Newcastle will boast a strong representation of male and female players in the annual NSW City-Country fixtures in Sydney this weekend.

Seven games are slated to be contested at three venues – 4 Pines Park (Brookvale), WIN Stadium (Wollongong) and the Blacktown Leisure Centre (Stanhope Gardens) – on Saturday 16 May and Sunday 17 May.

The full schedule includes under-16 and under-18 boys, men’s open age, wheelchair rugby league, physical disability, under-17 and under-19 girls.

After winning the recent Country Championships, at least nine Rebels – Reid Alchin, Jacob Afflick, Callan Burgess, Angus Ernst, Ryan Glanville, Jake Goodwin, Luke Huth, Luke Knight and Zac Montgomery – will take the field against City, made up of those from the Ron Massey Cup.

In the under-16 boys’ fixture, Newcastle Maitland Region Knights’ Lilydale Finau, Kane Mulherin, Terrence Smith, Tyrese Vaipulu, Nate Waters and Luke West received the nod from selectors.

And, they’ll face local Harold Matthews Cup young guns Jack Asplet, Malachi Faavae-Eli and Kobie McGaughey (Newcastle Knights) in the City side.

NMR Knights’ duo Cody Baker and Jazz Schumacher get an opportunity to line-up for Country in the under-18 boys, tackling Newcastle’s SG Ball Cup quartet Chase Butler, Callum Elsley, Curtis Mulherin and Cooper Townsend.

The girls are ready to hold their own, too, in illustrious company.

Knights’ reps Sienna Brumby, Keira Callaghan, Ellazae Elers, Molly Fitzhenry, Mia Jones, Lexi Manning, Sybella Pike and Jarrah Young were named in the Country under-17 squad.

They’ll be joined by club mates Summer Dowell, Rubie Drake-Brockman, Stella Lewis, Emily McArthur, Sienna Thomas and Charlise Thompson in the under-19s.

The traditional battles returned to the NSWRL calendar in 2021 after a brief hiatus.

NSW COUNTRY v NSW CITY SCHEDULE

Saturday 16 May (4 Pines Park)

• 11am: Under-16s NSW Country v NSW City
• 12.35pm: Under-18s NSW Country v NSW City
• 2.20pm: Men’s Open Age NSW Country v NSW City

Blacktown Leisure Centre

• 4pm: Wheelchair Rugby League NSW Country v NSW City

Sunday 17 May (WIN Stadium)

• 10am: Physical Disability Rugby League
• 11.15am: Under-17s Girls NSW Country v NSW City
• 12.50pm: Under-19s Women NSW Country v NSW City

COUNTRY v CITY SQUADS

Under-16s Boys

• Country: Lucas Bentham (Macarthur Wests Tigers), Bryce Blatch (Macarthur Wests Tigers), Zac Elliott (Central Coast Roosters), Lilydale Finau (NMR Knights), Tayden Hay (Central Coast Roosters), Oliver Hodge (Monaro Colts), Jaxon Kovacevic (Monaro Colts), Xaviar Laidlaw (Illawarra Steelers), Hayden Lynch (Central Coast Roosters), Rocky Mann (North Coast Bulldogs), Kane Mulherin (NMR Knights), Terrence Smith (NMR Knights), Denham Tsagalas (Macarthur Wests Tigers), Joel Trevethan (Monaro Colts), Tyrese Vaipulu (NMR Knights), Nate Waters (NMR Knights), Luke West (NMR Knights), Ryley Taylor (NR Titans). Coach: Geoffrey Batten (North Coast Bulldogs)
• City: Jack Asplet (Newcastle Knights), Jake Capovilla (Parramatta Eels), Malachi Faavae-Eli (Newcastle Knights), Deon Haynes (Parramatta Eels), Devida Hopoate (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Monson Hopoate (Western Suburbs Magpies), Brayden Kent (Canberra Raiders), Samuel Large (Sydney Roosters), Josaiah Manuofetoa (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Kobie McGaughey (Newcastle Knights), Nate Millar (Penrith Panthers), Levi Scarlett (Sydney Roosters), Lorima Seuseu (Parramatta Eels), Ezekiel Stanley-Ligaiviu (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), Jake Swan (Illawarra Steelers), Destin Tausala (Illawarra Steelers), Bronson Tupou (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), Jett Watkin (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles). Coach: Robert McArdle (North Sydney Bears)

Under-18 Boys

• Country: Cohen Aitken (Northern Rivers Titans), Cody Baker (NMR Knights), Finn Davy (Illawarra Steelers), Jack Dean-Potaka (Central Coast Roosters), Max Fife (Northern Rivers Titans), Jake Gaffney (Macarthur Wests Tigers), Jack Goulder (Illawarra Steelers), Aiden Gersh (Northern Rivers Titans), Trei Heterick (Northern Rivers Titans), Ronan Hope (Central Coast Roosters), Sonny Jamieson (Illawarra South Coast), Sebastian Jones (Monaro Colts), Will McClelland (Central Coast Roosters), Riley Monaghan (Northern Rivers Titans), Ryder Nelson (Northern Rivers Titans), Jazz Schumacher (NMR Knights), Beau Shearer (Northern Rivers Titans), Maximus Van Loo (Illawarra South Coast). Coach: Adam Sargent-Wilson (Illawarra South Coast)
• City: Cyrus Bloomfield (Parramatta Eels), Talmage Brown (Penrith Panthers), Chase Butler (Newcastle Knights), Jamie Curran (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks), Zaylen Ekepati (Sydney Roosters), Callum Elsley (Newcastle Knights), Joshua Fesolai (Sydney Roosters), Benjamin Kaberry (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Nicholas Kotarac (Parramatta Eels), Leo-Stipe Latu (Penrith Panthers), Ashton Large (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles), Carter Mareko (Sydney Roosters), Tulsyn McCulloch (Canberra Raiders), Cooper Morrison (Illawarra Steelers), Curtis Mulherin (Newcastle Knights), Darcy Feltham (Penrith Panthers), Cooper Townsend (Newcastle Knights), Chinedu Udeh (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs). Coach: Johnathan Rolfe (Penrith Panthers)

Men’s Open Age

• Country: Reid Alchin (Newcastle Maitland Region Knights), Jacob Afflick (Newcastle Maitland Region Knights), Callan Burgess (Newcastle Maitland Region Knights), Nathan Dwyer (Central Coast Pelicans), Angus Ernst (Newcastle Maitland Region Knights), Corey Fenning (Central Coast Pelicans), Ryan Glanville (Newcastle Maitland Region Knights), Jake Goodwin (Newcastle Maitland Region Knights), Nicolas Hall (Illawarra South Coast), Luke Huth (Newcastle Maitland Region Knights), Luke Knight (Newcastle Maitland Region Knights), Zac Montgomery (Newcastle Maitland Region Knights), Harley Ridge (Central Coast Pelicans), Elliott Speed (Northern Rivers Titans), James Uesele (Macarthur Wests Tigers), Adam Walker (Northern Rivers Titans), Jake Woods (Central Coast Pelicans). Coach: Wayne Forbes (Northern Rivers Titans)
• City: Niko Apelu, (St Marys Saints), Keahlan Bray (Mounties), Henry Francis (Mounties), ??Compton Fuatimau (Hills Bulls), Damon Humphyrs (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), Terrell Kalo-Kalo (Mounties), Samuel Kimi (Mounties), Broden Konz (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), ?Felefa Letoi (St Marys Saints), Joey Lovodua (Ryde-Eastwood Hawks), ?Sione Manakofua (Hills Bulls), Jake Rafferty-Butfield (St Marys Saints), Cooper Smith (Mounties), ?Kenny Soumpholphakdy (Brothers Penrith), ?Simon Tito (Ryde-Eastwood Hawks), David Tui (Hills Bulls), ?Bruce Ward (Glebe Dirty Reds). Coach: Dane Dorahy (Mounties)

Under-17s Girls

• Country: Sienna Brumby (Newcastle Knights), Keira Callaghan (Newcastle Knights), Jayda Cohen (Northern Tigers), Armanah Cook (Parramatta Eels), Havana Cook (Parramatta Eels), Ellazae Elers (Newcastle Knights), Molly Fitzhenry (Newcastle Knights), April Gardiner (Western Rams), Stella Hall (Central Coast Roosters), Mia Jones (Newcastle Knights), Kewa Kahuroa (Central Coast Roosters), Mia-Cheri Lokeni (Central Coast Roosters), Lexi Manning (Newcastle Knights), Leilani Mareko (Central Coast Roosters), Lara Murray (Central Coast Roosters), Evie Perry (Canberra Raiders), Sybella Pike (Newcastle Knights), Jarrah Young (Newcastle Knights). Coach: Vanessa Foliaki (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
• City: Sarah Alameddine (Parramatta Eels), Liannah Amete (Penrith Panthers), Isabella Bell (Parramatta Eels), Talia Berryman (Central Coast Roosters), Isabella Brown (Wests Tigers), Lilianne Halangahu (Penrith Panthers), Talita Haumono (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), Kayla Horvat (Penrith Panthers), Leilani Kavapalu (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), Olivia Large (Wests Tigers), Kaizen Morgan-Pritchard (Parramatta Eels), Khiarna Munro (Wests Tigers), Tegan Nicholas (Parramatta Eels), Hine Rikiti (Parramatta Eels), Cobi Ryan-Last (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Dawn Tui (Wests Tigers), Georgia Wansey (Parramatta Eels), Tahli Weigand (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks). Coach: Judy-May Peni (Penrith Panthers)

Under-19s Girls

• Country: Halle Barrett (Illawarra Steelers), Koffi Brookfield (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks), Ella Churchill (Illawarra Steelers), Summer Dowell (Newcastle Knights), Rubie Drake-Brockman (Newcastle Knights), Logan Fletcher (Sydney Roosters), Makenna Hammond (Sydney Roosters), Samantha Hanrahan (Penrith Panthers), Stella Lewis (Newcastle Knights), Emily McArthur (Newcastle Knights), Tahlia O’Brien (Illawarra Steelers), Alana O’Loughlin (Parramatta Eels), Isabella Piper (Canberra Raiders), Tori Shipton (Illawarra Steelers), Skye Spencer (Illawarra Steelers), Sienna Thomas (Newcastle Knights), Charlise Thompson (Newcastle Knights), Mia Vaotuua (Sydney Roosters). Coach: Nicole Fleming (Canberra Raiders)
• City: Jessamine Aloalii (Parramatta Eels), Freedom Crichton Ropati (Parramatta Eels), Lacey Cross (Newcastle Knights), Tyra Dymock (Sydney Roosters), Taylah Falaniko (Parramatta Eels), Khyliah Gray (Parramatta Eels), Liesl Hopoate (Sydney Roosters), Hannah Ison (Penrith Panthers), Ava Jones (Parramatta Eels), Anastasia Leatupue (Sydney Roosters), Zyon Ligaliga-Tonise (Parramatta Eels), Kiara McGregor (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Siulolo Richter (Illawarra Steelers), Ella Ropata (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks), Irae Savea (Parramatta Eels), Fontayne Tufuga (Parramatta Eels), Naioka Tuipulotu (Penrith Panthers), Ella Walker (Penrith Panthers). Coach: Ryan Walker (Parramatta Eels)

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