The 2016 Molten Waratah League Fixtures have been released

Written by Geoff Tripp
2 February, 2016

The 2016 Season will see 86 teams battle up to 20 rounds to fight for a spot in the 2016 Final Weekend in their respective divisions. The season launches  on the 5th and 6th of March with the exception of the Championship Women and Division 1 Women which will see their season start on the 2nd and 3rd April, after the Easter Long-weekend.

The season opener weekend for the Championship Men will see Sydney Comets host Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in a Grand Final rematch. While the Bankstown Bruins will face Sutherland Sharks in Round 5 for the women’s Grand Final rematch. We also welcome back the Illawarra Hawks who make a return to the Championship Division.

The 2016 Season will see some exciting rivalry games being played between our clubs, particularly in the Championship Division.

The 6th Annual Hendo Trophy Game which is in memory of Greg Hendrix, will see the Sutherland Sharks host the Sydney Comets in a thrilling Pre Season Game on February 13th who compete annually for the Hendo Trophy. The Sharks are looking to bite back and reclaim the Trophy this year after a narrow loss to the Comets in 2015. This event is also a fundraiser to raise money for the NSW Cancer Council.

Maitland Mustangs will have to wait until Round 13 to come up against local rivals the Newcastle Hunters at Maitland Federation Centre where they will have a chance to retain the Kibble-Mallon Cup. The cup was won by the Hunters in 2015 after 2 glorious wins during the season. As defending champions, Newcastle will only need to win 1 of the 2 clashes to hold onto the cup, whereas Maitland must win both games in Round 13 and Round 18 to reclaim the silverware. This is sure to be a huge event for both local Teams.
With the addition of 4 teams in our Division 1 Men’s Competition we will have 3 pools battle it out for a spot in the finals. Wagga Heat will have to wait until the final series for a possible rematch with 2015 Grand Final winners the Sutherland Sharks. The Division 1 women’s division has also increased with the addition of 2 Metro teams; the Hawkesbury Jets and the Inner West Bulls. Unfortunately, the Queanbeyan Yowies are not back in 2016 to defend their championship title.

In the Youth League Men Divisions, we saw Moss Vale Magic and Inner West Bulls promoted up to Division 1 for the 2016 Season. Sydney Comets will face Bankstown Bruins at the Lair in Round 5 for the Youth League Division 1 Men Finals rematch. In the Youth League Women, the Newcastle Hunters will need to wait until Round 10 before they see their Grand Final Opponents the Hills Hornets.
The Season is set to be an eventful one, we will be sure to see each coach and player fight hard to secure every win for a chance to be at the 2016 Finals Weekend which is scheduled for August 13-14.

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