
St George and Illawarra got off to mixed starts in the opening round of the 2025 Junior Reps seasons on Saturday.
The Dragons men's teams were in action in a Redfern Oval double-header whilst Collegians hosted a quadruple-header which included a pair of women's club derbies.
SG BALL CUP
Match: Rabbitohs v Dragons
Round 1 -
home Team
Rabbitohs
away Team
Dragons
Venue: Redfern Oval, Sydney
It proved a tough start to the year for the defending premier Dragons going down 58-12 to South Sydney at Redfern Oval.
The Rabbitohs got off to a quick start courtesy of a Matthew Humphries double before Charlie Poynton joined him on the scoresheet to make it 18-nil a quarter of the way in.
The Dragons stopped the bleeding 20 minutes in with powerful prop Alex Futialo crashing over for a needed four-pointer.
Winger Volonte Baruani went aerial to reel in a Charlie Boyle kick and find a try just shy of the break as the visitors cut the deficit to just a dozen, but the fightback ended there.
South Sydney poured on a half-dozen second-half tries to run away with things as Lancelot Tovio, Jacob Fong, and Dayne Jennings all found themselves in the doubles column.
SG Ball Cup Round 1 Highlights: Dragons v Rabbitohs
Match: Steelers v Storm
Round 1 -

home Team
Steelers
away Team
Storm
Venue: Collegians Sporting Complex, Wollongong
The Steelers enjoyed a happier result down in Wollongong but were made to work for it with Shaun Timmins' men holding on for a 20-12 win over a resolute Melbourne outfit.
The Storm managed to withstand some early Steelers raids before Charlie Heidke proved too strong for his opposite slamming the ball down in the right corner for opening points.
The Steelers defence held strong as Melbourne embarked on their first foray into attacking ball before an Aaymon Fitzgibbon 40/20 earnt the hosts strong field position off it with Mason Phillips burrowing over out of dummy-half.
Captain Kade Reed stepped up just moments later jinking and shrugging his way to the stripe before converting his own try to extend the lead further.
Melbourne found a valuable pair of four-pointers as the opening stanza was winding down to drag themselves back into the contest.
The Steelers managed to get one back on the other side of the break through Tom Kirk who broke out a Superman-esque dive in the left corner off some nice inside play.
Both Kirk and Phillips were unable to finish the game due to injury concerns, but Illawarra's defence held strong throughout the second stanza.
The second half proved a story of almosts with the Steelers repeatedly denied within inches of the chalk.
Powerful winger Saifiti Junior Saifiti was denied a try with the officials ruling an obstruction in the lead-up before Noah Parker was also turned down shortly after out of dummy-half with a knock-on ruled in the grounding attempt.
Heidke skied to reel in a late attacking kick and unload it to Jackson Smith who had it dislodged over the line as Melbourne refused to throw the towel in.
Despite having several shots come up short, Illawarra were able to hold on to start their campaign on the right foot on home soil.
SG Ball Cup Round 1 Highlights: Steelers v Storm
TARSHA GALE CUP
Match: Steelers v Dragons
Round 1 -

home Team
Steelers
away Team
Dragons
Venue: Collegians Sporting Complex, Wollongong
The defending premier Steelers managed to get the chocolates over the Dragons in the club's Tarsha Gale Cup derby with a Herewaka Pohatu double spurring them to a 24-12 win.
Illawarra built some early ascendancy despite an ill-disciplined start with the class of the Steelers playmakers shining through as Pohatu and Maria Paseka found back-to-back four-pointers early.
A Liesl Hopoate try 22 minutes in saw Courtney Crawford's squad jump out to a 16-nil advantage before the Dragons hit back on the stroke of half-time through hard-running interchange forward Kamanu Li’i Terua Dennis.
St George continued knocking down the door but had several try-scoring shouts knocked back as the Steelers found the next score again through Pohatu on the other side of the half.
The power game again paid dividends for St George with Lalita Kris barging over under the sticks with a little over a quarter of the match to play but Illawarra were able to hang on to kick-off their title defence with a win.
Tarsha Gale Cup Round 1 Highlights: Steelers v Dragons
HAROLD MATTHEWS CUP
Match: Rabbitohs v Dragons
Round 1 -
home Team
Rabbitohs
away Team
Dragons
Venue: Redfern Oval, Sydney
St George's Harold Matthews Cup outfit endured a tough start to the season falling to South Sydney 32-8 in Redfern.
An opening-minute try to Payton Tarau got the Rabbitohs off to a dream start before Asher Pung followed his lead soon after to make it a double-digit difference.
Winger Jack Lambert got the Red V on the board 18 minutes in with No.1 Cody Field also finding a first-half try to make it a 16-8 deficit headed into the sheds.
The scoring dried up for St George in the second stanza however with Robert Simms nabbing a double to power South Sydney to a 32-8 victory.
Harold Matthews Cup Round 1 Highlights: Dragons v Rabbitohs
Match: Steelers v Storm
Round 1 -

home Team
Steelers
away Team
Storm
Venue: Collegians Sporting Complex, Wollongong
Illawarra began their Harold Matthews Cup campaign in strong fashion downing the Storm 42-6 in a nine-tries-to-one rout at Collegians.
The hosts forced an opening-set error with Ollie Burton showcasing his athleticism off it to open the scoring before their hot start continued with Asher Chapman finding a try out of dummy-half shortly after.
No.7 Jett Brookfield had the ball on the string for much of the afternoon forcing a goal-line drop-out before laying one on a dime for Creighton Meafou for Illawarra's third.
The Steelers onslaught continued with Jaxon Ballinger speeding into space down the left touchline before finding Cooper Morrison back on his inside to finish off a brilliant long-range effort.
Mason Andrews powered his way over prior to the break to make it 26-nil Illawarra's way heading into half-time.
A determined Meafou charged his way over down a narrow short side to notch his second of the afternoon and the Steelers' first of the second stanza.
Anaias Teao found Melbourne's first points moments later before the Steelers' right edge got in on the try-scoring party through centre Sonny MacGregor and winger Jack Goulder who notched a late double to put the icing on the cake for the hosts.
Harold Matthews Cup Round 1 Highlights: Steelers v Storm
LISA FIAOLA CUP
Match: Steelers v Dragons
Round 1 -

home Team
Steelers
away Team
Dragons
Venue: Collegians Sporting Complex, Wollongong
The Steelers finished atop an improved Dragons outfit 26-0 at Collegians to open their campaign on the right foot on Saturday.
A scrappy opening saw St George threaten early, but it was the Steelers who found opening points through fullback Ella Churchill.
St George looked to have hit back off a deft grubber only for the official to rule a knock-on in the grounding attempt with Halle Barrett managing to stretch the Steelers lead to double digits off the back of it.
Illawarra found more success down the left edge prior to the break through Elli Young before she found a second on the other side of half-time.
Renee Targett's Dragons showed an improved level of resolve, but the Steelers proved too clinical down the left edge with Churchill grabbing her second to finish things off.
Lisa Fiaola Cup Round 1 Highlights: Steelers v Dragons
2025 NSWRL JUNIOR REPRESENTATIVES SEASON: ROUND 2
DATE | TIME | COMPETITION | FIXTURE | VENUE |
---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, February 8th | 10:30AM | Lisa Fiaola Cup | Dragons vs. Rabbitohs | Redfern Oval, Redfern |
12:00PM | Tarsha Gale Cup | Dragons vs. Rabbitohs | Redfern Oval, Redfern | |
10:30AM | Harold Matthews Cup | Dragons vs. Tigers | Lidcombe Oval, Lidcombe | |
12:00PM | SG Ball Cup | Dragons vs. Tigers | Lidcombe Oval, Lidcombe | |
1:30PM | SG Ball Cup | Steelers vs. Sea Eagles | 4 Pines Park, Brookvale | |
Tarsha Gale Cup | Steelers | BYE | ||
Harold Matthews Cup | Steelers | BYE | ||
Lisa Fiaola Cup | Steelers | BYE |