Category: Men’s Premiership

  • Men’s Premiership Round 18 Preview: Familiar rivals close the season with pride at stake

    Men’s Premiership Round 18 Preview: Familiar rivals close the season with pride at stake

    Men’s Premiership, Round 18 — Saturday, 22 August 2026, 3:30 pm at MNC Drilling Park.

    Joondalup and Rockingham will renew one of the competition’s most evenly balanced rivalries in Round 18, even though the finals door has closed for both teams.

    The Giants enter the match seventh on 15 points, while the Sharks are eighth on 12. Joondalup can reach 17 with a victory, but Kalamunda’s Round 18 bye will take the fourth-placed Bulldogs to 19. Rockingham can finish with no more than 14.

    Joondalup can still climb to sixth if they win and Ellenbrook lose to Fremantle. Rockingham are locked into eighth, but a victory would narrow the final gap and end a four-match losing run.

    The season figures favour the Giants. They score 23.7 points per match and concede 26.1, compared with Rockingham’s 18.9 for and 39.2 against. The Sharks have conceded 52 or more in each of their past two outings, falling 60–6 to Willagee and 58–6 to South Perth.

    Joondalup’s results have been inconsistent rather than one-sided. Their last five matches have produced two wins and three losses, but those victories included a 36–26 result over Ellenbrook. They also pushed Willagee in Round 17 before losing 20–14—the Bears’ smallest winning margin since Round 14.

    The historical matchup is far closer than the current defensive numbers. Across 26 Men’s Premiership meetings from 2018 to 2026, Rockingham lead 14 wins to 12. The Sharks average 25.5 points in those games and the Giants 24.4, a difference of only 1.1 points.

    Joondalup won this season’s first meeting 32–22. The previous two encounters were split: Rockingham won 30–20 in Round 14 last year, while Joondalup prevailed 44–32 earlier in the 2025 season.

    Those results suggest Rockingham’s best route is to rediscover the attacking confidence that has historically troubled the Giants. Joondalup’s opportunity is to apply sustained pressure to a defence that has conceded an average of 39.2 points this season.

    A simple season-average blend points to approximately Joondalup 32, Rockingham 23—almost identical to the 32–22 result in Round 9.

    There is no finals berth available, but there remains a tangible reward: Joondalup can climb a position, while Rockingham can finish a difficult season by extending their narrow historical advantage over a familiar rival.

    Key stat: Only two wins and 1.1 average points separate the clubs across 26 Men’s Premiership meetings since 2018.

  • Men’s Premiership Round 18 Preview: Lions target a commanding finals tune-up

    Men’s Premiership Round 18 Preview: Lions target a commanding finals tune-up

    Men’s Premiership, Round 18 — Saturday, 22 August 2026, 3:30 pm at George Burnett Park.

    South Perth will enter Round 18 as overwhelming statistical favourites against Kwinana, but the Lions’ challenge is to convert that advantage into a disciplined performance before the finals.

    The Lions have secured a Top-Two finish with a 13–2 record and 30 competition points. They remain two points behind Willagee, although the Bears’ 242-point differential advantage means a change at the top would require a virtually impossible combined swing across the two final-round matches.

    Kwinana are locked into ninth. The Titans have one victory from 15 matches, have scored 160 points and conceded 864, leaving them with a minus-704 differential.

    The contrast between the teams is stark. South Perth average 37.7 points per match and allow only 15.9. Kwinana score 10.7 and concede 57.6. That creates a 68.7-point gap between the clubs’ average match differentials: South Perth operate at plus-21.8 per game, while Kwinana sit at minus-46.9.

    The Lions have won four of their past five. Their only defeat during that period came against Fremantle, and they responded by defeating Rockingham 58–6 in Round 17. Kwinana have lost five straight and conceded 100 points without reply against Fremantle in Round 16.

    There is only one previous Men’s Premiership meeting between the clubs in the available 2018–2026 record, making the head-to-head sample small but emphatic. South Perth won 78–6 in Round 9 this season. That 72-point margin comfortably exceeded the Lions’ season-average advantage and remains the clearest guide to the scale of the matchup.

    South Perth’s principal danger is not the statistical comparison but complacency. With second place effectively secured and finals ahead, maintaining defensive standards and controlling errors will matter more than chasing a particular margin. Kwinana, meanwhile, can approach the match without ladder pressure and with the opportunity to produce their most significant upset of the season.

    A simple attack-defence blend generates an indicative score of South Perth 48, Kwinana 13. The first meeting suggests the ceiling could be higher, but late-season selections and game management may influence the final margin.

    For the Lions, this is a chance to enter the postseason with rhythm and confidence. For the Titans, competitiveness against a Top-Two opponent would represent meaningful progress regardless of their final ladder position.

    Key stat: South Perth won the clubs’ only previous Men’s Premiership meeting 78–6.

  • Men’s Premiership Round 18 Preview: Sea Eagles chase a 47-point miracle

    Men’s Premiership Round 18 Preview: Sea Eagles chase a 47-point miracle

    Men’s Premiership, Round 18 — Saturday, 22 August 2026, 3:30 pm at Blueforce Park.

    North Beach enter the final afternoon of the regular season with a mathematical route into the Top Four—but it requires one of the most extraordinary results of the year against the minor premiers.

    The Sea Eagles sit fifth on 17 competition points with a minus-42 points differential. Kalamunda are also shown on 17, but the Bulldogs have the Round 18 bye and will receive two points, taking them to 19 with their plus-four differential unchanged.

    A North Beach victory would also take the Sea Eagles to 19. To pass Kalamunda, however, they must overturn the 46-point differential gap.

    The clean equation is North Beach by 47 or more. A 46-point win works only in the exceptional circumstance that the Sea Eagles score at least 117 points, bringing the later points-scored tiebreak into play.

    North Beach have given themselves a chance through a strong closing run. They have won four of their past five matches, including three consecutive victories over Kwinana, Kalamunda and Ellenbrook. Across those five games they have scored 150 points and conceded 84, an average differential of plus-13.2.

    The required margin remains 11 points greater than their biggest win of the season, a 48–12 victory over Kwinana.

    Willagee present a dramatically different challenge. The Bears are 14–1, have scored 762 points and conceded only 192. They average 50.8 points for and 12.8 against, producing an average winning differential of 38 points per match. Their only defeat was by 10 points against South Perth.

    The first meeting this season finished 56–16 to Willagee—a 40-point Bears victory. North Beach must therefore transform that result into a win of at least 47, an 87-point reversal.

    The wider historical record offers the Sea Eagles more encouragement. North Beach have won eight of the 11 Men’s Premiership meetings between the clubs since 2018, averaging 42.5 points to Willagee’s 17.6. They also won 24–10 in Round 12 last season, although Willagee responded by eliminating North Beach 12–6 in the 2025 preliminary final before dominating the 2026 encounter.

    A basic season-average matchup model produces an indicative score of Willagee 39, North Beach 18. North Beach need to outperform that statistical baseline by more than 67 points to reach the required margin.

    This is not merely a must-win match. It is a must-win-by-47 match against a side that has not lost by more than 10 all season. North Beach have earned the opportunity to take their finals chase to Blueforce Park; now they need a result far beyond anything yet produced against the Bears in 2026.

    Key stat: North Beach need an 87-point turnaround from the teams’ 56–16 result in Round 9.

  • Men’s Premiership Round 18 Preview: Roosters look to sharpen their edge before finals

    Men’s Premiership Round 18 Preview: Roosters look to sharpen their edge before finals

    Men’s Premiership, Round 18 — Saturday, 22 August 2026, 3:30 pm at Treeby Community & Sports Centre.

    Fremantle will complete their regular season against an Ellenbrook side playing for pride, with the Roosters looking to recover quickly from a narrow defeat and carry momentum into the finals.

    Third place is already secure for Fremantle. Their 10–4–1 record has delivered 25 competition points and neither the teams above nor the clubs chasing fourth can reach them in the final round. Ellenbrook are also out of finals contention: even a win would take the Rabbitohs only to 18 points, one short of Kalamunda’s total after the Bulldogs receive two points for their Round 18 bye.

    The ladder may be settled for both clubs, but the statistical matchup gives Fremantle plenty to play for. The Roosters average 39 points per match—the third-best attacking return in the competition—and concede 20.3. Ellenbrook score 25 per game while allowing 31, producing a season differential of minus-96.

    Fremantle had won four consecutive matches before Kalamunda edged them 30–28 in Round 17. That result ended a run that included a 100–0 victory over Kwinana and a 26–6 win against second-placed South Perth. Ellenbrook’s recent trajectory has moved in the opposite direction, with four losses in their past five outings. The Rabbitohs have conceded 30 or more in three of their past four matches.

    That long-term record makes Ellenbrook’s defensive start crucial. If the Rabbitohs allow Fremantle to establish field position and tempo early, the Roosters’ scoring average suggests the game could move away quickly. Ellenbrook’s opportunity is to turn the contest into a lower-possession, defensive grind and test how Fremantle respond after the disappointment of Round 17.

    A simple blend of each team’s scoring and defensive averages produces an indicative score of approximately Fremantle 35, Ellenbrook 22. It is not a formal prediction, but it underlines the statistical advantage held by the Roosters.

    For Fremantle, the result cannot change third place—but the quality of the performance could shape their finals campaign. For Ellenbrook, defeating a finalist would provide a significant finish to a difficult closing month.

  • Men’s Premiership Round 16 Review: Roosters hit the century as Bears tighten their grip

    Men’s Premiership Round 16 Review: Roosters hit the century as Bears tighten their grip

    Fremantle produced a remarkable 100-point performance, Willagee continued its imposing late-season form and North Beach survived the closest contest of Round 16.

    Round 16 of the 2026 Men’s Premiership produced one of the most extraordinary scoring afternoons of the season, with 268 points and 49 tries across four matches.

    The round averaged 67 points per game, while the average winning margin climbed to 42 points. Three of the four matches were decided by double figures, but one result towered above everything else.

    Fremantle Roosters reached three figures.

    Fremantle produce a century at Treeby
    The result of the round — and one of the standout scorelines of the entire 2026 season — came as Fremantle Roosters defeated Kwinana Titans 100-0.

    The Roosters crossed for 19 tries and converted 12 of them, producing an attacking performance Kwinana simply could not contain.

    What made the scoreline particularly impressive was the number of contributors involved.

    Manson Carmody and Jahkayis Mabbett each scored hat-tricks, while TJ Morunga and Austin Cameron added doubles.

    The Roosters also received a huge contribution from Mitchell Wade-Whalan, who finished with 22 points from one try and nine goals.

    Fremantle’s attacking form has shifted dramatically over the past fortnight.

    After defeating South Perth 26-6 in Round 15, the Roosters have now scored 126 points and conceded only six across their past two matches.

    The century also increased Fremantle’s scoring output by 74 points from one round to the next.

    Kwinana, meanwhile, has endured the opposite trend.

    After conceding 48 against North Beach in Round 15, the Titans have now conceded 148 points across their past two matches.

    Willagee continue their relentless run
    Fremantle may have produced the eye-catching scoreline, but Willagee Bears continued to strengthen their position with a 60-6 victory over Rockingham Sharks.

    Willagee ran in 11 tries, with Iverson Mapu-Satiu leading the way with a hat-trick.

    Manfred Kelly and Nela Vi scored twice each, giving the Bears multiple attacking threats rather than relying on one dominant scorer.

    Then there was Matthew Lansdown.

    The competition’s leading point scorer contributed a try and eight goals for 20 points, accounting for one-third of Willagee’s total.

    More significant than one individual performance, however, is what Willagee has done across the past fortnight.

    The Bears defeated Ellenbrook 38-6 in Round 15 before beating Rockingham 60-6 on Sunday.

    That gives Willagee an aggregate score of 98-12 across its past two matches.

    They are averaging 49 points per game over that period while conceding only six.

    It is the combination of attacking production and defensive control that makes the numbers particularly imposing.

    Kelly creates separation in the try-scoring race
    Willagee’s victory also strengthened Manfred Kelly’s position at the top of the Men’s Premiership try-scoring standings.

    Kelly’s double took him to 25 tries for the season.

    Joondalup’s Lincoln Williams moved into outright second after scoring twice against Ellenbrook, taking his season total to 15.

    Behind Williams are Willagee teammates Iziah Lolohea and Saimoni Qaranivalu, who both have 14.

    That leaves Kelly with a substantial 10-try advantage over the nearest challenger.

    Rather than tightening late in the season, the Men’s try-scoring race is currently becoming more one-sided.

    North Beach win the round’s only thriller

    With large margins elsewhere, North Beach Sea Eagles’ 22-18 victory over Kalamunda Bulldogs provided a completely different type of contest.

    It was the only Men’s Premiership match decided by fewer than 10 points — and the only match across the Men’s and Val Murphy competitions decided by fewer than double figures.

    North Beach scored four tries through four different players.
    Tom Welsh, Kurtis Everett, Ethan Young and Wyatt Rogers all crossed, while Nicholas Prance kicked three goals.

    Kalamunda’s scoring was far more concentrated.

    Elijah Joe scored two tries and kicked three goals, giving him 14 of Kalamunda’s 18 points.

    That means Joe was directly responsible for almost 78 per cent of the Bulldogs’ total score.

    The result also gave North Beach consecutive victories after their 48-12 win against Kwinana in Round 15.

    Those two wins could hardly have been more different.

    One was a 36-point victory. The other required North Beach to survive a four-point contest.

    Winning both types of matches is an encouraging sign.

    Joondalup respond against Ellenbrook
    The remaining game saw Joondalup Giants defeat Ellenbrook Rabbitohs 36-26.

    The Giants scored six tries compared with Ellenbrook’s five, meaning there was little separating the teams in terms of crossing the line.

    Goal-kicking proved crucial.

    Tiger Williams converted all six of Joondalup’s recorded tries, providing 12 points from the boot.

    Ellenbrook kicked three goals.

    That six-point difference in conversions represented the majority of the eventual 10-point winning margin.

    Fraser Masterton and Lincoln Williams both scored doubles for Joondalup, while Jarrah Clarke-Hooper crossed twice for Ellenbrook.

    For Lincoln Williams, the double carried additional significance.

    His 15 tries now place him alone in second on the competition’s try-scoring leaderboard.

    Lansdown remains the points benchmark
    While Kelly has created separation in the try-scoring race, Matthew Lansdown remains the standard in total points.

    Lansdown now sits on 184 points, well clear at the top of the Men’s Premiership standings.

    South Perth’s Kade McDonald is second on 128, followed by Fremantle’s Harry Debique on 124.

    Kelly sits fourth on 92, with Ellenbrook’s Chase Rye rounding out the top five on 82.

    Lansdown therefore holds a 56-point advantage over second place.

    His ability to combine tries with prolific goal-kicking continues to make him one of the competition’s most statistically influential players.

    A round dominated by winning attacks
    Collectively, Sunday’s four winning teams scored 218 of the 268 points produced in the round.

    That is more than 81 per cent of all scoring.

    The winners also combined for three emphatic performances:

    Fremantle by 100.

    Willagee by 54.

    Joondalup by 10.

    Only North Beach was forced into a genuine final-margin contest.

    Round 16 therefore presented two very different pictures of the Men’s Premiership.

    At one end was Fremantle producing a historic attacking performance and Willagee continuing to overwhelm opponents.

    At the other was a four-point North Beach-Kalamunda contest in which every conversion and scoring opportunity mattered.

    With the season entering its decisive stages, Fremantle’s attacking surge, Willagee’s balance and North Beach’s ability to win close matches are becoming increasingly important storylines.

    And above the individual races, two Bears continue to set the benchmark.

    Manfred Kelly leads the competition with 25 tries. Matthew Lansdown leads it with 184 points.

  • Men’s Premiership Round 15 Review: Bears Strengthen Their Grip on Top Spot

    Men’s Premiership Round 15 Review: Bears Strengthen Their Grip on Top Spot

    Bears strengthen top spot as Roosters turn the tables
    Round 15 produced four clear winners and several major late-season developments.

    The four games generated 206 points and 38 recorded tries. Three winning teams held their opponents to 12 points or fewer, while Kalamunda’s accuracy from the kicking tee proved decisive in the round’s highest-scoring contest.

    Willagee Bears 38 defeated Ellenbrook Rabbitohs 6
    Willagee reinforced their position at the top of the competition with another controlled performance.

    Saimoni Qaranivalu scored a hat-trick, Tommy Fifita crossed twice, and Kobi Aiesi and Malakai Chan Boon added one try each. Matthew Lansdown kicked five goals.

    Qaranivalu and Fifita accounted for five of Willagee’s seven tries, while the Bears’ defence restricted Ellenbrook to a single Riapo Jones try and Daniel Cyckoma conversion.

    Willagee entered the match averaging more than 53 points per game, so the 38-point return was below their extraordinary season average. Their defensive work was arguably more significant, conceding only six points.

    The Bears won the earlier meeting 56–14. Across the two games they outscored Ellenbrook 94–20, conceding only five tries in total while scoring 17 themselves.

    Kalamunda Bulldogs 42 defeated Joondalup Giants 28
    Kalamunda’s goal-kicking was the defining difference in a match that was much closer in tries than the final margin suggested.

    The Bulldogs scored seven tries to Joondalup’s six. Tommy Etchells, Elijah Joe and Josh Ngapuhi each crossed twice, while another Bulldog added the seventh.

    Joe then converted all seven tries, finishing with an outstanding 22-point individual haul from two tries and seven goals.

    Joondalup’s six tries came through doubles to Lincoln Williams and Tiger Williams, plus a try to Fraser Masterton. Tiger Williams kicked two goals.

    The try difference was worth only four points. The remaining 10 points of Kalamunda’s 14-point winning margin came through goal-kicking, with the Bulldogs scoring 14 points from goals compared with Joondalup’s four.

    It was a textbook example of why converting tries can decide matches between relatively evenly matched attacks.

    Fremantle Roosters 26 defeated South Perth Lions 6
    Fremantle produced one of the most important defensive performances of the round, restricting South Perth to a single try.

    Ishmael Leilua, Lleyton Cameron and Manson Carmody each crossed for the Roosters, while Harry Debique kicked five goals.

    South Perth’s only try came through Luke-David Wells-Talamaivao, with Kade McDonald adding the conversion.

    The result was especially striking when compared with the clubs’ earlier meeting. South Perth defeated Fremantle 66–16 in Round 6, but the Roosters reversed the result with a 26–6 victory in Round 15.

    That represents a 70-point swing in the match margin, with Fremantle moving from losing by 50 to winning by 20.

    Holding the Lions to six points was the clearest evidence of Fremantle’s improvement. The Roosters did not need a huge attacking total because their defensive effort continually denied South Perth the opportunity to build pressure.

    North Beach Sea Eagles 48 defeated Kwinana Titans 12
    North Beach delivered a nine-try performance to secure a convincing win over Kwinana.

    Wyatt Rogers scored a hat-trick, Te Ra Hare Ahuriri crossed twice, and Riley Bradley, Bow Stein, George Hough and Jay Roa added one try each. Nicholas Prance kicked six goals.

    Kwinana scored three tries through a Titans player double and Ben Russell but were unable to add any goals.

    The Sea Eagles’ 9–3 try advantage created the 36-point margin, with six different North Beach players finding the line. Rogers’ three tries alone matched Kwinana’s entire team total.

    Prance’s 12 points from the tee were also equivalent to Kwinana’s full match score.

    For North Beach, the result provided a much-needed attacking boost and showed the damage they can cause when their finishing receives consistent service.