Pathways Preview: Round 1

Coach: Adel Hage

In a blockbuster Round 1 showdown, Wests Tigers’ Women’s Premiership side takes on Cronulla, in a Grand Final rematch.

Following last season’s epic golden-point decider, Wests Tigers will be out to prove their Grand Final win was no fluke, with the majority of their premiership-winning team returning for the 2023 campaign.

Emily Curtain has again been named captain of the senior women’s team. Although missing from the season-opener, Curtain has continued to impress as a leader on and off the field.

After leading the side to Grand Final victory in 2022 as captain and halfback, the 21-year-old will be looking to make a strong return from off-season knee surgery in the early rounds of 2023.

Harvey Norman Tarsha Gale Cup 

Coach: Letitia Taylor

Wests Tigers’ Tarsha Gale Cup outfit will be looking to build on a strong 2022 campaign, where they finished as preliminary finalists, as they take on newcomers, Manly in Round 1.

Last season’s team saw the emergence of the likes of Losana Lutu and Imogen Gobran, who went on to play in the NSW Women’s Premiership side which won the Grand Final.

In 2023, the U/19s women will be led by Jae Patu; one of the squad’s senior players who has worked well with the largely new group of players in leading training sessions and setting cultural standards.

Coach Letitia Taylor has also worked with Patu in Māori representative sides and was impressed with her strong leadership skills.

UNE SG Ball Cup - Western Suburbs

Coach: Joey Saukuru

This squad is largely made up of the Western Suburbs Harold Matthews Cup premiership-winning team from 2022, and looks set to be one of the standout sides under the Wests Tigers pathways banner this season.

Lock-forward Kit Laulilii has been appointed SG Ball Cup captain, after leading the Harold Matthews Cup side to the premiership in 2022.

A Liverpool Catholic Club junior, Kit has just taken part in his first NRL pre-season, and possesses outstanding leadership skills for a young player.

UNE SG Ball Cup - Balmain 

Coach: Gaven Sheehan

After a finals finish in 2022, Balmain’s SG Ball Cup team will be looking to make a strong start to their season in Round 1, against Cronulla.

In 2023, this side will be captained by promising juniors Tony Sukkar and Josh Feledy.

Both players completed their first pre-seasons with the NRL side this off-season, with Feledy now a 2023 NRL Development Player.

Feledy is a junior representative star with an incredible knack for finding the try-line, while Sukkar is a workhorse prop from the Concord-Burwood club in the Balmain district.

Both will be players to watch this season.

UNE Harold Matthews Cup - Western Suburbs

Coach: Robert Mears

A new-look Magpies Harold Matthews Cup team takes on Manly in Round 1, and will be aiming to emulate last season’s premiership-winning side.

Fullback Luke Laulilii, who is the younger brother of SG Ball captain Kit, will  skipper the team in what is his second season of Harold Matthews Cup.

Like Kit, Luke is a Liverpool Catholic Club junior, who attends Westfields Sports High.

The likes of first-year Harold Matthews players, Ontoni Large, Ali Karnib and Heamasi Makasini are also set to provide a major impact, after impressing at the U/15s Australian Schoolboys Championships in 2022.

UNE Harold Matthews Cup - Balmain

Coach: Chris Crotty

Balmain’s Harold Matthews Cup team takes on Cronulla in Round 1, with Alex Conti set to star for this U/17s outfit.

Conti skippers the side in his second year of Harold Matts, after a number of consistent starting performances as a 15-year-old last season.

The Concord-Burwood product is a mature, level-headed local junior who was selected to take part in the NSWRL Junior Blues camp this pre-season.

SLE Laurie Daley Cup - Macarthur Wests Tigers 

Coach: Tom Morrison

Preliminary finalists in 2022, Macarthur Wests Tigers’ Laurie Daley Cup team will be aiming high this year, and will be boosted by the inclusions of a number of players from the Western Suburbs Harold Matthews Cup premiership-winning side from last season.

Camden Rams junior, Zac Gibson captains the side this year in his second season of Laurie Daley Cup.

Gibson was one of this team’s best and most consistent players last season, after moving from hooker into the halves.

SLE Andrew Johns Cup - Macarthur Wests Tigers 

Coach: Alec Bush

An entirely new-look Andrew Johns Cup squad will be determined to showcase their talent in 2023, in their first experience in an elite junior representative side.

Picton Magpies junior PJ French has been handed the captaincy this season after impressing in the team’s recent trial against Monaro.

The young prop-forward was part of the championship-winning NSW Combined Independent Schools team at last year's U/15s Australian Schoolboys Championship.

Also on Saturday 4th February will be a double-header at Lidcombe Oval with trial games for our NSW Cup and Jersey Flegg Cup teams.

Knock On Effect NSW Cup 

Western Suburbs Magpies vs South Sydney Rabbitohs - Kick-off 5:30pm

Jersey Flegg Cup

Wests Tigers vs Ryde-Eastwood - Kick-off 7:00pm