2026 Ron Massey Cup & Sydney Shield

[rightleftin]

Does Blacktown have any direct pathways into the NRL now that the Manly partnership is over bro?

In 2nd year with South Sydney

 

[rightleftin]

When Dean Matterson was cut by Manly at the end of last season, it was reported that he had signed to play in France, but he has been training with his former club, Mounties. With 7 NRL games and 108 in NSW Cup, he will be useful in the backrow or at No 6.

 

[Sharkie Army Gorilla]

Ethan Clark-Wood has been training with St Marys, he will add a heap of NSW Cup experience to an already stacked side. He made 1 Super League appearance last year for Leeds.

 

[siv]

Ronny Palumbo has recruited a few players for Blacktown as he attempts to offload the RMC wooden spoon this season - James Valevatu (Brothers), Epeli Sukanaivalu (Wenty), Damian Nati (Hills) and Sunita Lotoaniu (ex Penrith). All are spending the preseason with South Sydney, as is Blacktown captain, Tangi Hokai.

Heard Blacktown RMC had a trial yesterday?

Any details

 

[rightleftin]

Heard Blacktown RMC had a trial yesterday?

Any details

Nothing on Bar TV, but post on BW Facebook shows that Souths NSW Cup played BW RMC and Souths Flegg played BW SS. No scores given.

 

[Sharkie Army Gorilla]

Ryde Eastwood have added Michael Chee Kam to their Ron Massey squad

 

[MountainMan]

Ryde have also signed the likes of former first grader Jirah Momoisea,Ben Stevanovic , both Anthony Layoun and Steven Tavita from St Mary's.

Ryde Eastwood have added Michael Chee Kam to their Ron Massey squad

 

[rightleftin]

Ryde have also signed the likes of former first grader Jirah Momoisea,Ben Stevanovic , both Anthony Layoun and Steven Tavita from St Mary's.

Momoisea was one of Ryde's best last year, good to see him retained.

 

[rightleftin]

new players at Brothers for 2026:

Vito Tevaga, Kimi Fakaua (Glebe), Braye Porter (Bulldogs), Kenny Souapholphakdy (Mounties), Maile Townsend (Wyong), Netane Masima (Cessnock), Andre Wright (Young) and Noah Hetutu Davis (Wynnum Manly).

Those 9 along with Joe Romeo, Callum Davidson, Malakai Houia and Ajay Iosefa will play for Penrith in the "NSW Cup" trial against North Sydney tonight at St Marys.

 

[Tigers1986]

Draw soon hopefully. Would think St Marys and Ryde be the faves for Massey, Wenty for Shield.

 

[rightleftin]

Monties have lost Joe Tramontana to Melbourne, being among the players recruited as Melbourne enter the NSW Cup this year. Tramontana has spent the last 8 seasons playing RMC & SS for Mounties, Blacktown, Brothers, St Marys and Cronulla Caringbah (part of the 2020 SS winning team). He has played 21 games in NSW Cup for Blacktown and 12 tests for Italy.

He is one of 16 players that played in RMC and/or SS last season, that are part of the squads playing in the NRL preseason this weekend:

RMC
Melbourne - Alan Holten, Joe Tramontana
Penrith - Vea Tapa'atoutai, Braye Porter, Sam Curtain
Tigers - Luke Jack*, Will Craig
St George - David Fale
South Sydney - Jordi Mazzone, Tim Jahannsen
Parramatta - Meni Luke

SS
Penrith - Tyson Sangalang
Manly - Kylan Mafoa, Ben Keene-O'keefe
Tigers - Logan Deininger
Roosters - Enzo Griffier

*Luke Jack also played SS last year.

There were also 6 that played RMC last year in the Bulldogs team that played on Saturday:

Justin Matamua, Sosaia Alatini, Zyon Maiu'u, Jope Rouge, Mickey Nasser, Louis Grossemy.

 

[rightleftin]

DLS Caringbah has withdrawn from the Illawarra competition. With only 5 teams left some of the clubs wanted to be part of the Sydney Shield and then play a local final series. Newtown has now rebirthed the Sutherland Loftus club, which had only an over 35 TAG team last year, as the 6th club so Illawarra will continue with the 6 teams playing each other 3 times. It appears likely that Newtown will supply the vast majority of the players.

 

[Tigers1986]

Sad to see where the Illawarra league is. Stretching to Sutherland to bring a 6th team isn't feasible. You have areas in the gong such as Helensburgh (who withdrew), you have Avondale, Berkeley and Figtree in lower grades, the vintage WARILLA GORILLAS, it's just the playing depth just isn't there anymore.

 

[Stagger eel]

https://www.parraeels.com.au/news/2026/02/10/nsw-cup-team-list-pre-season-trial/

This is Parra's NSW cup team for this sunday, sprinkling of eels contracted players with the rest being Wenty RM cup players, plenty of new faces.

 

[rightleftin]

Glebe will trial against defending Country Champions, Newcastle Rebels on 21 Feb.

The Newcastle squad is Pat Achurch (Wests), Justin Afflick (Souths), Reid Alchin (Kurri Kurri), Isaac Blackhall (Maitland), Callan Burgess (Maitland), Connor Cromarty (Northern Hawks), Angus Ernst (Cessnock), Ryan Glanville (Souths), Jake Goodwin (Wests), Luke Huth (Cessnock), Luke Knight (Maitland), Zac Montgomery (Kurri Kurri), Kevin Naiqama (Wests), Tyrone Nean (Wests), Lachlan O'Brien (Wests), Noah Ryan (Northern Hawks), Matt Soper Lawler (Maitland), Liam Wilkinson (Wests), Liam Wiscombe (Wests), Lewis Young (Cessnock).

 

[rightleftin]

Ryde Eastwood trials:

21 Feb vs Wests Magpies at Concord 4.30pm
1 Mar vs Manly at Warringah Rugby Park
7 Mar vs Dapto

It appears that Mounties had a training session at West Belconnen today.

 

[rightleftin]

Mounties SS lost to Monaro Division 44-16 yesterday at West Belconnen.

 

[Sharkie Army Gorilla]

DLS Caringbah has withdrawn from the Illawarra competition. With only 5 teams left some of the clubs wanted to be part of the Sydney Shield and then play a local final series. Newtown has now rebirthed the Sutherland Loftus club, which had only an over 35 TAG team last year, as the 6th club so Illawarra will continue with the 6 teams playing each other 3 times. It appears likely that Newtown will supply the vast majority of the players.

I heard that three Illawarra teams wanted to join SS/RMC this season but it was knocked back.

They are fed up with the Illawarra league, so we may see them in 2027 in SS/RMC

 

[Tigers1986]

Collies, Thirroul & Wests IMO. Illawarra league is basically a dormant distant relic of classic days gone by

 

[rightleftin]

Trials:

SS
St Marys drew with Brothers 6 tries each

RMC
Newcastle Division 68 Glebe 10
Wests beat Ryde Eastwood 6 tries to 3
Mounties 38 Melbourne 26