Round 24 Preview – NPL Men’s NSW
After a blistering Round 23, the NPL Men’s NSW competition will continue to excite this weekend with eight crucial, exhilarating fixtures.
Sydney FC vs Manly United FC
7:30pm, Friday 17 July – Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre
Sydney FC will open the round when facing off against Manly United at Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre on Friday night.
The Sky Blues will come into this match off back-to-back losses, but they remain in a strong position in sixth spot.
A win this Friday would be massive, seeing them move, preliminarily, to fourth on the ladder, while retaining their finals spot for another week.
However, they will be challenged when facing Manly United, who have been on a sensational unbeaten run of five games, having produced a dramatic late comeback against Sutherland Sharks last weekend with Ayumu Kimura netting a sensational winner.
Now just four points off the finals themselves, a win would see them truly enter the finals battle thanks to their late-season surge.
Western Sydney Wanderers FC vs APIA Leichhardt FC
3:00pm, Saturday 18 July – Wanderers Football Park
Western Sydney Wanderers will take on APIA Leichhardt in an important match at Wanderers Football Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Wanderers have struggled for form in recent weeks, with one win in their last five games, and have fallen five points off finals.
Their opponents have also experienced a dip, with back-to-back losses across Round 21 and 22 seeing them lose first place on the ladder.
APIA are now four points behind Marconi Stallions, and will be looking to build on their recent victory over Sydney FC as they aim to remain in the Premiership race.
UNSW FC vs NWS Spirit FC
5:15pm, Saturday 18 July – The Village Green
UNSW FC will host NWS Spirit at The Village Green to continue Saturday’s fixtures.
The hosts have picked up form at the perfect time, earning two big wins over Sydney FC and St George City to move them into a mid-table position.
They will be looking to continue their strong form against an NWS Spirit side that has lost just once in their last five matches, and remains firmly in the finals hunt, just three points off the top six.
A win for UNSW, however, would see them draw level with Spirit on points, making this an exciting Saturday battle.
Sutherland Sharks FC vs Sydney Olympic FC
5:30pm, Saturday 18 July – Seymour Shaw
Sutherland Sharks will take on Sydney Olympic in an exciting fixture at Seymour Shaw on Saturday evening.
The Sharks are in a strong position, currently in fifth spot with a three-point buffer on seventh-placed Wollongong Wolves.
With three wins in their last five fixtures, including a massive 3-2 triumph over APIA Leichhardt, they’re looking in a strong position to continue their 2026 campaign into the finals series.
However, they’ll be hosting a Sydney Olympic side who have found strong momentum in recent weeks, with two wins from their last three games.
Now just one point off second-bottom, a win would be everything for Olympic this weekend.
Wollongong Wolves FC vs SD Raiders FC
6:00pm, Saturday 18 July – Macedonia Park
Wollongong Wolves will be looking to turn around their form when facing SD Raiders at Macedonia Park.
The Wolves haven’t won a match since Round 16, and have fallen dramatically out of the top six as a result.
Their most recent game saw them go down 3-2 to bottom of the ladder Sydney Olympic, and they need to find an uptick in form if they are to make finals.
Meanwhile, SD Raiders have also experienced a recent slump, with just one win from their last five matches moving them down the ladder.
After experiencing defeat to Blacktown City last weekend, they will be motivated to pick up a positive result on Saturday night.
St George FC vs Rockdale Ilinden FC
6:30pm, Saturday 18 July – Barton Park
St George FC will take on Rockdale Ilinden in a monumental match at Barton Park.
The home side is in an extremely precarious position on the ladder, currently sitting second-bottom, three points away from third-bottom Blacktown City, with Olympic just one point behind.
While Olympic have experienced an uptick in results following the mid-season window, St George FC have continued to struggle, and are now in serious danger of being automatically relegated from the NPL Men’s NSW competition.
Taking on Rockdale this weekend, they require a strong result for points and confidence across the remainder of the season, but will face a difficult challenge as their opponents aim to solidify their spot in finals.
Blacktown City FC vs St George City FA
3:00pm, Sunday 19 July – Landen Stadium
On Sunday afternoon, Blacktown City will host St George City at Landen Stadium in a crucial clash.
Blacktown moved out of the bottom two last round with a victory over SD Raiders, and are now only three points behind St George City FA, with their opponents experiencing poor recent form.
If St George City are to win, they’ll move six points clear of Blacktown, and put themselves in a strong position to avoid the bottom two, while keeping the hosts at serious threat of a relegation spot.
However, a win for Blacktown would move them level with St George, and put them in strong stead to finish the season off strongly.
This game is set to have major meaning in the context of the 2026 NPL Men’s NSW campaign, and promises to be an exhilarating, potentially fiery affair.
Marconi Stallions FC vs Sydney United 58 FC
3:00pm, Sunday 19 July – Marconi Stadium
Marconi Stallions will take on Sydney United 58 in a Premiership battle on Sunday afternoon.
The hosts will come into this clash with plenty of confidence, having not lost a match since Round Nine, which came against their opponents for this weekend.
Marconi’s 2026 statistics are extraordinary; they haven’t lost a match at home all season and haven’t conceded a single goal in their last six games.
Across the campaign, they’ve conceded just 14 times, and are one of just two teams to concede less than a goal a game in 2026.
The other, however, is Sydney United 58, who will be coming into this clash full of confidence, being one of only two sides to beat Marconi all season.
A win for Marconi would end United 58’s hopes of the Premiership, while putting them in an exceptional position heading into the final six matches.
However, they won’t face a harder match for the remainder of the regular season, making this a must-watch clash between two of the best sides in New South Wales.
-By Jack George
