Every Sheffield Shield team’s squad breakdown – and the dilemmas facing each state
Queensland will turn to three young, developing, stars to lead the Bulls’ charge in 2025-26 after the stunning slide of a batsman who has gone from Australia A to the scrap heap in just two years.
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All six states have locked in their men’s squads for the 2025-26 squads at what is a crucial time for Australian cricket.
With the Test team ageing and a home Ashes series on the horizon this summer, there is enormous pressure on the domestic system to develop the next generation of cricketers ready to step up to the highest honour the game has to offer.
Here are some of the big storylines to come out of each state.
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NSW
Sean Abbott’s unexpected demotion from Australian contract list has created a salary cap squeeze for NSW and resulted in them only contracting 18 out of a possible 20 players.
While the benefits of being promoted from a state deal to an Australian contract – as has happened to Sam Konstas – is substantial, so is the fall of suddenly having your contract slashed with little notice.
NSW has helped mitigate the financial fall for Abbott, but it may have cost them their pursuit of promising Western Australia prospects Hamish McKenzie, a wrist spinner, and fast bowler Michael Dawson.
Meanwhile, former Test players and Shield veterans Moises Henriques and Jackson Bird have both dropped off NSW’s list.
Henriques has retired from Shield cricket but is heading over to Nottinghamshire in the hope of still pushing for selection in NSW’s 50-over team.
Bird was always heading back to Tasmania for family reasons, but has managed to land a deal with the Tigers which will prolong his first-class career beyond his 39th birthday.
Daniel Hughes – one of the all-time most successful domestic one-day cricketers – has also lost his NSW contract, and is currently with English county Sussex.
INS: Sean Abbott, Charlie Stobo, Lachlan Shaw, Will Salzmann, Joel Davies
OUTS: Daniel Hughes, Jackson Bird, Moises Henriques, Hanno Jacobs, Hayden Kerr, Ryan Hackney
QUEENSLAND
Opening batsman Bryce Street has gone from Australia A representation to the scrap heap within two years after being cut from Queensland’s state list.
Street made six first-class centuries from 42 matches but his career in Australia appears over after failing to appear in the Queensland XI after the Big Bash break last season.
Matthew Renshaw and Angus Lovell have been preferred at the top of the order, and Street may now explore the prospects of a relocation to the UK.
Street, to his credit, did not drop his bundle after being dropped and won the Peter Burge player of the year medal for his club side University.
Speaking of UK relocations, and Liam Guthrie has also dropped off Queensland’s state list for 2025-26 after deciding to relocate permanently to play under Darren Lehmann at Northamptonshire.
Guthrie has taken advantage of a UK passport and has caught the eye of Lehmann who has signed on to coach the county, having also recruited South Australia’s Harry Conway.
Queensland has chosen to include 21-year-old right-arm quick, Tom Balkin, who represented Australia under 19s in 2023.
Balkin played second XI for Queensland last year and is one of an impressive crop of fast bowlers coming through, which include Tom Straker and Tom Whitney who both go onto full Queensland contracts after starring as rookies last season.
INS: Tom Balkin, Tom Straker, Tom Whitney
OUTS: Liam Guthrie, Bryce Street, Connor Sully
TASMANIA
Tasmania are stacked with Australian contracted players this year with Beau Webster and Matt Kuhnemann joining Nathan Ellis in the big money.
However, the Tigers have still chosen to only contract 18 players with a salary cap squeeze potentially put on by the re-signing of Riley Meredith, and Jake Weatherald.
Tasmania have been boosted by the unexpected return of Jackson Bird, who had left the state to return to his home patch NSW last season.
However, Bird’s family is settled in Tasmania after his many years on the apple aisle and he has decided to return to his second home.
It’s a boost for the Tigers because Bird was still starring with the ball for NSW last season and possesses one of the best bowling records in the history of the Sheffield Shield.
Standing at 210cm, towering quick Marcus Bean is a very interesting prospect for Tasmania having been added to their 2025-26 list.
Bean hails from Queensland but was thrust into the Hobart Hurricanes BBL line-up last season by James Hopes, their assistant coach.
Tasmania will be hoping his extra bounce can make a real impact down at Bellerive with the red ball.
INS: Marcus Bean, Jackson Bird
OUTS: Jarrod Freeman
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
It’s a quiet year transfer-wise in the Wild West, with the elevation of Albert Esterhuysen, Jordan Quiggin and Simon Budge to the rookie list illustrative of the fact Western Australia have complete faith in their junior nursery, rather than feeling they need to look outside the nest for talent.
D’Arcy Short is a notable axing from the WA list because he has been an Australian white ball representative and someone who had the talent to deliver more at the international level.
There wasn’t a corner of Hurstville Oval that was safe when Short slaughtered a record 23 sixes in a stunning knock of 257 against NSW back in 2018.
Young wicketkeeper/batsman Joel Curtis has been boosted to a full contract after being blooded by WA coach Adam Voges last summer.
Curtis made a big hundred against Victoria early in the season and should receive plenty of opportunity to improve his game with Josh Inglis now a contender in all three formats for Australia.
INS: Joel Curtis
OUTS: Charlie Stobo, D’Arcy Short, Hamish McKenzie
VICTORIA
Victoria has thrown former WA fast bowler David Moody a lifeline in the hope he can help fill the shoes vacated by the great Peter Siddle.
Moody played 39 first-class matches for WA and took 116 wickets, including a timely four-wicket haul in his solitary Shield game of last season, which came against Victoria.
The 30-year-old was out of favour in the West last year but Victoria still see potential after Siddle retired following a stellar domestic and international career.
Victoria has also elevated another off-cut from another state in ex-NSW batsman Blake Macdonald.
Debuting for NSW back in 2023, Macdonald was called into the Victorian XI for two Shield matches earlier this year and made solid contributions of 60 and 45 which was enough to earn him a contract.
It comes at a time when Will Pucovski has notably dropped off the Victorian list having been advised to retire after multiple concussions.
Geelong batsman Oliver Peake has also been given an opportunity to fill the void left by Pucovski after receiving a contract on the back of a half century in his Shield debut last summer.
Jonathan Merlo is a casualty of Victoria’s need to regenerate this season and has lost his contract, as has Queensland recruit, Josh Brown.
INS: Oliver Peake, Blake Macdonald, David Moody
OUTS: Will Pucovski, Peter Siddle, Jonathan Merlo, Josh Brown
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
The axing of South Australian batsman Kyle Brazell from the Shield champions’ state list could spark a frenzy of interest from AFL clubs in the multi-talented sportsman.
Brazell was a star junior Aussie Rules player and his management has confirmed interest from several AFL clubs.
As you might expect, there is minimal change to the list of the state that climbed Mt Everest and claimed the Shield title in 2024-25.
Perhaps the most eye-catching change for South Australia comes on their rookie list with West Australian youngster Douwtjie Hoogenboezem landing a deal.
Hoogenboezem is a promising opening batsman who has starred in second XI cricket.
South Australia’s recruitment has been outstanding in recent seasons, with the state’s scouts proven to have a real eye for finding talent not appreciated in their home states.
Larrikin quick Harry Conway has lost his South Australian contract and is now in England with Darren Lehmann at Northamptonshire.
However, South Australia have poached back Hanno Jacobs from NSW which is another blow to the Blues’ current standing in domestic cricket.
Jacobs is a highly-rated talent who could excel in the South Australian system cultivated by coach Ryan Harris.
INS: Hanno Jacobs
OUTS: Harry Conway, Kyle Brazell
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