Rugby League Central Coast: Ultimate guide to the 2024 season
With some big name recruits and new clubs joining the fold, the Central Coast Rugby League is set for a huge season. Check out the ultimate guide to 2024.
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Local footy is finally here.
After a long off-season that featured plenty of administrative changes, the newly formed Rugby League Central Coast body launched its senior competitions on April 13.
Fresh from back-to-back premierships in first grade, Toukley will come into the season gunning for three-straight titles as rivals set out to put a stop to the Hawks’ reign.
Elsewhere, there are new faces and an increase in teams in what looms as an exciting season across all senior competitions, with Dora Creek entering the top grade.
To prepare for the start of the season, we’ve taken a look at how all first grade sides are shaping up in 2024.
ERINA EAGLES
Last season: 2nd (lost grand final)
Coach: Dane Allen
Outlook: After a couple of brilliant seasons, Erina come into 2024 with the unfortunate tag of being back-to-back beaten grand finalists following last year’s narrow 8-6 defeat at the hands of Toukley in the decider.
And while it was nevertheless disappointing to come so close, coach Dane Allen has put the result firmly behind him and his squad.
“I don’t know whether dwelling on those sorts of things is too healthy,” he said. “We have spoken about it but it’s hard because in pre-season you’ve got 50 to 60 blokes there and there’s probably only 10 or 11 left from last year’s grand final loss, so I didn’t really want to delve into that.
“I want to more sort of reshape the players and the team that we’ve got currently for 2024, as opposed to dwelling on what could have been in 2023 and 2022.”
There have indeed been some changes at Erina in the off-season, highlighted by the departure of CCRL player of the year Nick Newman, front-rower Noah Easton and Alan Munro all moving to The Entrance.
Despite the losses, the club has retained a core of last year’s squad – including the likes of skipper Joel Fraser, halfback Cameron Davies, hooker Zade Besley, centre Finn Douch, playmaker Toby Elliott and rookie of the year Riley Burke – and will be looking to fill the holes from within.
“We’ve kept it very much in house. We’ve had the most dominant second grade for the last few years and our 19s did a fantastic job in filling spots for us through the season,” said Allen.
“We were unlucky to get a few players poached by other clubs, but we’ve just relied heavily on the young blokes who are at the club, and we’re going to use that as a motivating factor – Erina blokes play well at Erina, it’s as simple as that. We haven’t gone on a spending or signing spree… It’s just the same as last year, with the addition of more youth.”
He added: “In our team I reckon our average age will be about 20 years old and the vast majority of them have had relatives or fathers play at the club. Most of them will be zero-pointers.”
Those expected to step up include brothers Dan and Tom Peters, who were outstanding in last year’s premiership-winning reserve grade side, while emerging back-rower Emmet Nicholls is another tipped to get plenty of first grade action throughout the course of the season.
Players to watch: He lit up the competition last season with an incredible 21 tries in a 14-game regular season to be crowned rookie of the year, and young gun Riley Burke is set for a new challenge in 2024 that should see the lightning quick outside back get his hands on the ball a lot more often.
“He’ll make the shift to fullback and hopefully play some good footy there for us. We’ve got some big hopes on Burkey this year,” said Allen.
Elsewhere, the new halves pairing of Cam Davies and Toby Elliott will be key for the Eagles, who’ve really impressed the competition with some free-flowing football in recent years, while hooker Zade Besley and centre Finn Douch will be players to watch as they look to build on excellent 2023 campaigns.
Why they will be competitive: As one of the two outstanding teams in the competition over the past two years alongside Toukley, Erina will once again be among the contenders when things kick off for 2024.
And while the team might have lost some quality, Allen said the sheer scale of youth in his squad has brought an intensity and enthusiasm that he hopes can translate into performances in the season proper.
“We’ve had a brilliant pre-season. One of the real takeaway points that I’ve seen from our trials has been our level of fitness, the speed that the boys have played with and just how oppressive it’s been throughout our trials.”
And while the team has been one of the standouts in recent years, the coach is under no illusions as to the task at hand this season.
“I think the comp this year is significantly stronger than previous years,” said Allen. “As for us, obviously we want to be at the top of the pile.”
He added: “I’m confident we can be very competitive in every game we play. Where that puts us at the end of the season, time will tell.”
Round one: Terrigal (H)
THE ENTRANCE TIGERS
Last season: 5th
Coach: Jarod Hamer
Major ins: Nathan Cooper (Denton Cup), Tim Nawaqatabu (Denton Cup), Adam McInnes (Denton Cup), Malu Fiu (Wester Suburbs – Newcastle), Nick Newman (Erina), Noah Easton (Erina)
Outlook: There are plenty of fresh faces in The Entrance’s first grade squad this year, with a combination of new signings and players dropping back from the club’s Denton Cup side bolstering the Tigers as they prepare to kick off their 2024 campaign.
Despite losing Jake Slee and retiring club stalwarts Matt Killick and Matt Nelson, The Entrance has offset these losses with the likes of hooker Nathan Cooper, front-rower Tim Nawaqatabu and fullback Adam McInnes, who have all decided to drop down from Denton Cup and play in the local first grade team this season.
“They’re all in prime positions for us and they’ve been there, done it, won comps, so there’s a lot of experience there, which helps the young blokes coming through, and we’ve got a real good crop with our under-19s winning the comp last year,” said coach Jarod Hamer.
They’ll be joined by former Erina pair Noah Easton and Nick Newman, with the latter coming off a bumper 2023 in which he was named CCRL player of the year.
The duo are just two of a host of big-name signings the Tigers have made for 2024, headlined by former NRL stars Blake Austin and David Fifita in the Denton Cup, with the increased quality translating to higher intensity during the pre-season and greater competition for spots throughout the club as a whole.
“We stayed together as a top squad pretty much all the way until February and then broke off into our sides,” said Hamer. “But we still did a lot of training together, blokes interacted and swapped into sides, so in some ways it brings some challenges but it also gives you a leg up as well, because you’re competing against guys in the team above.”
Given the talent at his disposal, Hamer is confident of a strong season.
“The milestone for everybody is to win a comp, but we understand we’ve got platforms that we need to tick off and meet before we get there. As for short-term goals, it’s to cement a spot in the semi-finals and then we’ll go again and give it a good crack at bringing the chocolates home.”
Players to watch: Given their years of experience at the Denton Cup level, the trio of Cooper, McInnes and Nawaqatabu have been huge for the Tigers in the off-season and are tipped to lead the way for the side both on and off the field this season.
Elsewhere, there is plenty of excitement about new recruit Nick Newman, who The Entrance hope can continue his excellent form of 2023 when he lines up in the halves alongside Sione Tonga.
“They’re bouncing off each other and gelling quite well, so that’s another key factor to our side this year,” said Hamer.
In the outside backs, Malu Fiu returns to the club after most recent playing for Western Suburbs in the Newcastle competition, with his physicality tipped to cause opposition teams some headaches on the edges.
“He’s a strike weapon centre. He’s very strong and he likes taking his medicine with those hard carries,” said Hamer.
Meanwhile in the middle, 21-year-old front-rower Pat Lulham has certainly made an impression since joining the club from the Port Macquarie Sharks in the off-season.
“I think he’s got a big future and could go further than just first grade on the Coast, so I think he’s someone to watch this year. He’s an exciting young player coming through the ranks,” said Hamer.
Why they will be competitive: Despite losing a couple of experienced campaigners, the Tigers’ recruitment and internal player movement has produced a squad whose quality speaks for itself.
And while the team is strong all over the park, Hamer said that some new players in strategic positions should set the team up for a strong 2024.
“We’re pretty comfortable across the park. I thought we needed to put some emphasis on our forward pack, obviously Tim coming through bolsters that well.
“We’ve also got a couple of backrowers who’ve been there for the last two or three years and are really starting to find their home there and with Nathan Cooper coming back to play hooker it really adds another dynamic about how we want to play our football this year.”
Round one: Berkeley Vale (A)
BERKELEY VALE PANTHERS
Last season: 8th
Coach: Michael Sullivan
Major ins: Mark Tepu-Smith, Logen Dillon, Makrau Fonmanu, Viliami Latu, PJ Tevaga, Vili Mailangi, Tui Afualo
Outlook: It will be a very different-looking Berkeley Vale side taking to the field this season, with a host of new recruits strengthening the club ahead of the upcoming campaign.
After an incredibly difficult 2023 that saw the club win just one game in the top grade, coach Michael Sullivan said it was necessary to bring in some fresh faces to turn the Panthers’ fortunes around.
“I think a ‘revamp’ is the right word. We needed to keep some of the guys who were there but we also need to add to our depth at a top-end level,” said the coach, who has identified key positions the club needed to fill.
“You need a decent-sized pack on the Coast, that’s pretty evident – it’s quite a big comp. But we want some strike in our centres and that’s what we’ve picked up and we’ve looked at some halves as well, so it’s a bit of a mix.
“Obviously there’s a nucleus of about four or five from last year who are the heartbeat and a couple of guys who had a bit of a staggered season due to injury.”
Headlining the new recruits is former Parramatta and Manly junior rep player Mark Tepu-Smith, who will lead the Panthers’ pack in 2024.
“He’s one of our real key men up front,” said Sullivan.
He’ll be joined in the pack by former Ron Massey Cup players Makrau Fonmanu, Vili Mailangi and Viliami Latu, who will bring plenty of size-skill and experience to the team.
In the backline, former Wests Tigers lower grade and Q Cup player Logen Dillon will line up at fullback, former Sydney Bulls Ron Massey Cup centre Tui Afualo has also joined the club while former St Clair Comets and Penrith Brothers dummy-half will wear the number nine.
“I’m really comfortable with talent we’ve got,” said Sullivan, who noted that because some of the recruits were travelling from Sydney, the full squad hasn’t been together as often as he would have liked.
“It’s probably been a bit inconsistent but the talent’s definitely there. When we get our squad together it’s impressive to see what they can do.
“Have we got as many sessions in for the cohesion heading into round one? No. But we’re well in front of where we were this time last year as a group, the numbers are better at training and the talent is evident. So I’m really keen, especially starting on a Saturday night at home, to see what we can do.”
And while the club has turned to recruitment to bolster its prospects in 2024, Sullivan said that the club’s strategy is ultimately to build from within.
“We’re starting to do the thing we’ve hoped. There are a couple of decent local juniors that have been attracted back,” he said.
“That was the science behind it: hopefully we can get a strong team so that some of the juniors who probably stepped away from Berkeley Vale, thinking there was no pathway, come back to the club.”
Players to watch: In terms of the recruits, with his experience in the Wests Tigers’ system and with the Mackay Cutters in the Q Cup, Logen Dillon looms as a key player for Berkeley Vale coming out from the back.
“People will see his talent once he steps out there at fullback,” said Sullivan.
Elsewhere, PJ Tevaga has impressed at hooker and is expected to give the team a point of difference in attack while returning Panthers Pacey Crutcher and Blake Mulhare have been tipped for big seasons after impressing during a difficult 2023.
“The locals in Pacey and Blake, just with that better side around them, I’m really excited to see what they can do,” said Sullivan.
Why they will be competitive: With plenty of size, ability and quality injected into the club, Berkeley Vale will have a much stronger squad to choose from this season. The new recruits, many of whom have experience in either NRL systems or NSW and Q Cup, are not only expected to perform well themselves but also lift the standard among the returning Berkeley Vale players.
And while the team struggled last year, recording just one solitary win, Sullivan said he’s confident of a much more successful campaign in 2024.
“I’ve always been a coach that measures success by winning comps and at the start of every year that’s what I set out to do but I think finals would be a huge step for us.
“But more than anything, consistency. We don’t want any blowout scores. We’ve got a squad where I think we should be consistent and should be in every game with a shot to win it.”
Round one: The Entrance (H)
WYONG ROOS
Last season: 4th (eliminated in preliminary final)
Co-coaches: Todd Lewis and Dean Amos
Outlook: It has been somewhat of a strange pre-season for the Roos’ second team, who after preparing to make the move and take part in the Newcastle Rugby League reserve grade competition, have found themselves back in the CCRL first grade comp after Central Coast Rugby League rejected the club’s application to head north for the season.
But while it might have been a funny one off the field, on the field, the squad has well and truly been put through its paces.
“It’s been one of the best pre-seasons I’ve ever had since I’ve been at the club, probably since NSW Cup training, to be honest,” said Wyong captain-coach Todd Lewis.
“Just the standard of our training. It’s been the hardest one I’ve ever done.”
Co-coaching with club legend Dean Amos, Lewis said the appointment of Troy Pezet as the Roos’ coaching director and James Huff as Denton Cup assistant coach was instantly felt across the group.
“They’ve made a real big impact and I think the standard of recruitment that we’ve done in some key areas has really made it a competitive environment where everyone’s trying to push for spots, and we haven’t sort of had that privilege in the last few years.”
Indeed, with the club signing the likes of established Denton Cup player Bayden Searle, former Roos prop Jake O’Meley and the likes of former NRL junior rep players in Matt Meafua, Jack Stringer and Zac Montgomery, the latter of which was previously in the Canterbury Bulldogs’ top 30, it has meant that some quality footballers have shuffled down the grades.
“We put 10 blokes who’d been training with us and played through the trials back to reserve grade when we named our teams, so that shows how competitive it is for spots,” said Lewis.
And while Wyong has certainly lost some quality in hooker Terence Seuseu, centre Stephen Gordon and prop Brae Verheyen, Lewis is confident he will have the talent to go one step further and challenge for the title in 2024.
“We’ve got the same core group with a few extras, so hopefully we can get the job done,” he said.
“We’ve got a good crop of juniors coming through and some of the pre-seasons that these boys have been putting in means that they’ve skipped our team and are playing Denton Cup this weekend, which is really good to see.”
Players to watch: With players expected to shuffle between the grades all season, Wyong will likely be able to call on some experienced Denton Cup players in the local first grade competition.
In a sign of the sheer depth and quality in the club, the likes of Greg Wisham and Luke Bartley could well feature for Lewis’ team in the early stages of the season, while utility Kye Leaudais – who floated between the grades last year – is another primed for a big year.
“He (Leaudais) has probably had one of the best pre-seasons he’s had, so I’ll be trying my best to hold on to all of them,” laughed Lewis. “But our goal is that whenever Mini (Denton Cup coach Mitch Williams) needs anyone, we have to do our job as coaches to make sure they’re ready to play at the Denton Cup level.”
Elsewhere, after a huge 2023, interchange impact player Kodi Costello is primed for another big season in the green and gold, while captain-coach Lewis will once again be key in guiding the team around in the halves.
Why they will be competitive: With an incredible squad of players to choose from, Wyong won’t be short of talent as they look to win the club’s first local grand final since 2016.
“With the depth that we’ve got throughout the club we’re definitely going in with the goal of winning the comp,” said Lewis. “But we want to win all comps in all grades, starting from Denton Cup down.”
And while the team has fallen short in the preliminary final for the past two years, Lewis said his side won’t be making any extraordinary changes in their approach to footy to go that one step further.
“This year it’s more so about keeping things simple. We’re not really focused on other teams we might be playing. I think sometimes you can get carried away with looking at the opposition when you just really need to make sure that everything that we’re doing is at 100 per cent. So that’s probably our biggest focus: worrying about ourselves.”
Round one: Toukley (A)
DORA CREEK SWAMPIES
Last season: Debut season in CCRL (2023 minor and major premiers in Hunter A-grade)
Coach: Dave Hoban
Major ins: Royce Geoffrey (Macquarie), Isaac Briggs, Matt Simon
Outlook: There is plenty of excitement surrounding Dora Creek as the new kids on the block prepare for their debut season in the Central Coast division. After dominating the Newcastle and Hunter A-grade competition in recent years, which included claiming the minor and major premiership in 2023, the Swampies are excited for the challenge ahead.
“I think it’s been really exciting since we found out we were heading down to the Central Coast comp, everyone’s been pretty pumped and it’s been a great pre-season,” said coach Dave Hoban.
“We just got to a stage where we needed to go up to another level. It’s given everybody – those who have been there and those who have come to us – a new lease of life,” he added.
And while the team has picked up plenty of trophies in recent years, the coach is well aware that they won’t have it all their own way this season.
“We’re expecting it to be a lot quicker, more skilful and more professionally run. In terms of what we’re going to be playing against, I suppose we won’t really know until we have our first game. But we’ve had a great preparation and everyone’s really excited with where we’re at.”
Indeed, the Swampies have certainly made a splash over the pre-season with impressive wins against Group 4 premiers North Tamworth Bears, fellow Central Coast side Berkeley Vale and the Kurri Kurri Denton Cup side.
While maintaining much of their squad of recent years, which features the likes of former Macquarie Scorpions halfback Andy Sumner, the Swampies have added experienced Newcastle Rugby League players Isaac Briggs and Matt Simon.
“We’re lucky that we’ve picked up some local guys who’ve had a fair bit of Denton Cup experience,” said Hoban.
Meanwhile in a major coup, the club has also signed local junior, longtime Denton Cup star centre and former Newcastle Rebels representative Royce Geoffrey from the Scorpions.
“He’s played a couple of hundred games of Denton Cup and he’ll be our captain this year,” said Hoban.
“He’s been phenomenal for us: just his leadership, his talk, his guidance for some of the younger guys – he’s been great and it’s been really good to have him back.”
Players to watch: A tryscoring machine over the course of his glittering career, new skipper Royce Geoffrey will bring a lot of quality to not only Dora Creek but the competition at large. The former rep star will pose a serious threat to opposition defences on the edges and will be one to watch in 2024.
Elsewhere, experienced halfback Andy Sumner, who has been with the Swampies for the last couple of seasons, will be crucial in guiding the team around the park.
“He’s played 180 or 190 games for Macquarie and is a very good halfback,” said Hoban.
Meanwhile the club is also very excited about the prospects of young centre Cody Boyle, who has been super impressive over the pre-season.
“He was going to play with us last year but hurt his shoulder concreting and didn’t get to play. He’s had a great pre-season so he’s ready to go. He’s a pretty exciting young kid,” said Hoban.
Why they will be competitive: By adding some experienced, top-line players – highlighted by the likes of Geoffrey, Briggs and Simon – to an already strong squad, Dora Creek has assembled a formidable playing roster for the club’s first season on the Coast and is confident of being more than competitive in their debut year.
“We’ve had some good trials, which is a good indication of where we think we’re at,” said Hoban.
“I think everybody competes to win the comp but I think the first goal for us is just to compete every week and a good result in year one would be to make the top four.”
More specifically, the coach said that he believes his side has the right mix of graft and firepower to cause teams some troubles.
“I certainly think that we’ll be able to compete with every team in the middle. We’re really happy with what we’ve got with our middles,” said Hoban.
“I also think we’ve got plenty of points in us. We’ve got some really handy edge runners, we’ve got some quick outside backs and to top that off we’ve got some great halves, so I think we’re just going to be a good, pretty well-rounded team.”
And while the team has a round one bye, Hoban said his side will be raring to go with a home game against the defending premiers in round two.
“I wish we were playing this weekend but we drew the bye, so we’ve got Toukley in round two and we’ll know how we’re going at about 4:30 next Saturday.”
Round one: Bye (Round 2: Toukley H)
WOY WOY ROOSTERS
Last season: 6th
Coach: Blake McLean
Major ins: Andrew Fifita, Hemi Knebel (Terrigal), Kyle McLean (The Entrance), Mason Ward (Ryde-Eastwood), Kane Williams (Berkeley Vale)
Outlook: It’s fair to say that plenty of eyes will be on Woy Woy in round one after the Roosters claimed arguably the signing of the season to assemble a very dangerous squad ahead of the 2024 season.
In a huge coup for the competition in general, Woy Woy have signed former NSW Origin, Australia and Tonga representative forward Andrew Fifita for the season.
“It’s been awesome having Andrew,” said coach Blake McLean. “His ideas around our game plan and our training is obviously coming straight out of the NRL. I’ve learned a lot and I’m sure the boys have as well. Around the club he’s also helped out with the women’s tackle team and reserve grade – he’s been awesome for us.”
After pulling of the huge signing, McLean revealed he had some inside help in getting the 252-game NRL star to join the Roosters.
“He’s my brother, so that made it a little bit easier,” he laughed. “I always had the idea of linking up once his NRL career had finished. It was just put back a year with some injuries that he had to take care of.”
Fifita’s signature isn’t the only close connection McLean leaned on, with the coach signing another brother, outside back Kyle McLean, from The Entrance.
“It’s a bit of a family affair at the moment. We’ve still got two other brothers, CJ and David, up at The Entrance and hopefully next year we can get them all in the red and white together,” said McLean.
Fifita and McLean are just two of a host of impressive signings the Roosters have made, with the club also picking up Berkeley Vale’s 2023 player of the year Kane Williams, young fullback Mason Ward from Ryde-Eastwood in the Ron Massey Cup and talented half Hemi Knebel from Terrigal.
“When I agreed to coach (Knebel) was one of the first blokes that came to mind because we played them twice last year and he just killed us both times,” said McLean. “I didn’t know much about him until we played him but I learned a lot that day and he’s been someone that we’d had our eye on.”
The new recruits will be joined by plenty of returning faces, with the likes of Lima Teaupa and Leighton Tali also coming back after impressive debut seasons for the club.
The signings offset the loss of last year’s player-coach Toby Marks, who has moved north to take up an opportunity with the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the Q Cup.
Players to watch: It goes without saying that Cronulla premiership winner Andrew Fifita will be a huge drawcard not only for Woy Woy but the competition at large. Big, tough and with plenty of skill, the 34-year-old is expected to be more than handful for opposition defences, whether lining up in the middle or on the edge.
A little wider out, centre Leighton Tali was outstanding for the Roosters after joining the club midway through last season. A powerful runner of the ball who knows how to find the tryline, he’s once again tipped to have a big year in the red and white.
“My personal opinion is that he’s the best centre in the comp,” said McLean. “He changed our season when we got him halfway through the year so I’m excited to have him back on board.”
Meanwhile, in a team chock full of talent, another recruit in the form of outside back and Woy Woy junior Kyle McLean is expected to provide more firepower for the side with the ball in hand.
“He had a standout year in the Denton Cup last year. He was up the top of most of the stats for tackle breaks and tries and things like that, so we’re really looking forward to having him back in the Woy Woy jersey as well,” McLean said.
Why they will be competitive: While Woy Woy might have finished sixth last season, its place on the ladder didn’t accurately reflect just how dangerous the side was.
After winning just one of its first six, the Roosters turned it on in the back-half of the season to lose just one of its last eight games to miss the finals by just two points, highlighted by a 36-6 thrashing of eventual premiers Toukley.
“We reversed that in the second half,” said McLean. “If it hadn’t have been for that poor first half of the year we would have been there and I think we would have given it a real shake as well.”
Given how competitive the side was in 2023, the addition of Fifita and the rest of the team’s new recruits has many tipping the side to be right in the mix for the title this season.
“To be honest, I think we’re really well rounded. We’re strong in the pack and I we’ve got really good edges as well,” said McLean.
“We scored a lot of points on our edges last year. We’ve got the same players plus we’ll be throwing in Mason Ward at fullback and Hemi Knebel too. In our forwards, throw in Andrew Fifita and then a couple of boys coming back who just played third grade last year like Luke Moore and Beau Bovis and I think we’re going to be strong all over the park.”
Round one: Kincumber (A)
TERRIGAL-WAMBERAL SHARKS
Last season: 3rd (eliminated week one of finals)
Captain-coach: Dylan McKeown
Major ins: Kalausa Leha, Connor McCabe, Scott Hogan, Jake Ferguson, Jake Carlaw, Jayden Jones, Elia Faatui
Outlook: There are plenty of fresh faces at Terrigal as the Sharks look to not only emulate last year’s third-place finish but also go one step further and challenge for the title.
Despite losing talented five-eighth Hemi Knebel, barnstorming backrower Beni Valu and hooker Jayden Field, Terrigal has bolstered its stocks with a string of new signings.
They include powerful forward Kalausa Leha, who previously played for French side Toulouse Olympique in the second-tier UK Championship competition.
Former Manly, Wests and Norths NSW Cup player Elia Faatui will also bring of experience to the club, while Australian Defence Force representatives Connor McCabe (front-rower) and Scott Hogan (outside back), who have both played Q Cup and Ron Massey Cup, respectively, have also joined Terrigal.
Former Sharks Jake Ferguson (second-row) and Jake Carlaw (five-eighth) have been enticed back into the fold after a season away from the game, while fullback/winger Jayden Jones also returns to the club after being part of Toukley’s premiership-winning team last year.
Meanwhile in another boost for the Sharks, the club will once again field an under-19s team this year. With a string of talented players having represented the Central Coast Roosters in the junior rep season, first grade captain-coach Dylan McKeown expects the young guns to play their part in 2024.
“We missed that last year and this year it’s awesome,” he said. “They’ve got heaps of players and there are plenty of guys in that Roosters’ system who are coming back in the next couple of weeks.
“We’re going to really rely on that as the season is even longer this year and depth will be tested even more. So to have those 19s is massive and we’ll definitely be using them.”
Players to watch: He was the Sharks’ best last year in controlling the middle and acting as a barometer for the team. Lock Elih Jackson will turn out in the blue, black and white again and is set for another big season.
“He was one of the best players in the comp last year so it’s great to have him back,” said McKeown.
Elsewhere, centre Caydn Rosemeyer had a breakout year on the edges in 2023 and has impressed his skipper with his approach to the new season.
“He’s a Terrigal junior and is literally the heart and soul of the club. He’s had an awesome pre-season, he’s been training the house down and I think he’s set for a big year.”
Why they will be competitive: With the likes of Jackson at lock and captain-coach McKeown and Eden Syme in the front-row, the Sharks had one of the strongest packs in the competition last year. With the addition of more quality forwards in 2024, they’re expected to be tough to stop in the middle.
“Once again our forward pack will definitely be one of our strengths, so we’ll play to that and use that as best we can. We’ve added some good depth and we’ve got some good young guys coming through in the outside backs, so that’s promising,” McKeown said.
Terrigal was incredibly hard to beat last season as the team made the semi-finals, doing extremely well to outgun some of the bigger clubs on the Coast to finish in third place. And while the competition has been strengthened again this season, the skipper said his team’s expectations remain high.
“Everyone only plays to make the finals so obviously that’s our goal,” he said. “We want to go one step better and win it but we know how hard it is with all the big clubs, every team getting better each year and obviously Dora Creek coming into the comp, so it’s going to add another dynamic to it and make it even tougher.”
Round one: Erina (A)
KINCUMBER COLTS
Last season: 7th
Coach: Brad Bennett
Outlook: There is plenty of positivity out at Kincumber, with an increase in numbers and some promising young players coming through the ranks making the club confident of a much better campaign in 2024.
“It’s a lot more enjoyable than last year, that’s for sure,” said coach Brad Bennett. “We got a lot of players coming back and some extra players coming to the club, which has made it a lot more enjoyable for the club as a whole.”
And with the extra depth, Bennett says that has translated into higher intensity on the training paddock.
“Our training sessions have been awesome with numbers and everyone buying in. It’s been a breath of fresh air,” said Bennett.
In terms of the new recruits, the Colts have looked outside the box and brought in plenty of international flavour, including English pair, Billy England and Will Fernley, New Zealander Noera Ngaheu and Irishman Paul Bolger.
“We had to sort of branch out and look at a different sort of area,” said Bennett. “It’s hard to match it with all these leagues club sides to bring players over so we branched out and saw what we could get elsewhere, just through club connections and people who’ve played in England and connections over in New Zealand – and it’s worked out well.”
He added: “They’re bringing a lot of energy to the club. When we’ve got people competing for spots it makes for a healthy club all the way through.”
Players to watch: Outstanding at fullback in what was a very tough season in 2023, Colts’ player of the year Kyle Lang will once again be key for Kincumber.
Meanwhile hooker Josh Starling is the ultimate competitor who will be crucial in tightening up the middle and giving his halves good service in 2024.
“They’ve been massive for us,” said Bennett. “With recruitment, we wanted to keep all the boys we had last year and then build on that.”
Why they will be competitive: With some key recruits and improved numbers, there is a much better vibe at MacKillop Oval heading into the new season, with the higher intensity and trial game form giving the coach plenty of confidence of an improved campaign.
“Each trial we’ve had a handful of players out for various reasons. But even with them out, the boys stepping in have done a job and have looked the part. We’ve got a lot more depth and cover injury-wise all through the team, which is massive for us,” he said.
“So long as we’re improving on last year and doing all the right things, I think we’ll be there to give it a crack.”
And while host young players were thrown into a difficult situation in the top grade last year, the club expects them to benefit from their experience in 2024.
“They proved that they could play first grade and were up to first grade level, but when you’re throwing seven of them together in one side it makes it very hard,” said Bennett. “They’re all there pushing for spots. It’s all up in the air for round one.”
Round one: Woy Woy (H)
TOUKLEY HAWKS
Last season: Minor and major premiers
Captain-coach: Jake Fitzpatrick
Major ins: Kyle McCudden (The Entrance), Damon Goolagong (QLD), Sam Grose (Wyong)
Outlook: It simply doesn’t get any better for the Hawks, who come into 2024 as back-to-back premiers after a thrilling 8-6 victory over Erina in last year’s grand final. It capped off another history-making year for the club, who took out its first ever first grand minor premiership en route to the decider.
“People always said the second one will feel better than the first one, and I’ll never take anything away from the first one but winning two in a row and being up there with the other clubs that have done it like Wyong, The Entrances and Woy Woy is amazing,” said captain-coach Jake Fitzpatrick.
And while the club has the potential to write itself further in the history books with a third-straight title, something not achieved since the 1950s, Fitzpatrick says they aren’t looking that far ahead.
“We just take it week by week. Last year we never mentioned back-to-back and this year we’ve never mentioned anything about winning three in a row – it’s just business as usual for us.
“The biggest thing as a coach is just to try and make sure the energy and the want to win again is there. It’s pretty easy with the guys I’ve got in my squad because they just want to win, it’s just instilled in them to be competitive. So for me it’s just about maintaining that consistency week in and week out, which I’m sure we’ll do.”
The club has been blessed with a fairly stable roster from last season.
While middle forwards Blake Carter and Kene Te Whata have hung up the boots, the Hawks have bolstered their squad by adding back-rower Kyle McCudden from The Entrance, hooker Sam Grose from Wyong and welcoming back 2022 premiership winner Damon Goolagong after a year in Queensland.
“Across the board there hasn’t been much turnover but the guys we’ve brought to the club will add great value to us,” said Fitzpatrick.
Players to watch: Described by some Hawks fans as the best player in the best team in the comp, fullback Kiran Page is primed for another big year after a huge 2023 and a taste of rep footy with the Central Coast in the country championships.
Elsewhere, following the retirements of Carter and Te Whata, front-rower Brady Barwick will be one to keep an eye on as he leads Toukley’s pack into the season, while last year’s man of the match in the grand final, back-rower Jakob Giles, looms as another of the Hawks’ key players on the edges.
Meanwhile, one of the club’s returning players in Damon Goolagong is set to add even more strike power to the centres in a huge coup for the Hawks.
“That’s massive for us. I reckon he’s probably the best centre in the competition,” said Fitzpatrick.
Why they will be competitive: Coming off back-to-back premierships, Toukley don’t need to change too much to once again be right in the mix in 2024.
And while the departure of a couple of club stalwarts will undoubtedly leave a hole, the captain-coach is more than confident that he has the squad with the right attitude to challenge for a third-straight title.
“We’ve got fairly decent-size centres and backrowers so we’ll be very strong out wide. Through the middle, I wouldn’t replace any of them,” said Fitzpatrick.
“It’s the same stuff every year, the same formula: we’ll just compete on everything, push on everything, fight for everything – you won’t see much different from us. It’ll be the same old Toukley.”
Round one: Wyong (H)
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