2025 Local Footy NSW Signings Tracker: All the latest big name movements from local leagues
Stay up to date with the latest big name signings across local rugby league competitions in New South Wales, including Young welcoming a pair of key signings its their Group 9 title defence.
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Welcome to the 2025 Local Footy NSW Signings Tracker.
Here is where you will find up to date information on player movements and signings ahead of the new season for your favourite leagues across the state.
YOUNG PREPARES BACK-TO-BACK BID
Young isn’t content with the one title in Group 9 as they bolster their stocks for their premiership defence.
They welcome back a number of players from their successful side in 2024, as well as two key additions in the new season.
Second rower Kai Parker made his way through Cronulla’s pathways system at Harold Matthews, SG Ball and Jersey Flegg level and now will link with Young.
He last played in the strong Denton Engineering Cup competition in Newcastle for Macquarie.
They have also added goal-kicking centre Evan Manning who helped Coogee Randwick reach the Souths Juniors grand final this season.
Manning was a product of the Rabbitohs pathways and in 2021 led the SG Ball team in tryscoring.
Andre Wright is another from the Souths Juniors comp who will make his way west.
Matt Noakes returns to his junior club, as does former player Bobby Roberts, with Jake Walker, Jonah Latu and Ed Wood all returning in 2025.
NRL STAR REMAINS AT PICTON
The Picton Magpies have been given a boost for the new Macarthur season with Simon Woolford remaining at the helm for 2025.
It marks his second year at the club following previous coaching stints at Queanbeyan, Newcastle (NSW Cup) and Huddersfield.
Picton finished ninth out of 11 teams in this year’s Macarthur competition, winning four of their 16 games.
Woolford played 262 games throughout his 15 years in the NRL, with 234 of those coming in the green of Canberra between 1994 and 2006.
SUPER LEAGUE HERO RETURNS HOME
Lakes United has pulled off one of the biggest signings in club history.
The Seagulls announced Sione Mata’utia will join brother Peter at the club for the 2025 season.
Sione is a veteran of 124 games with the Knights and 85 games with St Helens, where he won three Super League titles in his first three seasons.
He also holds the record for the youngest ever Australian Kangaroos representative back in 2014.
Peter played 76 NRL games with the Knights and Dragons before enjoying a successful stint in England, as well as representing Samoa four times.
FORMER NSW CUP VETERAN LINKS WITH CORRIMAL
The Corrimal Cougars have commenced their recruitment drive with a big name, luring Tom Carr to the Illawarra competition.
Carr has enjoyed a strong career at NSW Cup level with stints at Illawarra, Canterbury, North Sydney and most recently South Sydney.
It’s the Rabbitohs where he had the most success, winning a title and then scoring two tries in the State Championships victory over the Tigers.
Carr was a Helensburgh junior throughout his younger years before being selected in the Dragon’s U20s side.
WYONG SNAPS UP STAR CENTRE
The Wyong Roos have landed a big name ahead of their latest tilt at the Denton Cup, bringing on board Joey Leilua.
After a stint with the Dapto Canaries in Wollongong, Leilua makes the move north.
Over his career he played over 220 games of NRL with the Raiders, Tigers, Knights and Roosters, before spending two seasons with Featherstone in England.
A former Dally M Centre of the Year, Leilua has also tested his hand at boxing, notching three wins and a loss to Curtis Scott.
Leilua has represented Samoa 15 times throughout his career.
INTERNATIONAL FIVE-EIGHTH MAKES MOVE
Blake Austin is preparing for a change of scenery on the Central Coast, making the move from The Entrance to Berkeley Vale.
Austin featured for the Tigers in their Denton Cup campaign throughout the 2024 season and will now form a key part of the Panthers charge in the RLCC competition.
Austin brings a wealth of experience and at just 33 years of age will immediately enhance their premiership claims.
He played 122 games in the NRL with the Tigers, Raiders and Panthers before making the move to the Super League where he notched 113 games with Warrington, Leeds and Castleford.
Austin has represented City and Great Britain throughout his career.
EX-NRL FORWARD TO HELP NARELLAN UP THE LADDER
The Narellan Jets can see the light at the end of the tunnel after the club announced the recent signing of Poasa Faamausili from the Bulldogs.
After finishing with this year’s wooden spoon, the addition of the 28-year-old is bound to lift spirits at the Macarthur based club.
Since making his NRL debut with the Roosters in 2018, Faamausili has played 47 top grade games across seven consecutive seasons at five different clubs.
A versatile and powerful middle forward, the former Warrior, Dragon and Dolphin was named on four occasions this year by Cameron Ciraldo before drawing the curtain on his time in the top flight at the end of the season.
FORMER SAMOAN INTERNATIONAL JOINS TOUKLEY
The Toukley Hawks have landed a big fish in the form of Terence Seu Seu for the upcoming Central Coast season.
Seu Seu made his NRL debut with the Knights in 2007 before going on to play 51 games with the Sharks and Sea Eagles.
During that period he also played four matches with Samoa.
In more recent years he has played with the Kurri Kurri Bulldogs and Wyong in the strong Denton Cup competition.
CAMPBELLTOWN COLLEGIANS SIGN FORMER KNIGHTS FLYER
After several impressive showings against the frontrunners in this year’s Macarthur competition, Campbelltown Collegians have hit the market in a bid to become a serious finals contender in 2025.
In a major score, former Newcastle and Parramatta flyer Ken Sio has transferred to Collies following a successful return to Australia this year with the Thirlmere Roosters.
After more than a decade in the NRL and Super League, the 34-year-old proved he’s lost none of his touch, scoring a club high 16 tries for the Roosters who contested the finals from fourth spot.
Equally effective on the wing or at fullback, Sio’s addition behind an already strong Collegians pack has the Campbelltown club well placed to improve on this season’s seventh spot finish.
FORBES WELCOMES BACK MAGNIFICENT EIGHT
The class of the Peter McDonald Premiership continues to shine with the Forbes Magpies adding eight players for their roster next season.
Brothers Nick and Connor Greenhalgh will again play under their uncle and coach Cameron in 2025.
Nick captained the side at halfback last year with Connor a flyer on the wing.
Second rower Jack Hartwig will be joined by Zeke Hartwig in the side again with the latter a good chance to take over the goalkicking duties.
Traie Merritt, Jack Smith and Ben Maguire are three key figures from this year’s side that will go around again.
They will also have young gun Jonah Little make the step up from U18s for his first season of A-grade.
PRIEST TAKES MUDGEE TO PROMISED LAND
Mudgee’s hopes of going back-to-back in the Peter McDonald Premiership have are sky high after captain-coach Clay Priest confirmed he would again lead the side next year.
Bringing 39 games of NRL experience with the Raiders and Bulldogs, Priest has been a fixture at the Dragons since 2020.
Since taking over as captain-coach in 2023 he has helped the side to a grand final appearance and a premiership last year.
WAUCHOPE ANNOUNCES MARQUEE SIGNING
Wauchope has landed their big fish, securing the signature of David Hollis.
The front rower represented the NSW U16s and U18s throughout his junior career, before linking with the Parramatta Eels for two seasons of reserve grade in 2021 and 2022.
He then went on to join the Knights last year before he featured in the Denton Engineering Cup with the Western Suburbs Rosellas.
QUEANBEYAN LEADER RETURNS
The Queanbeyan Blues have been boosted with the return of Keni Kawaleva as the reserve grade captain/coach for 2025.
Kawaleva played in reggies last year under the tutelage of Jeremy Osborne and gets his first crack at the dual role.
The Blue have also announced Dylan and Jayden McLachlan at the helm of the U19s side.
KURRI KURRI LANDS BIG DOG
The Kurri Kurri Bulldogs have added a monster signing to their forward pack with front rower Mitch Garbutt joining the club from next season onwards.
Garbutt played 12 NRL games with Melbourne and Brisbane before enjoying a successful stint in the UK Super League with Leeds and Hull KR.
He then went on to play in France and finally in York last year, where he announced he would be retiring professionally.
MAGPIES BULK UP
After finishing last in the Newcastle Hunter Rugby League competition in 2024, West Wallsend has wasted no time in trying to turn their fortunes around next year.
Brendan Worth has signed up as the club’s defensive coach, bringing 21 games of NRL experience with Newcastle and Penrith as well as a stint with Toulouse.
They have also announced the player signings of Blake Huddleston, brothers Patrick and Jake Sharkey, Jacob Lollback, Tommy Payne, Kyle Clarke, Brydon Ramien, Jack Beagley, Kye Juhnke, Jesse Dedman and Matty Johnson.
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