2025 Lower Grades

[Pplspoet]

Mods, do we want to make a 2025 Lower Grades sticky now we have summer training squads announced?

2025 NSW Cup​

The 2025 NSW Cup summer squad is:

• Salesi ATAATA
• Bayley BENTLEY-HAPE
• Tayson FAKAOSI
• Matthew FRENCH
• Ryan GRAY
• Carson KAHO
• Terrell KALO KALO
• Kaylen MILLER
• Lindsay MUNRO
• Ruatapu NGATIKAURA
• Daniel O’DONNELL
• Henry O’KANE
• Jordan PLATH
• Toesami Junior TOEVAI
• Billy TSIKRIKAS
• Brandon WEBSTER-MANSFIELD
• Bear WILLIAMS
• Tutonu Junior WRIGHT

The NSW Cup coaching staff for 2025 is:

• Wayne COLLINS – Head Coach
• Peter PALMER – Assistant Coach
• Jason PETERSEN – Assistant Coach
• David SHEARGOLD – Team Manager
• Tom WATKINS – Strength and Conditioning Coach

2025 Jersey Flegg Cup (U21s men’s)​

The 2025 Jersey Flegg Cup (U21s men’s) summer squad is:

• Josh ALHAZIM
• Yahya AYACHE
• Jack BLISS
• Waylon CALDWELL
• Shane CALDWELL DAVIS
• Tyrese DUNGAY
• Thomas EPERE
• Tavis FELSCH
• Alex FONOTI
• Riley FRAME
• Nathaniel GALLO
• Ben GEARY
• Jason HALLIE
• Brent HAWKINS
• Mateus HESLIN
• Mikael IBRAHIM
• Rob INGLIS
• Max LAING
• Sione LOLOHEA
• Wyatt LOURIGAN
• Aaron MACEY
• Jack McHENRY
• Talanoa PENITANI
• Nic QUINN
• Michael ROBERTS
• Zane RUGLESS
• Bailey SMITH
• Billy SPRAGUE
• Liam STARIHA
• Palu TAUSALA
• Sam TAYLOR
• Kristian TORNATORE
• Dane TOWNS
• Kai VINCENT
• Daniel WAQA
• Ashton WARD
• Zane WATSON
• Drew WILLIAMS
• Jaydeon WOLFE
• Daniel WRIGHT

The Jersey Flegg Cup coaching staff for 2025 is:

• Scott KENNA – Head Coach
• Yileen GORDON – Assistant Coach
• Kane CLARK – Team Manager
• Nic RAILZ – Strength and Conditioning Coach

2025 SG Ball Cup (U19s men’s)​

The 2025 SG Ball Cup (U19s men’s) summer squad is:

• Dylan ALAALATOA
• Riley ALLEN
• Taj ALVAREZ
• Joshua BALLARD
• Zane BELL
• Tylan BERRYMAN
• Abrahem DAHDAH
• Ethan DOAK
• Levi DOWLING
• Tony FAKAHAU
• Dayne FALLON
• Jacob FONG
• Maddax FUI
• Max GIOIELLO
• Bailey GRAY
• Jack GREEN
• Kynan HART
• Cody HILL
• Matthew HUMPHRIES
• Dayne JENNINGS
• Elijah KEUNG
• Jacob KHALIL
• Yasin KUSCU
• Kingston-Cruz LAKE
• Johannes LOGAN
• Daniel LUA
• Lisiate MACKAY-FILIHIA
• Nic MANESIS
• Charlie MANN
• Kaearangi Heremia MATHEWS
• Zac McPHERSON
• Lochlin MOSES
• Mark NOSA
• Thomas O’CALLAGHAN
• Christian PASIKALA
• Charlie POYNTON
• Harrison ROOKE
• Caelis SAMUEL
• Salih SARACOGLU
• Simon SISIFA
• Tyler SLATE
• Fletcher STUART
• Kory TAAFFE
• Cynseah TAUTALAFUA
• Baxter TORRENCE
• Lancelot TOVIO
• Soul TUILETUFUGA
• Devonte VAOTU’UA
• Lachlan WALTERS

The SG Ball Cup coaching staff for 2025 is:

• Tyrone McCARTHY – Head Coach
• Jacob ELDICK – Assistant Coach
• Eddie PAEA – Assistant Coach
• Belinda REEVE – Team Manager
• Jack LEATHER – Strength and Conditioning Coach

​

2025 Harold Matthews Cup (U17s boys’)​

The 2025 Harold Matthews Cup (U17s boys’) summer squad is:

• Keone ANITELEA TSIOUSSIS
• Taj AUFAI FARANI
• Charlie BATEUP
• James DAVIES
• Vincent DE GIORGIO
• Brody ELLIS
• Darcy FELTHAM
• Benjamin GHATTAS
• Jackson GRAY
• Zane HILL
• Tayne JACENTHO McKAY
• Ben KABERRY
• Koneliaz KANE
• Ziggy LESTER
• Jahzelle LOKENI
• Anthony MAILANGI
• Elijah-Blair MAILE
• Kahn MAY
• Clayton McGOON
• Archie MICALI
• Jaylen MITCHELL
• Soane NAUFAHU
• Kai O’BRIEN
• Asher PUNG
• Jayden ROOKE
• Tighe ROWLEY
• Taoko SAMSON
• Malaki SCHAWLEGER
• Robbie SIMMS
• Kohen SINES
• Zavier SULUVALE-LIUMAUNU
• Kaiasi TALAKAI
• Payton TARAU
• Dennishely TAUKAFA
• Joey VAKA
• Hudson WARREN
• Ben WRIGHT

The Harold Matthews Cup coaching staff for 2025 is:

• Kell O’BRIEN – Head Coach
• Fraser GRAHAM – Assistant Coach
• John MINTO – Assistant Coach
• Heather RYAN – Team Manager
• Aaron HAWLEY – Strength and Conditioning Coach

 

[Pplspoet]

No Shaq Saunders? Has he gone elsewhere?

 

[matrix]

No Shaq Saunders? Has he gone elsewhere?

I think he must have got punted,because there's a Saunders on the bunnies TV Facebook page always taking potshots at the club and the Jersey flegg articles.I'm assuming it's his dad.

 

[captainsutto]

One thing that jumps out is the lack of ex top class players on the coaching staff. I wonder how many have actually been interested in coaching after playing

 

[Pplspoet]

One thing that jumps out is the lack of ex top class players on the coaching staff. I wonder how many have actually been interested in coaching after playing

Who did you have in mind out of interest?

I.e, ex Souths players you’d assume might get involved.

 

[captainsutto]

Who did you have in mind out of interest?

I.e, ex Souths players you’d assume might get involved.

No one in particular, poet.

 

[Training_The_House_Down]

Jersey Flegg coach, along with Buddy Gordon

 

[Pplspoet]

No one in particular, poet.

I was just trying to think of Souths guys from the last 15 years or so that have retired who might have been options.

I feel like so many of them they get other community or media gigs, or have their own thing going that Im struggling to think of someone where it’s like ‘oh, he would make a good lower grades coach’.

Outside Clarke and Sutton.

Reyno and Cook are still playing (PS no need to turn this into an Adam Reynolds thread).

King and Sam are elsewhere.

 

[Smiths Crisps]

There’s not a great correlation between great players and great coaches. Seems the ex players to be good coaches are more the solid players who had a good understanding of the game and really had to work hard to make it. Guess they are better equipped to understand how to get the most out of the full squad, not just the stars.

 

[Pplspoet]

There’s not a great correlation between great players and great coaches. Seems the ex players to be good coaches are more the solid players who had a good understanding of the game and really had to work hard to make it. Guess they are better equipped to understand how to get the most out of the full squad, not just the stars.

Yeah, Ricky Stuart is probably an outlier. Cleary too to an extent. If you’re looking at long term coaches who were stand out players.

 

[Bully]

Thats one down…​

​

NRL rookie Michael Roberts dismissed by Souths after drug supply charge​

Eliza Barr and Savannah Pocock

A retired NRL star’s brother has been sacked by an NRL club before he could even start with them after he was arrested and refused police bail on a pre-existing cocaine supply charge.
Promising young gun Michael Roberts was hauled into Lismore Bail Court on Sunday after he was convicted in his absence of indictable drug supply and participating in a criminal group.

Michael, 20, is the younger brother of former representative player James Roberts, who was the 2015 Dally M Centre of the Year and played more than 160 first-grade games throughout his career.

In an unrelated incident, James was also before court this week on charges of possessing cannabis and $1400 in allegedly unlawfully obtained cash.

He is yet to enter a plea and returns to court on December 18.

James Roberts playing for the Wests Tigers in 2021. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Michael was set to begin full-time pre-season training with the South Sydney Rabbitohs but a spokesman confirmed his time was up before he could even sign on the dotted line.

“The South Sydney Rabbitohs have been made aware of an issue with Michael Roberts,” the spokesman said.

Stay up to date with the Daily Telegraph​

“Michael did not start training with the club this week and will not be joining the club.”

The Daily Telegraph can reveal a magistrate issued a bench warrant for Michael’s arrest and attendance at court after he did not appear at Ballina Local Court as required on October 18.

Michael Roberts intends to fight the charges, and was granted strict conditional bail by a registrar to reside with his mother in Tweed Heads, abstain from drugs and alcohol, report to police daily and refrain from contacting his co-accused – half-brother Trevor Bolt.

He is next to appear at Ballina Local Court on November 20.

Lismore Courthouse.
A police document tendered to the court detailing his alleged involvement in dial-a-dealer style cocaine supply after Richmond Police District’s Drug Investigation Unit launched Strike Force Kabarli to probe cocaine supply in the NSW Northern Rivers.

“Throughout the investigation, police monitored and recorded (Michael) participating in the following supplies of cocaine with the co-accused person,” police allege in the document.

“Police will assert (Michael) and (Bolt) used phones to conduct and arrange the drug transactions.”

Michael for the Evans Head Bombers in 2022.
Between January and April last year, Bolt allegedly obtained cocaine in various quantities, which he would cut and repackage into 1g and 3.5g quantities for “street-level supply”.

Police will allege they recorded Michael having phone conversations with his half-brother on February 18 and April 20, and April 21 to arrange cocaine deals to customers in Wollongbar and Ballina.

The document of allegations from 2023 describes Michael as a “professional rugby league player with the Dolphins NRL club”.

Stay up to date with the Daily Telegraph​

The younger Roberts brother trained under Wayne Bennett at the Dolphins as a development player in 2023, and in 2024 had run out for the Evans Head Bombers in the Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League.

The promising five-eighth came up through well-known rugby league nursery Palm Beach-Currumbin High School and was once named in Brad Fittler’s Junior blues squad

 

[Callmack1]

Jeez, what an idiot. NRL career up in smoke before it even got close to beginning.

 

[captainsutto]

A retired NRL star’s brother has been sacked by an NRL club before he could even start with them after he was arrested and refused police bail on a pre-existing cocaine supply charge.
Promising young gun Michael Roberts was hauled into Lismore Bail Court on Sunday after he was convicted in his absence of indictable drug supply and participating in a criminal group.

Fck they are stupid.

 

[Pplspoet]

Well that sucks. Between convictions, weird illnesses, mental health, and the Roosters, it seems we’ve rolled snake eyes with any young backs with skill of late.

Roberts, Karapani, Fergusson, Sualii, oh my.

 

[Rabbits21]

Jeez, what an idiot. NRL career up in smoke before it even got close to beginning.

Yep glad we’ve washed our hands of him. No brain.