NSW Cup Season Review
The team placed 9th with 9 wins, 1 draw & 14 losses. They had the 3rd worst attack in the comp (Points For) & 2nd worst defence (Points Against) & 2nd worst Differential (-172 points).
We went through 10 rounds with 2 wins & 8 losses including 4 losses by 24+ points. Then from Round 11, we went 7 wins, 1 draw & 6 losses (with 2 of the worst losses in that period in our final 2 rounds).
Best Players
IMO our best player through the season was Izaac Tu’itupou on the left wing. Definitely the most impactful and led the overall comp stats for Post Contact Metres. Could he sneak a Top 30 deal for 2026 as a depth winger & centre option?
Our other consistently good players were (in no particular order), Charlie Murray, Tristan Hope, Elie El-Zakhem & Jaxson Rahme.
I’ll also give a mention here to Krystian Mapapalangi as our team’s fortunes changes when he came into our team, adding some creativity and class to our backline’s attack. So did Peter Taateo for that matter with his strong ball running & defensive intent.
Kurt Falls was a strong contributor to our team too with his game management & leadership but unfortunately his defence was at times terrible & quite costly.
Other NRL squad players chimed in through the season with big performances like Brent Naden, Luke Laulilii, Royce Hunt, TDS, Heath Mason, Faataape, Alex Lobb & Kit Laulilii.
Unfortunately, our final 2 games of the season has left a bad impression on me of Mapapalangi & Taateo particularly as I thought they were getting close to NRL selection before that but put in a couple of poor performances.
Important Pathways players given a taste
Pheonix Godinet
Max Taotua
Elijah Mataale
Iverson Matai
Christian Taupau-Moors
Josese Lanyon
Max Liles
Archie Duncombe
Tino Tavana
Heamasi Makasini
Jared Haywood (whilst didn’t get a run, was 18th man a few times)
I feel that the promotion of Mataale, Taotua, Lanyon & Matai in the final 1-2 rounds was a reward for great seasons in Jersey Flegg and perhaps a pointer they are being retained as NSW Cup players next season.
Into 2026
After last year’s disastrous season and missing the finals this season, a coaching shake-up & further alteration of our senior development pathways is required.
The club made progress this season in recruiting experienced & battle-hardened Cup players and we need that to continue for next season. Better depth in our NRL squad will help as will the experience attained this year by the likes of Mason & the Laulilii brothers at this level.
The coaching needs to instill greater defensive resolve into our overall squad as well as greater reps of players in the same position both for defensive structure but also our attack which looked clunky at best this season.
Shane Sultana brought this into the Jersey Flegg team mid-season so maybe he is a good shout to get another promotion into this role.
Possible Round 1 team
Luke Laulilii
Tavana
Max Taotua
Makasini/Skelton
Tu’itupou
Mason
Madden
Murray
Sukkar
Geyer
Seyfarth
Hope
Kit Laulilii
-
Taateo
Ethan Roberts
Saukuru
Lanyon
Basing this off Godinet, Haywood, Taupau-Moors & Andrews starting the season in Jersey Flegg.
WATCH OUT FOR: Tino Tavana & Max Taotua to explode on the right side together in NSW Cup, Josese Lanyon to continue his progress as lock/hooker utility & Kit Laulilii to start dominating Cup games more consistently.