Welcome to Season 2023!

Friday 03 March 2023

Welcome to Season 2023!


Western Suburbs Magpies are keen to get ripped in to a new season! We kick off Round 1 in the NSW Knock-on Effect Cup this coming Sunday, while our SG Ball and Harold-Matthews Junior Reps are already three from four. We have lots to catch up on as we head into the season proper, so read on below to recap. And remember, if you have not yet renewed your Magpies membership, you can do so here!

Game Day Updates: Round 1 NSW Knock-on Effect Cup, Round 5 Junior Reps

Our first game back in the NSW KOE Cup will be against Sydney Roosters on Sunday afternoon, as the curtain raiser for the NRL Wests Tigers match at Leichhardt Oval. Western Suburbs haven’t played the Roosters in the NSW Cup since 2005, so this is a chance to see a return of the Easts v Wests rivalry that goes all the way back to 1908!

Coach Wayne Lambkin announced his first team list of the year on Tuesday, highlighted by a spine that blends the experience of new signings Will Smith and Brandon Wakeham with graduating pathways players in fullback Jahream Bula and hooker Rua Ngatikaura. We’re looking forward to seeing this competitive squad come together this year, with the blend of youth and experience all pushing up through our pathway to the NRL. Full team list below!

 

Meanwhile, our Magpies Harold-Matthews and SG Ball Cup side are nearing the halfway point of their summer representative season. Both sides were on a three-game winning streak before running into a strong Canberra Raiders last weekend. They’re regrouping this week and will be ready for the challenge of taking on the Panthers in Penrith tomorrow - we wish them all the best to kick start a run to the finals! Harold-Matthews Cup kicks off at 10:30am at BlueBet Stadium, followed by SG Ball at 12:00pm.
 


First Lidcombe Oval Home Game! Wests V Norths – Sunday March 25th @ Lidcombe Oval


We'll head back to our historical home ground of Lidcombe Oval on Sunday March 25th for our first home game against Foundation Club rivals the North Sydney Bears! The permanent home of the NSW KOE Cup Magpies, we’ll fight it out with Norths for the rights to the first round of the Jason Taylor Cup.

As reported by Brendan Bradford of CODE Sports, the Tommy Raudonikis OAM stand now has permanent signage courtesy of Cumberland Council. Bradford writes that, “Wests’ effort to reconnect with its history is part of a broader movement within grassroots club footy,” with our General Manager Leo Epifania agreeing, calling all our foundation clubs the “soul of rugby league.”
You’ll have many opportunities to head along to Lidcombe this year, but we’d love to see you down there from day one to help give our squad the momentum they need heading into the season proper. We look forward to hosting you on the following dates:

  • Sat Mar 25: North Sydney Bears
  • Sun April 2: NZ Warriors
  • Sun Jun 4: Canberra Raiders
  • Sun Jun 18: St George Illawarra Dragons
  • Sun Jun 25: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
  • Sun Jul 30: South Sydney Rabbitohs
  • Sun Aug 20: Newtown Jets

See you at Lidcombe, and save the dates for the first quarter of our season below!

 


Our annual Magpies Heritage Night is back! Join us on Friday July 7th in the Lounge at Wests Ashfield for the 2023 edition of this Magpies fan favourite. This year’s event gives a nod to the club’s ‘Queensland Connection,’ with special guests John Ribot, Jim Murphy, Bob Lindner, Scot Tronc and Steve Jackson. The night will be MC’ed by Joel Caine, and feature special tribute to Noel Kelly and Kel O’Shea. A three course meal and selection of drinks is included in the ticket price and many pieces of unique memorabilia will be auctioned off on the night. Secure your ticket from the Magpies Online Shop here.

New 2023 Merchandise by Steeden and Geedup Supply In-Store Now!

The first drop of our 2023 merchandise range is now in the Magpies Online Shop! We have two streams of summer merchandise this year: our Supporters line by Geedup Supply that includes Wests Magpies and Victa branding, and our official NSW KOE Cup replica gear as worn by players and staff. Check out what we have in store now, and stay tuned for more gear incoming, including new cap designs, the 2023 Official Polo, and some unique winter gear coming mid-year.  

 



Welcome Back to Our Sponsors Victa, Masterton, ISRI and Wests Ashfield!


We are proud to be going into another season with our long-term sponsors Victa, Masterton, Wests Ashfield and KOE Cup major sponsor ISRI Truck Seats. We will be providing members with exclusive deals and promotions throughout the year, so stay tuned to our member mail and social media accounts for more. In the meantime, we remind you that Masterton offer all our members a free $10,000 colour room upgrade to our Magpies members, which can be accessed here.
 


AGM Reminder


A reminder to our members that our Annual General Meeting will be hosted at Wests Ashfield Leagues on Sunday March 26th from 10am. The AGM is open only to financial members whose membership began at least two weeks prior to the AGM. If you would like to attend, please ensure that you have renewed your Western Suburbs Magpies membership by COB 12th March, 2023.
 



Thank you as always for being a Western Suburbs Magpies Member, welcome to the new season, and see you very soon to celebrate all things rugby league!
Welcome to Season 2023!

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