The N.S.W. Cup and Jersey Flegg competitions commence this weekend, with the Roosters traveling to Auckland to open the season with matches against the New Zealand Warriors.
NSW Cup Team (Round 1):
With 37 players training fulltime with the NRL squad in 2026, 34 of whom were born after 2007 (S.G. Ball Cup ineligible), it is likely (without a large injury list) that a fair number of the N.S.W. Cup team each week will be chosen from that squad of full time NRL players. However, the Club has contracted a number of other players to play N.S.W. Cup in 2026 to compliment that group, as has been the case for the past three seasons. Of course, the team is also likely to feature, from time to time, Jersey Flegg Cup players to plug holes.
The Roosters also continue their affiliate relationship with the Glebe Dirty Reds in 2026, which will see excess Roosters N.S.W. Cup players appearing in Glebe colours in the Ron Massey Cup and Glebe players possibly turning out for the Roosters in the N.S.W. Cup when there are spaces needing filling at that level.
With the changes to the NRL interchange benches for 2026, the two unused NRL reserves are likely to be available for about half the N.S.W. Cup games this season. Round One will not be one of them however, so the side chosen by Coach Morris for Friday’s match is missing those two players and the NRL replacements for Victor Radley and Reece Robson.
Since returning to the N.S.W. Cup in 2023 the Roosters have improved each year. After finishing 13th in 2023, they were 10th in 2024 and 7th in 2025, to just miss the finals on points for and against.
Whilst there has been a number of players from the 2025 N.S.W. Cup team such as Tyler Moriaty (Northern Pride), Zach Dockar-Clay (Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles), Kyron Fekitoa, Ethan King (North Queensland Cowboys), Josh Finau, Vito Tevaga, Lafi Tuinauvai, Xavier Va’a (York Knights), Turoa Williams, Chad Townsend (retired) and Ethan Roberts (Wests Tigers) that have departed the club, together with Jersey Flegg Cup players Josh Durkin (Melbourne Storm) and Zack Visconti (Parramatta Eels), who played a few NSW cup games in 2025, and Dominic Young (Newcastle Knights) and Tyreece Tait (The Dolphins) who left the Roosters during the 2025 season, there should still be a sufficient number of N.S.W. Cup players each week to make the club highly competitive in the competition.
Back row forward Jaxson Rahme from the Wests Magpies N.S.W. Cup team and outside back Will Malloy, who graduates from the Roosters Jersey Flegg Cup team (Malloy also played two N.S.W. Cup games for the Roosters last season) are the only two new players in the 2026 N.S.W. Cup squad. However, 24 year old hooker Michael Coleman, who missed all but one match in 2025 after rupturing his ACL, returns for a fourth season with the Roosters N.S.W. Cup squad, is akin to a new recruit, whilst 33 year old Cook Islands international prop Makahesi Makatoa, who played five NRL games for the Roosters in 2025, has put off expected retirement to suit up for another season.
Coach Brett Morris has named his team to play the New Zealand Warriors on Friday (3.15 pm AEDST) at Go Media Stadium, Auckland. The team will be captained by second rower Max McCathie and will feature Tommy Talau (Manly-Warringah) in the centres and Jaxson Rahme at lock, making their Roosters debuts. Junior Tupou, who joined the Roosters mid last season from The Dolphins has been named on the wing.
Malloy, Coleman, Hugo Savala (ankle), Cook Islands Test prop Rhys Dakin, winger Trey Peni and utility Jake Elliott have not been named in the Round One team but Jersey Flegg Cup players Jaxson Allen (hooker), Kanaan Magele (interchange prop) and Josiah Fesolai (bench utility) have been named. Fesolai has yet to play in the N.S.W. Cup.
The team lists can be found here:
https://www.roosters.com.au/draw/nsw-cup/2026/round-1-warriors-v-roosters/
Jersey Flegg Cup Team (Round 1):
There have been significant changes to the Jersey Flegg Cup squad that finished the 2025 season in 13th place,
Graduating from the 2025 S.G. Ball premiership team are outside back Jackson Stewart, hooker Jaxson Allen, middle forwards Kanaan Magele, Peter Benjamin Uini and Kynan Toevai, as well as backrow forward Lachlan Dooner and utility forward Josiah Fesolai.
Returning for a final season of Jersey Flegg Cup are fullback Zac Sarfati, winger Kade Maguire, French centres Enzo Griffier and Jonti Morshead-Fieldel, halfback Bo Piesley, hookers Zac Gillett and Jacob Tinsley, backrowers Jackson Pennell, Jaspen Catton and Jackson De Lisle and props Julius Mitchell and Aholoka Toia.
The Roosters continue their affiliate relationship with the Glebe Dirty Reds in 2026, which will possibly see excess Roosters Jersey Flegg Cup players appearing in Glebe colours in the Sydney Shield.
Coach Anthony Barnes, who returns to the Club for the first time since 2023, has named his team to play the New Zealand Warriors on Saturday (10.00 am AEDST) at Navigation Homes Stadium, Pukekohe.
With Beniah Ioelu required for NRL duty in the absence of Reece Robson, Jaxson Allen will play in the NSW Cup as Ioelu’s replacement so won’t been seen in the Jersey Flegg Cup for a few weeks, whilst premiership winning S.G. Ball captain and halfback, Toby Rodwell, is likely to be playing in the N.S.W. Cup and/or the NRL for most, if not all, of 2026. Further, Kanaan Magele and Josiah Fesolai have been named to play N.S.W. Cup in Round One so are unlikely to play in the Jersey Flegg Cup team on Saturday.
However, a number of last season’s players who have returned for 2026 (Griffier, Gillett, Pennell, Catton and Toia) have not been named to play in Round One and neither has Peter Benjamin Uini.
The Round 1 team does feature a number of 2026 new recruits to the Club.
In the backline centre John-Paul Doneski (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks), winger Dominic Farrugia (Parramatta Eels) and five eighth Tyrone Hurt-Pickering (New Zealand Warriors) will make their Club debuts, whilst the forwards will feature Club debutants Lance Tovio (South Sydney Rabbitohs) and Jayden Missio (Minchinbury Jets A Grade). Ryder Williams (Newcastle Knights) is another Club debutant (on the bench) as is 18th man Micah Leaupepe-Perkins (Tweed Heads Seagulls A Grade).
The team lists can be found here:
https://www.roosters.com.au/draw/jersey-flegg-cup/2026/round-1-warriors-v-roosters/
NSW Women’s Premiership Team
The competition doesn’t commence until Saturday, 17th June. The Central Coast Roosters team, which finished 10th in 2025, will again be coached by Damian Hargreaves in 2026.
