The S.G. Ball Cup and Harold Matthews Cup competitions both have 17 teams with each team playing eight regular season matches over nine weeks, prior to a four-week final series.
The Roosters play Penrith (h), Illawarra (a), St George (h), Newcastle (h), Cronulla-Sutherland (a), Canberra (h), North Sydney (a) and Melbourne (a). Both teams will have a bye in Round 8. The S.G. Ball squad play four of last season’s finalists, whilst the Harold Matthews squad play just two.
S.G. Ball Cup (Men’s Under 19s)
The Sydney Roosters are the defending premiers and have compiled a quality squad to defend their title.
Fullback Rex Bassingthwaite, winger E.J. Mahu-Delamere and centre Lui Lee won’t play in Round One but Coach Boyd Cordner has still selected a very strong side for Round One.
The forward pack contains four of last season’s S.G. Ball grand final winning forwards led by captain and Australian Schoolboy star Darcy Smith in the second row. Also in the starting pack are his second row partner from last year, James Finegan, lock Eddy Cayless and prop Itula Seve. Rounding out the starting pack are Australian Schoolboy hooker Liam Bell and Sydney Roosters Harold Matthews Cup 2025 Player of the Year, prop Charleston Te Rore.
The backline is particularly young with only five eighth Brok Elliott, turning 19 in 2026. Elliott, the brother of Roosters Top 30 utility Jake, represented the Central Coast Roosters last year in the Laurie Daley Cup. The remaining backline players graduated from the Roosters Harold Matthews Cup teams of 2025. From the Central Coast team are fullback Zaylen Ekapati, winger Joshua Fesolai and halfback Carter Mareko, the competition’s player of the year in 2025. From the Sydney Roosters Harold Matthews Cup team are winger Filipe Fakauho, another Australian schoolboy representative, and exciting centres Jeziah Papa and Bastion Armstrong.
The bench players for Round One are hooker Ryan Tukapua from the Central Coast Roosters 2025 Laurie Daley Cup team, back rower Cooper Gibbs from the Central Coast Roosters 2025 Harold Matthews Cup team, prop Caleb Fesolai, a team mate of Gibbs from 2025 and the twin brother of winger Josh, and Sydney Roosters 2025 Harold Matthews Cup middle Agapetos Lote-Felo. 18th man is New Zealand recruit Nathan Lopamaua, a second row forward whilst 19th man is centre Brooklyn Heath, a try scorer in last season’s S.G. Ball Cup grand final victory over Parramatta.
Saturday’s Round One clash against Penrith will kick off at 11.30 am at Mascot Oval. The full team lists are shown here:
https://www.roosters.com.au/draw/harold-matthews-cup/2026/round-1-roosters-v-panthers/
Harold Matthews Cup (Men’s Under 17s)
After getting through to Week Two of last season’s finals series, the Sydney Roosters will field a squad with only two players from their 2025 squad.
Only Queenslanders Charlie Webb (five eighth) and Marquis Sando (lock) played Harold Matthews Cup in 2025. Sando has been chosen by new coach Paul Momirovski to captain the team in 2026.
For Round One, Momirovski has chosen Harper Boothroyd, a new recruit from the Engadine Dragons as fullback. On the wings are Fletcher Hick, also from Engadine and Leonjoy Salevao, who joins the Roosters from the south island of New Zealand. The centres are two more brothers of Queensland State of Origin star Robert Toia, Andy Toia and Mana Toia.
Partnering Webb in the halves is Dubbo recruit Sam Large.
Cordell Kirk (Souths Logan) and Isaiah Tonga are the starting props with Hills Bulls recruit Caleb Zahra, the hooker. Cooper Tesoriero, also from the Bulls, is in the second row with another New Zealander from the south island, Riley Smart. Captain Sando locks the scrum.
The bench contains utility Sunny Steyn, from local club Bondi United, lock Tom Bosley, another recruit from the Hills Bulls, Tai Skipps, who hails from Canberra and Seu Fiddow, another forward from New Zealand’s south island.
On the extended bench are another Dubbo recruit Levi Scarlett, Mannix Busch, a prop from Rockhampton, Alessandro Maestrate, a prop from St Marys and Paddington Colts centre Zac Cavanna.
Saturday’s Round One clash against Penrith will kick off at 10.00 am at Mascot Oval. The full team lists are shown here:
https://www.roosters.com.au/draw/sg-ball-cup/2026/round-1-roosters-v-panthers/
