After finishing at the bottom of the table last season and failing to register a single victory the Balmain Tigers are looking to change their fortunes heading into the 2025 Harold Matthews Cup season.
As the 2025 Harold Matthews Cup season slowly approaches the opening round, Zero Tackle will provide a season preview for all 17 teams made up of players of the next generation.
Next...the Balmain Tigers
After finishing at the bottom of the table last season and failing to win a single match, the Balmain Tigers enter this season with high expectations.
Keeping most of their squad from last year, they have one of the most experienced rosters in the competition, with multiple players getting a glimpse of Harold Matthews Cup football in 2024, where they played a year young.
Led by co-captains Christian Dolfo and Isaac Perkins, Balmain is hoping to change their fortunes with their local talent and could be considered one of the most underrated teams heading into the competition.
"It was a rough season last year but expectations are a lot higher this time around. For me, it's certainly about being competitive in every game we play and we have high hopes for the squad," coach Greg Mitchell told Zero Tackle.
"We're hopeful that we can play finals footy. It's such a short and quality competition that every game is do or die in the sense, so our expectation is that we'll be in every game we place and have a chance of winning, and hopefully, that shows at the end of the season.
"Traditionally there might be three or four guys in most squads that get some game time and play a match a year young.
"We had seven or eight last season play some game, so it's a pretty big bonus when you think of it going into another season what they are their true age."
Player Movements
Gains: Ben Burge, Ben Lawrence, Christian Dolfo, Darby Fotheringham, Harry Bickhoff, Isaac Mascerenas, Jacob Jasper, Jarrod Kanaan, Kuki Maafu, Levi Ellis, Levi Henderson, Marcus Cesaro, Matteo Reupena, Riley Fong, Soeli Iongi, Sosaia Unga, Thomas Aroyan, Zac Bechara, Lebron Gwynne-Asoava
RELATED >> 2025 Harold Matthews Cup Player Movements
Losses: Albert Tuara, Antonio Harb, Charlie Jones, Isaac Anjoul, Moses Lewadromodromo (Bears), Sam Sorovi, Strantz Schaumkel
Full Squad
Bill Antonopolous, Braidyn Wood, Ben Burge, Ben Lawrence, Christian Azzi, Christian Dolfo, Darby Fotheringham, Dom Vella, Harrison Aoake, Harry Bickhoff, Izaak Mascarenas, Isaac Perkins, Jacob Jasper, James Baranowski, James Kerr, Jeremiah Kalolo, Jerry Leau, Jarrod Kanaan, Khaled Khairouz, Kuki Maafu, Labron Gwynne-Asoava, Levi Ellis, Levi Henderson, Leroy Petelo, Marcus Cesaro, Matteo Reupena-Dunn, Riley Fong, Sioeli Iongi, Sosaia Unga, Thomas Aroyan, Zac Bechara
Greg Mitchell will coach the team in what is his first season with the Wests Tigers after being involved in the Shute Shield with the Western Sydney Two Blues, the Cronulla Sharks women's program, the New Zealand women's program and the North Sydney Bears Harold Matthews Cup team.
He will be joined by three assistant coaches: Dane Ryan (former Balmain SG Ball Cup coach), Jason Stanton (ex-Australia Women's Rugby 7s coach) and John Muggleton.
A former premiership-winning player for the Parramatta Eels and State of Origin representative, Muggleton has quite the coaching resume. A former defence coach of the now-defunct Melbourne Rebels, he also spent time coaching Georgia at the 2011 Rugby World Cup and spent time as the defence coach of the Australian Wallabies.
"They are a few guys that I've worked with quite a bit, John in particular. Unfortunately, Jason's not doing as much with us as we would have liked earlier in the season with work and things," Mitchell added.
"John comes with a great pedigree having been around rugby and rugby league coaching and playing and Dane's been really exceptional.
"He's been sort of my right-hand man at the moment and been one of the local coaches with the Leichhardt Wanderers and he's been really good and picked up the slack and got a great relationship with a lot of the boys.
"He's been a great help for me having been in the system for a few years and certainly helping me build those new relationships as well."