Following a disappointing year in 2024 which saw them finish near the bottom of the table, the North Sydney Bears have high hopes for 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 North Sydney Bears.

Following a disappointing year in 2024 which saw them finish near the bottom of the table, the North Sydney Bears have high hopes for the 2025 Harold Matthews Cup season.

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It has been tough for the Bears in recent seasons but they will welcome several new faces heading into 2025 as they attempt to prove doubters wrong and look to book themselves a place in the finals.

"We're here to win. That's first and foremost but to win the players need to keep progressing and developing to a standard they need to be at," coach Rob McArdle told Zero Tackle.

"For us to do that, it's a lot of development training and we're trying to upskill them constantly because at the end of the day, this is only the beginning of the program and we want to win games but it's only the beginning of their careers.

"It's about trying to set them up for the future and give them a good foundation to work off so hopefully next year we can retain as many of the Bears and if not they get a gig elsewhere.

"We had a lot of close games that we should have won last year but just fell a bit short so hoping we can improve on that.

"It's always difficult with a new squad the following year but just learn from your mistakes and try and do better."

Players to Watch

Archie Morris: "He's in the run to probably start at lock. He's an exceptional kid from Lithgow and his brother actually played in the whole Bears system and is now down at the Storm I believe," McArdle said.

George Peacock: Coach McArdle said, "He's probably the lightest front-rowers in the competition but he brings the energy and he brings the aggression so he's exciting to watch.

"His carries and defence is pound for pound probably one of the best and I'm really excited to see him go out there and he's got a really good stint whenever he's been on the field for me in the trials."

Joseph Wesser: "He's a special talent, that kid. He can score tries with his eyes closed and I think he was the leading try scorer in the Parramatta district competition," McArdle said.

"He's a quality kid and he was really excited so he's jumped on board and I think he's going to show something this year and he loves those one-handed dive put-downs, so you'' have a couple of spectacular finishes."

Angus Aoutal: Coach McArdle said, "I'm excited to see him come back. He's coming back from a shoulder operation so we've only seen him in development last year."

"He was tracking quite well and was probably close to playing with us last year, but I'm excited to see him. He's a tough kid and can play anywhere in the middle - lock, hooker, front-row."

Full Squad

Angus Aoutal, Archie Morris, Bayli Alvey, Boston Cameron, Byron Carragher, Cohen Riddell, Cruze Puleitu, Dezalon Taleni, Ethan Cooper, Exodus Kalati Toleafoa, George Peacock, Hayden Moynihan, Isaac Khoudair, Isaac Youkhana, Isamaela Katu, Jayden Dabit, Jordan Sakkal, Joseph Wesser, Kane Epere, Leon Burns, Lincoln McLoughlin, Lucas Vawser, Matthew Fakhr, Moses Lomani, Nicholas Kotarac, Noah Bricknell, Noah Tafengatoto, Oscar Forsey, Patrick Seymour, Patrick Witford, Riley Halsall, Sam Ive, Saxon Gaw

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Rob McArdle will lead the team as head coach for the second consecutive season and has previously coached Cabramatta Sydney Shield and St Patricks in Penrith and was a former Bears SG Ball Cup team coach.

Under him will be Dave Carragher and Ryan Jacker as his assistant coaches as well as Dean Blore - the older brother of Melbourne Storm forward Shawn Blore - who was a late call-up and helps the kids develop their skills.

"Dave Carragher was the head coach of development last year and has now stepped up as an assistant," he said.

"He looks after our conditioning and motivation and then we've got Ryan Jacker who has been coaching with me for a very, very long time and took a few years off and came back last year and gave me a hand.

"He has very intelligent football knowledge on him, so he's helping with the attack and the defence and then I had a late call in who was Dean Blore.

"Kind of semi-retired now but he was a quality footballer and he touched base with me and reached out and wanted to get involved and he'd done a bit at school level and he's like a skills assistant."