South Sydney Juniors A-grade season preview: Every team profiled ahead of 2023 season
The Souths Juniors A-grade season is fast approaching. We preview every club set to line up, continuing with the Redfern All Blacks who have received an almighty boost to start the season.
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THE South Sydney Juniors remains one of the few metropolitan stand-alone A-grade competitions in Sydney.
With a rich history, the silverware remains coveted across the region.
We provide an in-depth look at all seven clubs competing in this year’s A-grade competition, continuing with the Redfern All Blacks.
REDFERN ALL BLACKS
Coach: Wes Patten
Captain: Ezekiel Phillips
Players to watch: Ezekiel Phillips comes back to the club after a pre-season with Souths in NSW Cup and will benefit greatly from that. He’s a leader in the middle of the field, gets through plenty of work. Kareel Phillips and Keiran Vale both return to Redfern colours and they will be huge parts of the side with their football smarts and respect they command from their teammates. Kareel was named as player of the match in last year’s grand final with Matraville.
Surprise packet: O’Shay Tyerman is an up and coming talent who has come down from Macksville and has represented the North Coast in the Andrew Johns Cup. Back for his second year with the All Blacks and is a very quick outside back.
Why they will be competitive: They lost a few games by narrow margins last year and weren’t far off the mark. With the addition of some older heads mixing with the youth of the group is a great recipe for success. Club officials believe they deserve to be in the finals and with the roster they have assembled, they have every chance to do just that. A committed pre-season has them primed to go.
Analysis: Redfern has been the most successful club in Souths Juniors over the past decade, and they get the chance to return to their glory this year. Don’t underestimate the addition of the veterans to this side. They will have a massive impact on this team and will turn those close losses into gritty wins.
Last season: Seventh
SOUTH EASTERN SEAGULLS
Coach: Trevor Schembri
Captain: TBA
Players to watch: Bayleigh Bentley-Hape is a five-eighth who took a bit of time to come out of his shell last year, but is as fit as he’s ever been. A committed player who officials believe can take his game to the next level. Cooper Stevens is a game-changing fullback that missed last year's grand final, and there’s a belief that if he plays, they would’ve hoisted the silverware. Kye Bouris (hooker) and Kye Black (lock) are both key influences in the middle of the field who have the benefit of being part of the side last year and performing well.
Surprise package: Second-rower Andres Rossini, had a really good pre-season, come from Mascot, fits in well last year and can see him being a massive improver.
Why they will be competitive: Experience plays a massive part in their season and they haven’t made too many changes. A year under the belt will be massive for this young roster. There has been a fire in the belly throughout pre-season training after an initial feeling of deflation. The chat has picked up and officials are confident they can be contesting at the right time of the year again.
Analysis: They went within one minute of securing their first ever A-grade title last year before going down in heartbreaking circumstances. That kind of loss can hurt a side beyond repair, or it can be their making. There’s the talent among the Seagulls for the latter to be the case, and they look primed for another deep campaign in this competition with an extremely talented roster.
Last season: Second
LA PEROUSE PANTHERS
Coach: Rob Longbottom
Captain: Che Hyslop
Players to watch: Hooker Aaron Grech is one of the veterans of the competition who returns to La Perouse this year. He’s hoping to depart on the right note with a premiership and has rep experience with Malta. Harley Lester is a very talented fullback who has been in the Rabbitohs system through the junior reps, as well as excelling at Rugby Sevens too. Five-eighth Corey Makelim brings a bit of experience at the NSW Cup, Ron Massey and international levels which will prove invaluable for a team on the rise.
Surprise package: Cody Pitman caught many by surprise last year with how well he went on the wing. Club officials are hoping he can repeat the dose again and cross for plenty of tries on the wing this season.
Why they will be competitive: The biggest thing in La Perouse’s corner is cohesion among the playing group. A lot of locals will suit up this year and they’re a tight-knit group who have been thereabouts in recent times. They were around the mark before Covid hit, and with some old heads joining talented youngsters, they have a good mix for 2023.
Analysis: The stage is set for a La Perouse return to the finals this year. They’ve been able to add some good names to the mix, with the likes of Grech and Makelim at the helm in key positions, with some good young players around them, this should be the season they get things back on track.
Last season: Sixth
COOGEE DOLPHINS
Coach: Michael Golden
Captain: Mark Daoud
Players to watch: The Dolphins welcome back one of the most credentialed players in the competition in Cheyne Whitelaw. Brings NSW Cup experience with the Bears and has also had a stint in Queensland as well. Helps the development of young players and is a very strong middle forward. Kurt Lovett is the brother of Rabbitohs squad member Ben. An ex-Australian junior hockey player who brings the X-factor, is skilful on his feet and a crowd favourite.
Surprise package: Coogee has picked up a solid country lad in Henry Naseby. He’s moved from the bush to go to uni and can play at halfback or fullback. Officials weren’t expecting him to be pushing for a spot in the starting 13 based on his age, but he has really impressed in the pre-season.
Why they will be competitive: The Dolphins have retained the nucleus of their side from last year which makes things easier coming into the new season as opposed to starting from scratch. New recruits have taken to being part of the club and have gelled well with a very strong core that got them to within one game of the grand final in 2022.
Analysis: They weren’t far away at all from downing Matraville in last year’s prelim, and have built a roster that can compete with the goal of making Redfern Oval in August. It will be very interesting to see how Henry Naseby fares in his first taste of metro footy, but his country toughs will be a big addition to the side. They look like they’ll be firmly in the mix.
Last season: Third
MATRAVILLE TIGERS
Coach: Martin Masella and Grant Hyde
Captain: Josh Natoli
Players to watch: Carter Beevers has the potential to stamp himself as the most exciting talent in Souths Juniors. The 18-year-old utility turned down a contract with Wakefield to try his luck through the pathways system to get into the NRL. A highly promising UK recruit. Sione Tovo has previous NRL experience and was a major part in Matraville’s success last year. A real leader in the forward pack. Jake Kambos had a Ron Massey stint last year and returns to his junior club where he grew up. Also was part of Greece’s team at the World Cup late last year.
Surprise package: Chay Arthurs is a new recruit from Darwin who could take a few by surprise. Has a bit of size and will relish being in a winning environment.
Why they will be competitive: The boys at Matraville are under no illusions that it is very hard to go back-to-back. There’s a fair few players that have moved on from their roster, but they offset some of that with some nice additions and returning faces. They’re excited by the energy around Heffron Park and with new coaches Martin Masella and Grant Hyde guided by Scott Wilson, there is a wealth of knowledge leading the way.
Analysis: It’s tough to go back-to-back, especially with the loss of skipper Blake Judd and fullback Jade Anderson. They’ve picked up some handy new faces and all eyes will be on Carter Beevers and how he performs over from the UK. Martin Masella is a great addition to the coaching ranks with over 200 games of first grade experience in Australia and Britain, as well as representing Tonga.
Last season: Premiers
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