By Claire Stegbauer
It was another strong weekend of NSWRL Junior Representatives football, with several tightly contested matches and impressive individual performances across the competitions.
UNE Harold Matthews Cup
Knights Knock Panthers Off Top Spot in Impressive Victory
The Newcastle Knights have surged to the top of the ladder after a commanding 24-10 victory over the Penrith Panthers in Round Six of the UNE Harold Matthews Cup at St Marys Leagues Stadium.
The Knights set the tone from the opening minutes, dominating early field position and quickly turning pressure into points. After marching downfield with a strong opening set, five-eighth Riley Rostron chipped a perfectly placed kick toward the left corner. Winger Nate Vincent leapt to bat the ball back infield, where Kade McKay gathered it and just managed to stay inside the touchline to score the opening try. The conversion attempt drifted wide, leaving Newcastle ahead 4-0.
Penrith responded soon after through some clever work around the ruck. Hooker Ryan Cloey sparked the set with two sharp darts from dummy half to gain valuable metres before Panthers five-eighth Jaylin Moran mirrored his opposite number with a kick to the right corner. Under pressure, the Knights winger spilled the ball, allowing Zack Fitzgerald to scoop it up and dive over to level the scores. The conversion was unsuccessful.
The match settled into a tight arm wrestle as both sides traded sets without reward, but Newcastle struck again just before half-time. Oliver Lawrence ignited the attack with a break close to the line, darting between defenders to score and give the Knights an 8-4 lead heading into the break.
Newcastle carried that momentum into the second half. A Penrith fifth tackle kick was cleanly gathered by fullback Ryder Tupou, who immediately sparked a counterattack. With 80 metres to cover he shifted early to Nate Vincent, whose pace carried him around the outside before he returned the ball inside to Rostron backing up in support. Rostron ran the final metres under the posts, allowing Ty Ennis to add the extras and extend the Knights’ advantage.
The visitors continued to dominate as the game opened up. Strong carries near the line from Kingston Seuseu set the platform before Rostron again created opportunities with a late offload. With the defence scrambling, Tupou fired a sharp pass to Malachi Faavae-Eli who crossed untouched to further extend Newcastle’s lead.
Moments later the Knights struck again through Rostron’s kicking game. The playmaker launched a towering bomb which was gathered by McKay, who quickly flicked the ball left to find Vincent with space. The winger raced away to score and Ennis converted to push the score out to 24-4.
To their credit, the Panthers refused to fold and continued to pressure Newcastle late in the contest. After back-to-back attacking sets near the Knights’ line, Penrith finally broke through with four minutes remaining when Ezekiel Tutaia finished off a simple right-side overlap. Moran converted to narrow the margin.
However, the late try proved only a consolation as the Knights’ dominant middle and clinical finishing had already secured the result.
Led by an outstanding performance from playmaker Riley Rostron and dangerous finishing from their outside backs, Newcastle’s five-try display not only delivered an impressive victory but also propelled them to the top of the Harold Matthews Cup ladder.
Westpac Lisa Fiaola Cup
Bears Edge Dragons in Wollongong Thriller
The North Sydney Bears held their nerve to secure a narrow 18–16 victory over the St. George Dragons in Round Six of the Westpac Lisa Fiaola Cup at Collegians Sporting Complex in Wollongong.
The Bears opened the scoring early after earning a penalty deep in Dragons territory. Sustained pressure on the defensive line eventually paid off through a simple but effective crash play, with Georgia Kouris powering her way over to score the first points of the game. Summah Pleasance converted to give the visitors a 6–0 lead.
The Dragons responded soon after through an exciting play off a scrum. Although the initial pass from the base of the scrum went astray, the ball eventually reached Braxton Brown who showed great speed to dart around the outside of the Bears defence. Stepping back inside the cover defence, Brown grounded the ball just right of the posts before Tayla Peters added the conversion to level the scores.
Momentum continued to build for the home side shortly after. Following another penalty, Helina Loumoli laid the platform with a powerful carry before the Dragons’ spine combined with a sharp right-edge shift through Chaniel Berryman, Ava Hawes and Peters. The ball eventually found Brown on the wing who crossed for her second try of the afternoon. The conversion attempt drifted wide, a miss that would later prove crucial.
The Bears fought their way back into the contest midway through the half. After a series of tough exchanges between the two sides, quick ruck speed suddenly opened space on the left edge. Fullback Palace Koia swept onto the ball at pace and raced through the gap to score untouched, with Pleasance converting to restore the Bears’ lead.
Trailing 12–10 at half-time, the Dragons struck first after the break. Hooker Monique Marshall sparked the attack with a sharp run from dummy half before Peters produced a clever piece of playmaking. The fullback sold a convincing dummy before slipping a perfectly timed pass to Maude Havea who charged through the defensive line and ran under the posts. Peters converted to give the Dragons a four-point advantage.
With time winding down, the Bears refused to fade. Six minutes from full-time they mounted a crucial attacking set on the Dragons’ line. Cailyce Kiriau-Paulo produced the moment of the match, charging onto a short ball before crashing into heavy traffic. With multiple defenders attempting to hold her up, Kiriau-Paulo spun through contact and managed to ground the ball in a remarkable show of strength. Pleasance converted to give the Bears an 18–16 lead.
The Dragons were handed one final opportunity in the dying moments when they received a penalty inside their attacking half. With the chance to level the scores and send the game to golden point, all eyes turned to Peters. Despite an impressive performance throughout the match, her long-range attempt drifted wide, allowing the Bears to hold on for a hard-fought victory.
Andrew Johns Cup Finals Preview
Regional Rivalries Set for Semi-Final Showdowns
After six rounds of regional rugby league, the 2026 SLE Andrew Johns Cup finals have arrived, with four teams remaining in the race for the title. The semi-finals will take place this Saturday 21 March 2026 at Dudley Chesham Sports Ground in The Oaks, with conference leaders and late-season contenders preparing to battle for a place in the grand final.
The regular season concluded with the Newcastle Maitland Region Knights and Macarthur Wests Tigers finishing atop their respective conferences, both sides showcasing consistency and attacking firepower throughout the competition.
In the Northern Conference, the Knights finished first on 12 competition points after an unbeaten campaign, while the North Coast Bulldogs secured second place on eight points following a strong finish to the season. The Central Coast Roosters and Northern Rivers Titans both finished on six points but fell just short of finals qualification.
Meanwhile, the Southern Conference saw the Macarthur Wests Tigers also finish on 12 points to claim top spot, ahead of the Monaro Colts who secured second with 10 points. Illawarra South Coast Steelers, Western Rams and Riverina Bulls rounded out the standings.
The opening semi-final sees the Macarthur Wests Tigers face the North Coast Bulldogs at 10:00am. The Tigers enter the clash as one of the competition’s most dominant attacking teams, having consistently piled on points throughout the season. The Bulldogs, however, arrive full of confidence after building strong momentum late in the regular season.
North Coast will look to the leadership of captain Zac Hoolahan to guide their attack, while goal kicker Tobias Rowlatt has proven reliable with the boot. Out wide, Rocky Mann has been a standout performer, finishing the regular season with several multi-try performances.
The second semi-final features the Newcastle Maitland Region Knights against the Monaro Colts at 1:00pm. The Knights have set the benchmark across the northern division this year.
Players such as Charlie Jones and Asher Pung have consistently produced points for Newcastle Maitland Region, while the Colts possess plenty of strike power of their own and will be eager to upset the ladder leaders.
Click here for results from the Andrew Johns Cup.
Click here for results from the Westpac Regional Lisa Fiaola Cup.
Click here for results from the UNE Harold Matthews Cup.
Click here for results from the Westpac Lisa Fiaola Cup.
Click here for results from the Laurie Daley Cup.
Click here for results from the Westpac Tarsha Gale Cup.
Click here for results from the UNE SG Ball Cup.
