Winning less than half of their matches last season and finishing in eighth place, the Western Suburbs Magpies will be one of the favourites heading into the 2025 SG Ball Cup season.
As the 2025 SG Ball Cupย season slowly approaches the opening round,ย Zero Tackleย will provide a season preview for all 17 teams made up of players of the next generation.
First...the Western Suburbs Magpies.
Only winning four out of nine matches last season, the Western Suburbs Magpies have high hopes for the upcoming season and are being touted as one of the key favourites heading into the competition.
The Magpies will enter the competition with a new-looking roster, with many of the players coming from the Harold Matthews Cup squad that reached the Grand Final last year before ultimately being defeated by the New Zealand Warriors.
Aiming for a semi-final berth, the Magpies' roster will include the likes of Ali Karnib, Phoenix Godinet, Archie Duncombe, Christian Taupau-Moors, and Kohan Lewis. It could also include teenage sensation Heamasi Makasini, depending on his availability.
"I think a goal for us would be to make the semi-finals following probably a disappointing last season for the club," new head coach Nathan Lakeman told Zero Tackle.
"There's a couple of boys returning, Archie Duncombe, Sonny Edwards and Denzel [Schaffhausen-Mino] from last year but it's mostly filled by the Harold Matthews boys coming through from last year."
Players to Watch
Phoenix Godinet:ย An impressive young back-rower, Godinet was one of the Magpies' best in the 2024 Harold Matthews Cup Grand Final and will be looking to have an impressive season before he transitions into the Jersey Flegg Cup and NSW Cup later in the year.
Lakeman said, "He's got a lot of talent, works really hard and there's a lot of upside to Phoenix."
Sonny Edwards-Moeke:ย Able to play at fullback and in the halves, Edward-Moeke is one of the few players in the team who have already played SG Ball Cup football and has been tipped to rise to another level this season with his quick footwork, speed and athletic ability.
"Sonny worked really hard in the pre-season and he played a fair bit of SG Ball last year, so watching him step up again will be exciting," Lakeman added.
Player Movements
Gains: Alema Seualuga (North Sydney Bears), Caine Johnstone, Cooper Carr (North Sydney Bears), Cooper Tuilakeba (North Sydney Bears), Dane Ransom (Townsville Blackhawks),ย Dylan Smith, Levi Valesini (Illawarra South Coast Dragons), Lewis Saadย (Eels), Lucius Muliaga (Eels), Maika Church, Matthew Lucas, Ruben Mayers (Steelers), Sam Lynch, Tino Fomai, Tye Bursill, Vili Moata'ane, Wame Kevin
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Losses:ย Aaron Keppie, Bowen Roper, Byronn Laupepa, Calvin Levy, Daniel Waqa,ย Dylan Smith, James Folaumoetu'I, Kimball Liufau, Lucas Rossi, Luke Keppie, Navren Willett (Sea Eagles), Ramses Ah Chong, Saint Fuatimau, Sonny Edwards-Moeke, Tevita Tukuafu
Full Squad (Summer Squad)
Alema Seualuga, Brady McMillan, Brooklyn Milford, Byron Laupepa, Caine Johnstone, Callum McMenemy, Christian Taupau-Moors, Cooper Carr, Cooper Tuilakeba, Dane Ransom, Denzel Schaffhausen-Mino,ย Dylan Smith, Glassie Glassie, Gene Wighton, Henare Reti, Jack Lindsell, Jack Nicholas, Kimball Liufau, Kobe James Tooala, Kurtis Dupond, Kade Curtis, Levi Valesini-Eastham, Leviticus Tuifua, Lorima Cosgrave, Lucius Muliaga, Maika Church, Mase Hillcoat, Matthew Lucas, PJ French, Riley Oitmann, Ruben Mayers, Sam Lynch, Saint Fuatimau, Stirling Faumui, Teancam Epati, Tino Fomai, Tomasi Tavui, Tyson Walker, Vili Moata'ane, Wame Kevin, Tye Bursill, Archie Duncombe, Pheonix Godinet, Ali Karnib, Kohan Lewis, Peter Taai
After spending last season as an assistant coach, Nathan Lakeman has been appointed as the team's new head coach and also works as an assistant for the Wests Tigers Jersey Flegg Cup team.
Starting with the Tigers in 2015, Lakeman had a short stint away from the club with the Canterbury Bulldogs before returning and has since moved into an assistant coaching role of the NSW Cup team under Aaron Payne.
Under Lakeman will be Harrison Fox and Mitch Tyler, who have been named as the new assistant coaches after previously working as the head coach of the Macarthur Wests Tigers Andrew Johns Cup and Laurie Daley Cup competitions.
"They're essential. Without having good staff you can't achieve the sort of level of training that you need to be without quality assistant coaches," Lakeman said.
I can’t see any good reason to put them under pressure by claiming that they are “one of the favourites”. What have they done to make them better than (m)any of the seven teams that beat them last year ?