Tallon Smith

Collegians are hoping that another off-season together for their young squad will help them go to another level this season as they prepare for a blockbuster Friday night Grand Final rematch at home against Wests to open the Illawarra Rugby League season.

The two sides split their five meetings 3-2 last season, with Wests taking the two that mattered in the major semi final and the grand final to claim back-to-back premierships.

However, despite Wests again rolling out a largely unchanged line-up again in 2026, Collegians coach Jimmy Grehan believes that with the experience of last year under their belts, his side will be better placed to take on the Devils this time around.

“I think they’ve had that team together for quite a few years now, so we know they’re going to roll in and have that bit of consistency, but on the other hand we are too,” he said. 

“We were a pretty new side last year, very young, probably still are the youngest side in the competition, and we’ve recruited that way as well, young up and coming talent rather than the flashy NRL player names.

“[We’re] setting the club up for a few years and [creating] pathways, we want to be known as the club you get an opportunity at and you go on to bigger things after you come to Collies.”

After welcoming a number of new players to the club at the start of last season including former Young Cherrypicker Nic Hall, Grant brothers Blair, Duke and Dextar from Warilla, and five-eighth Zach Herring, the Collie Dogs had a stellar regular season, taking out the minor premiership with a 13-2 record.

Although they fell short of turning that into the major title, Grehan said that the growth of the squad throughout the season was impressive, an example being Hall’s adaptation to a role in the centres, with the reward for his effort being a return to his preferred custodial role this season.

“Obviously Nic Hall, his preferred position is fullback, we had him playing centre, by the end of the year he was probably the best centre in the comp, so he learnt that art of being centre,” he said.

“This year, with Callum Gromek signing in the Q Cup, he debuted last weekend up there for Burleigh Bears so congratulations to Callum, but Nic Hall’s most comfortable at fullback, and you can sort of see at training, so I’m really excited to see how he goes.”

“He’s a different style of player to Callum, but I think the best of Nic Hall is going to be [seen] this year.”

Similarly to Hall, Grehan also believes that halves Blair Grant and Herring have benefited from a full pre-season on the training track, and with the former’s shoulder persistent injuries hopefully behind him, he is looking forward to seeing what they can produce this year.

“With our halves Zach Herring and Blair Grant, Blair Grant was carrying a shoulder injury all last year, popping out during games, tough little bugger kept playing on, he’s had that sorted, and he just looks fit and ready to go,” he said.

“Zach Herring, he came in late last year, when I say late, he missed the start of pre-season, but got there for the start of the year, so him having another full year, learning our shape, them two just roll in together, I sit back and just let them coach a bit when it comes to ball and opposed sessions.

“Just having those guys around the park being one year better I think is just going to do us a world of good.”

Looking ahead to the opening round clash with Wests, one immediate talking point is the Devils’ team list, which boasts a league-leading five former NRL players in Tautau Moga, Tepai Moeroa, George Jennings, Dane Chisholm and Jy Hitchcox.

Grehan said that while his side were a little overawed by their experienced opponents in last year’s thrilling extra-time decider, the lessons they took from that experience will be crucial both on Friday night and against other sides with NRL-level talent this year.

“I think it’s really hard when you come up against all these NRL players, you’ve got to not bring that up a great deal, and fill our guys with confidence that we’re able to do what we do and play slightly different to them,” he said.

“I think probably in the grand finals, the guys who have been around a lot, the occasion didn’t overawe them, they’ve played NRL, they’ve played on big stages, whereas us, we’re all young, keen, probably haven’t been in that situation in a first grade grand final before.

“I think having that year under their belt, coming to these times now when it’s a big game, we’ve learnt our lessons, and it’s time for us to step up.

“Looking around the competition it’s going to be week in, week out now for us, Corrimal have got a few, Thirroul have got a few, and that Cronulla side is obviously going to be filtered through the Sharks boys, so I don’t think the boys are going to be overawed by the fact they’ve got a stacked NRL squad there at Wests.

“I’ve got four or five guys looking at probably progressing to wanting to be in a NSW Cup squad or maybe an NRL squad, so that’s how I look at it, for them boys to sort of step up and show they can match it with those guys who have played NRL and been on that big stage.”

Looking at the other games in the opening round this weekend, the Dapto Canaries will welcome the Corrimal Cougars to the Dapto Showground for a highly-anticipated Anzac Day clash.

The match will mark the Cougars debut of a trio of former NRL forwards in Raymond Faitala-Mariner, Ben Murdoch-Masila and former Tiger Reuben Porter, which has provided a huge boost to the club following its first finals appearance in 16 years.

However, the Canaries have a former Wests Tiger of their own, in captain-coach Thomas Freebairn, as well as new recruit and NSW Country halfback Braxton Wallace, who will debut after transferring from the Shellharbour Sharks in what shapes as a must-see game.

The action continues on Sunday, when the Sutherland-Loftus Pirates play their first game in the competition against the Thirroul Butchers at Sutherland Oval.

The make-up of the Pirates team will depend on the players released to them by their NSW Cup affiliate Newtown, but the match will be an occasion to remember for the club regardless as it returns to first grade football for the first time since 2013.

Meanwhile, the match will also mark the beginning of a new chapter for the Butchers, with ex-NRL duo Brent Naden and Corey Allan debuting for the club.

The full competition draw for 2026 is available below.

2026 Illawarra Rugby League Draw

• Home team listed first
• All games Saturday unless noted

Round 1 (24-26 April)

Collegians v Wests (Friday)

Dapto v Corrimal

Sutherland-Loftus v Thirroul (Sunday)

Round 2 (2 May)

Corrimal v Thirroul

Dapto v Wests

Collegians v Sutherland-Loftus

Round 3 (8-10 May)

Wests v Corrimal (Friday)

Thirroul v Collegians

Sutherland-Loftus v Dapto (Sunday)

Round 4 (23-24 May)

Dapto v Thirroul

Sutherland-Loftus v Wests (Sunday)

Corrimal v Collegians (Sunday)

Round 5 (30-31 May)

Thirroul v Wests

Collegians v Dapto

Corrimal v Sutherland-Loftus (Sunday)

Round 6 (13-14 June)

Wests v Collegians

Dapto v Corrimal

Thirroul v Sutherland-Loftus (Sunday)

Round 7 (20-21 June)

Corrimal v Thirroul

Wests v Dapto

Sutherland-Loftus v Collegians (Sunday)

Round 8 (27 June)

Corrimal v Wests

Dapto v Sutherland-Loftus

Thirroul v Collegians

Round 9 (4-5 July)

Thirroul v Dapto

Collegians v Corrimal

Sutherland-Loftus v Wests (Sunday)

Round 10 (18 July)

Corrimal v Sutherland-Loftus

Wests v Thirroul

Dapto v Collegians

Round 11 (25 July)

Corrimal v Dapto

Wests v Collegians

Thirroul v Sutherland-Loftus

Round 12 (31 July-1 Aug)

Collegians v Sutherland-Loftus (Friday)

Dapto v Wests

Thirroul v Corrimal

Round 13 (8-9 Aug)

Wests v Corrimal

Collegians v Thirroul

Sutherland-Loftus v Dapto (Sunday)

Round 14 (15-16 Aug)

Corrimal v Collegians

Wests v Sutherland-Loftus

Dapto v Thirroul (Sunday)

Round 15 (22-23 Aug)

Thirroul v Wests

Collegians v Dapto

Sutherland-Loftus v Corrimal