being cancelled due to COVID-19.

“There were only about five teams back then,” Hilder said. “But the standard and level here is extremely impressive. Looking at some of these girls it looks like they’ve been playing for five years already.”

Another plan on the horizon is starting a Sky Blues Academy, where players from the Lisa Fiaola would be identified and invited to train there.

This week games consisted of 10-minute halves and teams were spread across three pools. Each team played four matches with a total of 360 females taking part in the event.

Teams came from Parramatta Eels, Central Coast Roosters, Victoria Storm, Newcastle Knights, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Wests Tigers, Illawarra Steelers, Penrith Panthers, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Northern Tigers, Northern Rivers Titans, St George Dragons, North Coast Bulldogs, Western Rams, and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.

Full Score Board

Round 1

Parramatta Eels 16 – 12 Penrith Panthers
Weststigers 4 – 4 Cronulla Sharks
Canterbury Bulldogs 8 – 8 South Sydney Rabbitoh’s
Central Coast Roosters 8 – 0 St. George Dragons
North Coast Bulldogs 8 – 4 Victoria Storm
Greater Northern Tigers 4 – 4 Western Rams

Round 2

Penrith Panthers 4 – 8 Northern Rivers Titans
Cronulla Sharks 12 – 8 Newcastle Knights
South Sydney Rabbitoh’s 0 – 28 Illawarra Steelers
Central Coast Roosters 4 – 20 Parramatta eels
North Coast Bulldogs 20 – 4 Weststigers
Greater Northern Tigers 12 – 4 Canterbury Bulldogs

Round 3

Northern Rivers Titans 8 – 12 St. George Dragons
Newcastle Knights 24 – 0 Western Rams
Illawarra Steelers 24 – 0 Western Rams
Penrith Panthers 0 – 12 Central Coast Roosters
Cronulla Sharks 12 – 16 North Coast Bulldogs
South Sydney Rabbitoh’s 8 – 16 Greater Northern Tigers

Round 4

Parramatta Eels 16 – 4 St. George Dragons
Weststigers 8 – 8 Western Rams
Canterbury Bulldogs 8 – 16 Western Rams
Central Coast Roosters 4 – 8 Northern Rivers Titans
North Coast Bulldogs 12 – 8 Newcastle Knights
Greater Northern Tigers 0 – 12 Illawarra Steelers

Round 5

St. George Dragons 16 – 12 Penrith Panthers
Victoria Storm 16 – 8 Cronulla Sharks
Western Rams 4 – 16 South Sydney Rabbitoh’s
Northern Rivers Titans 4 – 16 Parramatta Eels
Newcastle Knights 24 – 0 Canterbury Bulldogs