NSW Cup 2026

  • Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana 5'
  • Thomas Cant 7'
  • Kyle McCarthy 11'
  • Matthew Hunter 22'
  • Matthew Hunter 33'
  • Lachlan Crouch 45'
  • Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana 49'
  • Matthew Hunter 79'
 
Crouch had another solid game. Very long minutes and a lot of runs. He is improving week by week. The stats will be interesting.

Considering the number of players out and the quality of the opposition, this was our best game of the season
 
Stats aren't in yet, but according to the play by play list, Crouch wasn't interchanged till the 67th minute and came back on for the last 4 - so 71 minutes.
The play by play isn't always right though - interchanges sometimes get missed.
 
Stats are in for the game.
Crouch played 71 minutes at prop, topped the tackle count with 38 at 97% efficiency, topped the run metres with 170, topped the post contact metres with 68, most runs with 19, scored a try and got 68 fantasy points - but was only 3rd for fantasy points behind ESL and Hunter.

Crouch is basically going to a new level every week.
 
What’s his story Billy? I see he’s 23, Maitland boy. Did we get him from another club?
 
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frankLauda said:
What’s his story Billy? I see he’s 23, Maitland boy. Did we get him for another club?
Click to expand...
He played in our 2019 Mathews side and made the under 16s NSW side alongside team mates like Jonah Pezet, Oryn Keeley, Chris Vea'ila, Mitch Henderson, Davis etc.
He was poached by Cronulla where he had a very solid junior career up till Flegg level and made junior rep teams.
In 2025 he played 11 games of reserves for Cronulla/Newtown and 8 games for the Knights
He returned to us last year and has been slowly building into a steady and hardworking prop at the senior level.
Not flashy, but hardworking for big minutes and makes very few mistakes.
He has averaged just over 100 run metres in his 27 games of reserve grade, but 120, 180, 140, 170 in his last 4 games.
 
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I gotta say, the team looks very strong this week even with no Peter Hola. Great to see Brodie back
 
I assume Manuleleua will be playing, since he was cut from firstgrade squad and hasn't played much in a long time.

In the Toohey article he quoted Jones as saying the bone removed from his foot was "shattered" and saying something like it felt "much better" - but that doesn't sound like he'll be back to full fitness. It sounds more like he'll be able to put up with the pain.
It was pretty clear at the end of last year that he was playing injured.
Jones also talked about what he'll do if he can't play football (golf) - so he's thinking about his future.
 
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1. Connor Votano
2. Wilson De Courcey
3. Kyle McCarthy
4. Toby Winter
5. James Schiller
6. Tyson Gamble
7. Matthew Hunter
23. Cody Hopwood
9. Jacob Davis
10. Lachlan Crouch
19. Francis Manuleleua
12. Asu Kepaoa
11. Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana (C)

8. Blake Woodford
13. Brodie Jones
14. Diesel Hagan
15. Ben Peni

21. Mitch Henderson
 
They must be giving Hopwood 20 or 30 minutes in reserves and on the bench for firsts - with Schiller 20th man in firsts, we can't add anyone else.
 
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