Round 16 Preview – NPL Men’s NSW
With the 2026 NPL Men’s NSW campaign now at its halfway point, the first round of repeating fixtures promises to bring on plenty of drama, excitement and attractive football.
UNSW FC vs Sydney United 58 FC
2:15, Saturday 23 May – The Village Green
To open Round 16, UNSW FC will take on Sydney United 58 at The Village Green.
The hosts are coming off a big 2-0 win over Rockdale Ilinden, where goals from Sean Woods and Jack Fulton marked the end of a three-match winless run.
However, UNSW will find it tough to go back-to-back, facing off against a Sydney United 58 side that enjoyed a stellar first fifteen rounds.
United 58 have only suffered two losses from 15 matches – albeit both coming in the last five games – and defeated this weekend’s opponents 5-2 in Round One, with a hat-trick from Michael Krslovic.
With APIA and Marconi facing off later on the weekend, they will be looking to capitalise on any chance to reclaim first place on the ladder, currently sitting in second just by goal difference.
Sutherland Sharks FC vs NWS Spirit FC
4:00pm, Saturday 23 May – Seymour Shaw
Sutherland Sharks will host NWS Spirit FC at Seymour Shaw as they aim to return to winning ways after a difficult few weeks.
The Sharks are winless in five matches and have slipped out of finals contention for the time being, currently four points off the top six.
In their last fixture, they had a golden chance to secure a vital three points against SD Raiders, but a missed penalty late on restricted them to a draw.
NWS Spirit, meanwhile, experienced a positive first half of the campaign, currently sitting seventh, only out of the finals places on goal difference.
They will be looking to defeat former coach David Perkovic again this weekend, in what promises to be a fiery, entertaining fixture.
SD Raiders FC vs Sydney FC
This fixture has been postponed due to a clash with the A-League Men’s Grand Final. The updated fixture details will be announced soon.
St George City FA vs Manly United FC
7:15pm, Saturday 23 May – Penshurst Park
Fresh off a massive victory over APIA Leichhardt, St George City will face off against Manly United at Penshurst Park.
The hosts for this fixture will be looking for their third home victory in a row, after knocking APIA Leichhardt off the top of the ladder last weekend, with early goals from Yohn Pedersen and Hiroto Dohmoto securing a massive 2-1 win.
They will be taking on a Manly United side who are just one point behind, in what’s become an extremely congested bottom-half of the ladder.
A win for either side would be crucial in escaping the bottom-two spots, making this game a must-watch on Saturday night.
APIA Leichhardt FC vs Marconi Stallions FC
3:00pm, Sunday 24 May – Lambert Park
APIA Leichhardt and Marconi Stallions will go head-to-head in a massive clash at Lambert Park on Sunday afternoon.
After their defeat last weekend, APIA were displaced to third on the ladder, with Italian rivals Marconi Stallions taking top spot.
This weekend, at their home ground, APIA will be looking to leapfrog Marconi again, but will be facing a side in red-hot form, having won their last six matches in a row.
The away side will be coming in with plenty of confidence, having defeated their opponents in the opening round.
However, the hosts have astonishingly won every game at Lambert Park so far this season, and will be looking to continue that trend this weekend in a match that will be crucial in the Premiership race.
Wollongong Wolves FC vs St George FC
3:00pm, Sunday 24 May – Macedonia Park
Wollongong Wolves will be looking to continue their strong form when they face St George FC in another Sunday afternoon encounter.
The Wolves are currently on an astonishing 11-match unbeaten run, having not lost since Round Four, and currently sit fourth on the ladder, inside a finals spot by seven points.
After winning last weekend thanks to a Kazuya Yamamura goal, they will be aiming to avenge their Round One 3-0 defeat to St George at Macedonia Park.
For St George, a coaching change has not brought the change in form they need, as they slumped to their eighth successive defeat last weekend, and need points to avoid a slump in results becoming a disaster.
Blacktown City FC vs Sydney Olympic FC
3:00pm, Sunday 24 May – Landen Stadium
Blacktown City will host Sydney Olympic in an intriguing fixture at Landen Stadium.
This match-up will see the current bottom two sides face off, but the sides are in vastly different states.
Despite being 15th, Blacktown are just four points off eighth-placed Western Sydney Wanderers, and are currently unbeaten for five matches.
Olympic, meanwhile, are seven points below Blacktown, making a win in this fixture a necessity as the NPL Men’s NSW heavyweights aim to avoid relegation.
Rockdale Ilinden FC vs Western Sydney Wanderers
3:00pm, Sunday 24 May – Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre
Rockdale Ilinden will take on Western Sydney Wanderers to jointly conclude Round 16.
It’s a huge day for the hosts who will have a number of its past stars set to attend as part of Rockdale’s promo on recognising its former players.
The home side for this match will be aiming to bounce back after a disappointing Round 15 defeat, which saw them slip to fifth on the ladder.
They will be taking on a strong Western Sydney Wanderers side, who drew 3-3 in an exhilarating fixture against Blacktown weekend, with goals from Jai Rose, Awan Lual and Oscar Moore securing the point.
With the Wanderers currently in eighth, three points off a finals spot, they will be eager to secure a positive result this weekend to start the second half of their campaign with a bang.
