Club Weekend Results | 7th February, 2026

All eight Roosters’ junior representative sides were in action on Saturday for the first time in 2026 and six of the eight teams were successful, with two of them winning matches with late penalty goals.

S.G. Ball Cup (Men’s Under 19s)

Defending premiers the Sydney Roosters have begun their title defence with a narrow 18-16 victory over Penrith at Mascot Oval.

Missing star outside backs E.J. Mahu-Delamere (shoulder), Rex Bassingthwaite and Lui Lee, the Roosters begun well with hard running and solid defence, but were rocked somewhat in the 11th minute of the game when Australian Schoolboys hooker Liam Bell was forced out of the match with concussion symptoms. Despite the strong start, errors and poor options by the Roosters opened up multiple opportunities for the Panthers and they took advantage of those opportunities by posting three tries in less than nine minutes to lead the Roosters 16-0 inside the first 30 minutes.

Fortunately for the Roosters they were able to post points just prior to half time when a set play from a scrum deep inside the Panthers territory saw halfback Carter Mareko race to the open side to create a 4 on 3, and with slick passing, another Australian Schoolboys representative, Filipe Fakauho scored in the corner. The Mareko conversion left the Panthers ahead 16-6 at the break.

The Roosters were error free through the first 17 minutes of the second half and ran in two tries in this period. The first came in the 6th minute of the second half when left winger Joshua Fesolai made a 50 metre line break from inside the Roosters half before, in the ensuing play, Mareko again charged onto the ball to find space for his captain Darcy Smith to crash over. The second Roosters try of the half came just four minutes later when Mareko did it all himself when he sliced through the Penrith defence to score near the posts and with his conversion the scores were level at 16-16.

The Roosters had a number of chances to put the Panthers away in the final 20 minutes but again errors and poor options allowed Penrith to stay in the game. Eventually, a high tackle penalty conceded by Penrith enabled Mareko to slot over the penalty goal in the 64th minute of the game and the home team held on to that score, over the last six minutes, to take the vital two competition points.

Halfback Carter Mareko, last season’s Harold Matthews Cup player of the year, was a standout for the Roosters, who were also very well served by props Itula Seve, who came off the bench, and Charleston Te Rore. Hooker Ryan Tukapua, filling in for Liam Bell, for the last 59 minutes of the game, was also very good. The Roosters edge forwards Darcy Smith and James Finegan were very solid defensively.

The Sydney Roosters next play the Illawarra Steelers in Wollongong on Saturday. The Steelers were beaten 28-22 by South Sydney in their first round match.

The Central Coast Roosters returned to the S.G. Ball Cup competition for the first time since 2020 and they were no match for a rampant Balmain Tigers in their first round match at Woy Woy.

The Tigers ran in 7 tries and led 40-0 after 61 minutes before the Central Coast were able to post a try in the final minute of the game to left winger Bodie Jeffries, after a nice cut out pass from fullback Tayte Bailey. The Roosters were not helped by the loss of two players to the sin bin during the game (right winger Corbin Devaney late in the first half and hooker Kalen Cashin 18 minutes from full time).

The Central Coast Roosters next play the Penrith Panthers on Saturday at St Marys. The Panthers, of course, were narrowly defeated in their first round match, against the Sydney Roosters.

Harold Matthews Cup (Men’s Under 17s)

The Sydney Roosters have been well beaten in their opening round clash against the Penrith Panthers at Mascot Oval. The Roosters come into the season with a very inexperienced squad with only captain and lock Marquis Sando and halfback Charlie Webb having played in this grade previously.

The Roosters got off to a sharp start to lead 10-0 after 20 minutes with tries to Sando and left winger Leonjay Salevao but it all fell apart from then on. The Panthers ran in six unanswered tries to run away with the game 32-10 after they had brought the scores back to 10-10 at the halftime break. Roosters prop Isaiah Tonga spent 10 minutes in the sin bin in the second half.

The Sydney Rooster travel to Wollongong next Saturday, in search of their first win over the season, to play the Illawarra Steelers. The Steelers won their first round match against South Sydney 18-16.

The Central Coast Roosters have begun their 2026 season in style with a convincing 34-16 win over the Balmain Tigers in Woy Woy.

The Roosters ran in six tries to four, after leading the Tigers 10-4 at half time. The home team were strong across the park but the spine of fullback Jack Jeffries, five eighth Jett Gremmo, halfback Matthew Norman and hooker Nate Ross showed lots of class to set up, or score, the Roosters’ six tries.

The Central Coast Roosters next play the Penrith Panthers on Saturday at St Marys. The Panthers, of course, were big winners in their first round match, against the Sydney Roosters.

Tarsha Gale Cup (Women’s Under 19s)

The Sydney Roosters Indigenous Academy team, the beaten grand finalists in 2025 have commenced their 2025 season with a thumping 34-4 win over the Penrith Panthers at Woy Woy. The Roosters posted seven tries with prop Felila Fakalelu scoring both the opening and closing tries for the home team. Her charges throughout the game were particularly effective and bench prop Laylah Tafili also scored a try, hers within a minute of entering the match, with a similar bullocking run.

However, unsurprisingly the game’s dominant player was Roosters skipper Mia Vaotuua, last season’s Lisa Fiaola Cup player of the year. Younger than many of her team mates, the Australian Schoolgirls representative has moved to fullback this season and had a hand in three of the Roosters tries. She was constant headache for the Panthers defence. Vaotuua is a development player for the Roosters NRLW squad in 2026 and will be the key player for the Roosters in this year’s Tarsha Gale Cup.

The Roosters led 16-4 at half time. After early tries to Fakalelu and Tafili, right centre Lahni Moore, a new recruit from Manly, scored the first of her three tries on debut to complete the first half scoring. The Roosters dominated the second stanza with four more tries, two to Moore, one to right winger Jayda Durham and the final try to Fakalelu.

The Roosters travel to Wollongong next Saturday to play Illawarra, who were easy first round winners over South Sydney.

Lisa Fiaola Cup (Women’s Under 17s)

The Central Coast Roosters, last season’s runners-up, have started the season with a narrow 18-16 victory over the Penrith Panthers in Woy Woy.

The Panthers jumped to a 10-0 lead inside the first six minutes, before the Roosters posted two first half tries of their own, to wingers Sienna Kennedy-Wilkie and Silia Tuitufu, and the scores were locked at 10-10 at the break.

Hooker Ivy Hagan scored a converted try early in the second half to give the Roosters a 16-10 lead before the Roosters conceded their first points since the 6th minute when the Panthers scored a converted try 18 minutes from full time. Both teams had chances in the final phases of the game before Penrith were pinged for a ruck infringement in the final two minutes of the game. Ivy Hagan slotted over the goal and the Roosters prevailed 18-16.

The Roosters are off to Wollongong next Saturday to play Illawarra, who were easily defeated by South Sydney in their opening round match.

Laurie Daley Cup (Men’s Under 18s)

After defeating the Western Rams 58-12 in Round One the Central Coast Roosters took on the Northern Tigers at Woy Woy in Round Two and came away with another nice win, this time winning 36-12, after leading 18-6 at half time.

The Roosters scored seven tries with right centre Rohan Hope scoring two tries. He and his centre partner Semi Leweniqila, after scoring another try against the Tigers, both now have three tries for the season whilst winger Koby Houghton, who played left side this week after playing on the right in Round One, has 32 points from his two games with two tries and twelve goals. Apart from Hope, Leweniqila and Houghton, the Roosters other try scorers against the Tigers were interchange forward Keanu Moimoi, second row forward Kyan Werner and right winger Ihaka Wright.

Corbin Devaney, who played fullback in the Central Coast’s big first round win over the Western Rams was called up for S.G. Ball Cup duty this weekend and Marshall Michie, who played left wing last week, was used at fullback on Saturday against the Tigers.

With their two wins the Central Coast Roosters are now top of the northern conference with three matches still to play. The Roosters have a bye next weekend before they face the North Coast Bulldogs in Round 4.

Andrew Johns Cup (Men’s Under 16s)

After a Round One 44-18 victory over the Western Rams the Central Coast Roosters were at home in Woy Woy in Round Two for their clash with the Northern Tigers and the Roosters proved too good for the team from the Upper Hunter/New England Region. After leading 10-6 at half time, the Roosters came away with a 24-16 victory to go equal top of the Northern conference with the Newcastle-Maitland Region Knights.

The Roosters scored five tries with right winger Harrison Sherwood and right centre Javier Cama scoring in the first half. Cama’s try was quite exceptional, running 80 metres through the heart of the Tigers defence.

In the second half tries were scored by left winger Noah Singh, right centre Javier Cama (his second of the match) and interchange forward Jett Sherwood, which wrapped up the game for the home team.

The Roosters have a bye next weekend before they face the North Coast Bulldogs in Round 4.