2025 NPL Men’s NSW Season Review
After a 30-round season, and exhilarating finals campaign, the 2025 National Premier Leagues Men’s NSW season has concluded.
The year brought countless memories and exciting moments, headlined by a Championship win for APIA Leichhardt and a shock Premier in the form of NWS Spirit.
Read the review of each team below:
APIA Leichhardt FC – 2nd (Champions)
APIA Leichhardt finished off a brilliant NPL Men’s NSW season with a 2-1 win over Rockdale Ilinden in the Grand Final to take home the 2025 Championship.
The famous Italian club experienced a rocky start to the season, winning just one from their first four, before finding consistent form.
Long-term injuries to key players Themba Muata-Marlow and Jordan Segreto had the possibility of hampering their campaign, but they weren’t phased, with Dredon Kelly and Seiya Kambayashi – the goalscorers in the Grand Final – both stepping up and having sensational seasons.
As well as Kelly, Cameron Fong and Presley Ortiz emerged as star signings for APIA, with the latter netting 18 goals in his first league campaign, while Sean Symons and Michael Kouta impressed once more with their experience, composure and quality.
After a strong start to their season, in the second half of the campaign, APIA truly came to life, as they lost just twice in 15 rounds, while picking up an astonishing 37 points out of an available 45.
Finishing two points off Premiers NWS Spirit, they were in a strong position heading into the finals, and beat Marconi Stallions to advance to the big dance, thanks to goals from Kelly and
Victory over Rockdale in their first Grand Final since 2019 secured APIA the title of 2025 NPL Men’s NSW Champions.
Blacktown City FC – 5th (Elimination Finals)
Blacktown City experienced an injury-hampered, mixed season in the NPL Men’s NSW competition.
The famous Western Sydney club spent much of the campaign out of the many battles around them, remaining comfortable in the top six without finding the momentum to push for the Premiership.
The highlight of their season came mid-way through, where they won five matches in a row, allowing them to remain solidly in a finals place for the remainder of the season.
At their best, Blacktown played brilliant, free-flowing attacking football, but injuries played a big role in their year.
Entering their Elimination Final, Blacktown were without star attackers Mitch Mallia, Jak O’Brien and Travis Major, while Danny Choi and Martin Fernandez were only fit enough to make the bench.
Their depth got them through the season, but couldn’t carry them to the Championship, as they will turn their eyes to what they hope will be an injury-free 2026.
Central Coast Mariners FC – 15th (Relegated in the playoff)
After three seasons in the NPL Men’s NSW competition, the Central Coast Mariners suffered relegation to the Football NSW League One Men’s competition for 2026.
The Mariners struggled considerably in the first half of the campaign, winning just one of their first 15 matches, with three ending in draws, and 11 resulting in defeats.
As relegation worries began to heighten, they began to find form, and experienced a strong end to their regular campaign, losing just three times from Round 20 onwards.
However, those defeats had significant consequences – particularly their final-day loss to the Western Sydney Wanderers, where a draw or win would have seen them avoid the bottom two.
Finishing second-bottom, the Mariners had to take on SD Raiders FC in an effort to retain their spot in the league, and took a 2-2 draw into their home match, where they couldn’t capitalise on a red card to their opponents when leading 2-1.
In the second leg, they lost the lead thanks to a Mihael Marcic stunner, but had the second half to push for an equaliser after another red card to Raiders in the 46th minute.
But they couldn’t make their advantage count, and without finding the back of the net, experienced relegation.
Manly United FC – 11th
Manly United endured an up-and-down 2025 campaign, ending the season 11th on the ladder.
Manly had an unusual opening to their season, winning two matches, drawing two and losing the remaining one.
The quirk came in the form of their victories, which were both 5-0 thrashings, showing their threat when they were on form.
Star signing Harry Van der Saag impressed early on in the campaign, scoring twice in Manly’s second win, and was forming a promising link-up with the likes of Harry McCarthy and Lucas Meek.
The issue for Manly, however, was consistency; when they were on, they were on, but they struggled to click into that gear on at a sustainable rate.
In the second half of the campaign, Manly struggled for form, with their bright spark coming from Farah Koko, who emerged as one of the most exciting wingers in the league.
Koko scored a double in Manly’s last match of the season to beat St George FC to 11th place, and they will be looking to build and return to finals in 2026 after spending 2025 around the middle of the table.
Marconi Stallions FC – 3rd (Semi-Finals)
After winning the Championship last campaign, Marconi Stallions experienced a comparatively disappointing 2025 season.
However, the disappointment will come in the form of a lack of silverware, rather than performances, with Marconi going close to the Premiership after finishing third on the ladder, four points behind Spirit.
Marconi began the season sensationally, going unbeaten in their first 10 matches, with Round 10 seeing them defeat NWS Spirit, to emerge as the last remaining side in the competition yet to lose.
Astonishingly, this streak lasted until Round 14 – a remarkable achievement, as Marconi went through almost half of the season before losing a league game.
Marko Jesic was, expectedly, at the heart of their success, while strike partner Damian Tsekenis was also a consistent threat.
Further back, James Bayliss enjoyed an exceptional campaign in midfield, while new signing Lachlan Griffiths impressed as one of the league’s best centre-backs.
Coming into the end of the season, they were in a strong position to emerge as Premiers, but just couldn’t find the form necessary to bring it home.
In finals, Marconi picked up an exhilarating win over Sydney United 58 courtesy of a masterclass from goalkeeper James Hilton in the penalty shootout, but they were unable to back up that result four days later, as they were defeated by APIA Leichhardt to conclude their season early.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers FC – 16th (Relegated)
After being promoted to this competition at the end of 2024, Mt Druitt Town Rangers have disappointingly gone straight back down, being relegated in the final round of the season.
Mt Druitt picked up some strong quality in the offseason – namely Joey Gibbs and Joao Pedro Oliveira Santos, with the latter impressing immensely with his flair and knack for a spectacular goal.
They opened the season in a competitive fashion, but results just weren’t going their way, and Mt Druitt entered the second half of the season with just nine points to their name, out of an available 45.
A mid-season coaching change saw their form improve, and like the other relegation candidates, they experienced a relatively strong finish to the season.
Mt Druitt lost just four times in their final 10 matches, but, crucially, two of those defeats came against direct rivals, losing 2-0 to Central Coast Mariners in Round 21, before being defeated by Sutherland Sharks in Round 29 by the same score.
That latter match secured safety for the Sharks, and put Mt Druitt bottom going into the final match of their season, where they needed a win against Premiers NWS Spirit to even have a shot at safety.
They put up a commendable performance, but could only muster a draw, and will enter 2026 as a Football NSW League One Men’s side once more.
NWS Spirit FC – 1st (Semi-Finals)
NWS Spirit FC enjoyed a sensational NPL Men’s NSW campaign, picking up an extraordinary, historical Premiership.
Spirit had a tremendous start to the season, winning all of their opening five matches, including statement victories 4-0 and 3-0 victories over juggernauts Blacktown City and APIA Leichhardt.
Not losing until Round 10, Spirit then suffered a blip of poor form, not winning for three games in succession, which many believed to be the beginning of the end of their sensational run.
But Spirit responded commendably and remained in the chasing pack throughout the midpoint of the campaign, picking up some memorable victories along the way.
In Round 19, a 3-2 defeat to St George City spelled Spirit’s fourth loss of the campaign, and remarkably, they didn’t experience defeat again.
Going an astonishing 11 games unbeaten, Spirit’s major moment came in an early Premiership showdown, where they picked up a remarkable 5-0 win over Marconi Stallions.
The goals in this match came from their tremendous front three – Takumi Ofuka, Michael Konestabo and Yu Okubo – who, between them, scored an astonishing 46, netting 13, 15 and 18 respectively.
That’s an average of 1.5 goals per game from just three players.
However, for their efficiency up front, Spirit were also exceptional without the ball, led by custodians Grant Cornwell and Christopher Marques, while Frankie Ljucovic and Jordan Perez impressed in midfield and at left-wingback respectively.
As their run of form continued, Spirit entered Round 29 needing just one more win to secure the Premiership, and David Perkovic’s side did so in style, with Okubo netting a brace and Konestabo bagging a thunderbolt to win silverware once more.
In the Semi-Final, Spirit missed the two aforementioned goalscorers, and were beaten by Rockdale after extra-time, but 2025 will be remembered as the year NWS Spirit shocked New South Wales by clinching the NPL Men’s NSW Premiership.
Rockdale Ilinden FC – 4th (Grand Final)
After finishing fourth in the regular season, Rockdale Ilinden experienced a devastating second successive Grand Final defeat.
After a mixed start to the campaign, Rockdale found their groove mid-way through the season, not losing from Round Eight until Round 21, picking up an astonishing 32 points from an available 36 in that timeframe.
They were very much in the hunt for the Premiership heading into the final 10 matches of the season, but just couldn’t take that momentum into the backend of the campaign.
A 3-1 victory over Blacktown City in Round 22 marked their final win of the regular season, before losses to APIA Leichhardt and NWS Spirit were followed by an unusual run of draws.
During that period, star striker Alec Urosevski struggled to find the back of the net, interestingly netting his last goals until the finals in the match against Blacktown.
But Urosevski, like many of his teammates, still enjoyed a fantastic campaign, as Rockdale’s captain scored a ridiculous 24 goals in all competitions.
Behind him, Brendan Cholakian impressed once more with his creativity and range of passing, while Isaac Danzo and Lochlan Constable formed a formidable partnership in midfield.
Blake Ricciuto emerged as a star defender in the backend of the campaign for Rockdale, and despite entering the finals in poor form, there seemed to be something building, with the side desperate to make amends for 2024.
In their Elimination Final, an Isaac Danzo stunner secured a 1-0 win over Blacktown, before they knocked out Premiers NWS Spirit – courtesy of goals from Urosevski and Moudi Najjar – to book their place in the big dance.
But, at the final hurdle, Rockdale couldn’t come out on top, going down to APIA 2-1 to finish without their desired Championship.
St George City – 9th
After pushing for finals for much of the 2025 campaign, St George City finished 9th on the NPL Men’s NSW ladder.
St George had a difficult start to their season, picking up just two wins from their first 10 matches.
But a little burst of form after that saw them shoot up a congested table, and after middling out, they experienced another strong run starting from Round 21.
Losing just once between then and Round 28, St George looked to be entering the latter stages of the season with everything to play for, picking up a win over their St George rivals, as well as an impressive 2-1 victory against Marconi Stallions.
But disappointing draws in Round 27 and Round 28 to Western Sydney Wanderers and Central Coast Mariners pushed them out of finals contention, before their season finished with defeats to top-six sides.
Import striker Marc McNulty emerged as the standout for St George during the season, with the marksman going on a sensational scoring run in the latter stages of the campaign, netting nine goals in nine games between Round 18 and 26.
Nathan Grimaldi emerged as a strong signing at centre-back, with Solomon-Johnn Monahan-Vaiika impressing in defence as well, while Louis Khoury brought a strong mixture of energy and tenacity to their midfield.
St George will be looking to return to finals in 2026, as they look back on a strong season that could have given them so much more.
St George FC – 12th
St George FC finished 12th in their 2025 campaign, comfortably clear from relegation in mid-table.
After losing their opening three games of the season, St George promptly found form, not losing until Round 10.
In that time period, they won four games, and only dropped points on two occasions – in impressive performances against Marconi Stallions and APIA Leichhardt.
In the latter stages of 2025, St George just couldn’t find success, and they picked up their last win of the season in Round 18, with goals from Jaden Casella and Sunday Yona earning them a victory over Mt Druitt Town Rangers.
Casella was St George’s standout forward, scoring 10 goals in the league and impressing with his quality on the ball and his work rate off it.
Further back, Troy Danaskos was, once more, a standout for his side, with his mauradering runs forward from left-back and exceptional ability, while new signing Bai Antoniou impressed in midfield.
It was a season to build on for St George FC, and they will be looking to improve in 2026, taking those glimpses of stellar form as the reference point for their next campaign.
Sutherland Sharks FC – 13th
Sutherland Sharks endured another difficult NPL Men’s NSW campaign, narrowly escaping relegation with two games to go.
The Sharks began the season strongly, going unbeaten in their first three matches, drawing to Sydney United 58 before beating Manly United and Western Sydney Wanderers.
However, results promptly slipped after that, as they won just one of their next 14 matches, losing 11 and drawing twice.
After finding their first two wins inside three rounds, it took until Round 18 for the Sharks to double that tally, where they beat the Wanderers thanks to a brace from Yerasimakis Petratos and a goal from Tye McGowan.
This marked a turn in form for Sutherland, highlighted by a shock win over Rockdale Ilinden in Round 21, but a draw and four defeats in the next five games left the Sharks in a precarious position heading into the business end of the season.
A statement 4-0 win over Sydney FC improved their chances, and in Round 29, Sutherland secured safety in the NPL Men’s NSW competition, with Petratos and mid-season signing Tariq Maia netting against Mt Druitt to keep the Sharks in the top-flight.
Petratos was a constant scorer of crucial goals throughout Sutherland’s campaign, while mid-season signings Maia and Yianni Nicolaou played an important role in their campaign.
Captain Danijel Nizic was vital as Sutherland’s goalkeeper, making countless crucial saves to keep the Sharks in must-win matches.
After another season spent near the bottom of the table, Sutherland will be desperate to turn their fortunes around in 2026.
Sydney FC – 10th
Sydney FC emerged as the strongest of all New South Wales academy sides in 2025, finishing 10th on the ladder, comfortably mid-table.
While the Mariners and Wanderers were avoiding relegation, Sydney spent much of the season chasing finals football, but couldn’t hold their momentum at the end of the campaign.
The Sky Blues experienced a mixed first 10 rounds in the competition, picking up three wins, two draws and five losses, with two of those victories coming impressively over Sydney United 58 and Sydney Olympic.
Moving into the middle of the campaign, Sydney suddenly found form, going unbeaten for four matches, which was highlighted by a stunning 5-0 demolition of Blacktown City, thanks to a brilliant hat-trick from Alen Harbas and goals from Lachlan Middleton and Tiago Quintal.
In Round 19, the Sky Blues produced another spectacular result, thrashing Manly United 6-0, with Mathias Macallister scoring an unbelievable five goals, as Sydney’s charge for the finals was mounting.
But they couldn’t find form in the final 10 rounds, as they fell out of the finals race, before drawing with Blacktown City and Rockdale Ilinden to conclude their campaign.
Macallister emerged as a standout throughout Sydney’s season, netting 13 goals in the league, while Lachlan Middleton and Joe Lacey constantly showed a mixture of quality and maturity in midfield.
After a worrying 2024 campaign, Sydney will be happy with their stable season, as they look to continue developing Australia’s next generation of talent heading into 2026.
Sydney Olympic FC – 7th
For a third successive season, Sydney Olympic missed out on finals football, finishing seventh this campaign.
Olympic showed promise on occasion in 2025, but inconsistency hampered their campaign, in a season they will ultimately be disappointed with, given the high standards they set themselves.
Sydney Olympic lost just once in their first five rounds, picking up two wins and two draws, as they looked to be building a credible top-six charge.
They proved themselves to be capable of a spectacular result in a 5-1 victory over Sutherland Sharks, which was backed up in Round Nine, where they defeated Mt Druitt Town Rangers 4-0.
But the their inconsistency was clear in Rounds 13 and 14, where – after losing 4-0 to Rockdale Ilinden, they responded with a spectacular 4-0 victory over Sydney United 58, before losing their next two matches.
In the second half of the campaign, they found form, but they couldn’t continue that run late into the season, as they eventually finished nine points over United 58 in sixth spot.
Seth Clark emerged as a standout through the season, while fellow new signing Cyrus Dehmie also impressed.
But next campaign, Sydney Olympic are one to watch, as they look to return to the top-six after a three-year hiatus.
Sydney United 58 FC – 6th (Elimination Finals)
Sydney United 58 found success in 2025, emerging as Waratah Cup winners, but they couldn’t add any more NPL Men’s NSW silverware to their cabinet.
United 58 began their campaign in rocky fashion, winning just once from their first seven games, but three victories in their next four marked a turnaround in form.
Heading into the second half of the season, they found success, winning five matches in a row between Round 15 and 19 to remain strongly inside the top-six.
A win in the Waratah Cup Final marked a big achievement for United 58, who picked up silverware once more in 2025.
However, they struggled then went through a difficult period of form, losing two matches, before going on an unprecedented run of four draws in a row.
Suddenly, having spent a good chunk of the campaign looking settled in the top-six, the teams below were in with a fighting chance.
But United 58 found form, once more, at the perfect time, finishing the season on a winning run of four games, highlighted by statement victories over Blacktown City and Sydney Olympic.
Led by Adrian Vlastelica, Carlos De Oliveira and Bailey Rule emerged as standout players for United 58 during the campaign, while Mason Wells also impressed with his pace and quality on their right flank.
In the finals, United 58 were knocked out by Marconi in an exhilarating penalty shootout, and will be looking to go a couple of steps better in 2026 as they search for the coveted NPL Men’s NSW Championship.
Western Sydney Wanderers FC – 14th
In a difficult season in the competition, the Western Sydney Wanderers secured their safety on the final day.
The Wanderers opened the season in a positive manner, drawing and then winning against Sydney Olympic, but a run of six successive defeats promptly followed.
In the first half of the campaign, Western Sydney picked up two more victories, prevailing 2-0 over Manly United and 3-0 over St George FC, but were in a precarious position heading into the second stanza of the season.
However, the Wanderers’ fortunes didn’t improve, and they entered the final stretch of the campaign needing to get points on the board to ensure their safety.
In Round 24, a 2-1 win over rivals Sydney FC secured a thoroughly necessary victory, and was followed by significant draws against Rockdale Ilinden and St George City.
In the penultimate round of the season, another 3-0 win over St George was crucial, but they headed into Round 30 in the bottom-two, needing a win over relegation rivals Central Coast Mariners to stay safe.
But they found their result, with a brace from Awan Lual and a goal from Alaat Abdul-Rahman – two players who had been standouts in their season – securing safety for 2026.
Wollongong Wolves FC – 8th
Wollongong Wolves experienced a solid 2026 campaign, finishing eighth on the ladder.
Led by talisman Lachlan Scott, the Wolves had a unique opening to the campaign, going unbeaten in their first six games, but drawing four of those matches.
Nevertheless, against some strong teams, it was a fantastic start to the season, and Wolves continued to look strong heading into the second half of their campaign, with the highlight being a stunning 3-0 win over Marconi Stallions to end their unbeaten run.
However, they struggled to rally, with their next win after the Marconi triumph coming seven games later, in Round 22 and in and amongst that was the coaching departure of Warren Grieve.
From here, Wollongong suddenly found form again, going on a five-game unbeaten streak.
But they fell in the final four games of the season, and finished short of finals in a positive campaign.
Nicholas Olsen was consistently brilliant as Wollongong’s star new signing, while Scott had another strong campaign.
Meanwhile, Dylan Ryan and Ben Giason provided strong solidity from defence for the Wolves, who will be looking to return with another strong season in 2026.
-By Jack George
