Namoi United’s preparations to ramp up in February as 2026 season nears

Namoi United will take the field for their first trial match of the year this Sunday when they travel to Gunnedah to tackle Northern Inland Premier League’s 2025 campaign first grade minor premiers and grand finalists Moore Creek Mountain Goats.

The combined Narrabri/Wee Waa/Moree club has been hosting pre-season sessions for several weeks already ahead of the 2026 season, which is set to get underway earlier this year with round one to kick off on Saturday, March 14.

Neil Brayshaw has returned as the club’s first grade coach for a third consecutive season and is confident they can play finals football in 2026 after narrowly missing out on the post-season during the two previous campaigns. He will be assisted by Moree’s Adam Bridge this year, while the club’s reserve grade side will be coached by Cooper Brayshaw, with Izaac Jeffries as his assistant.

The youngest of the three Brayshaw brothers is looking forward to his first crack at coaching and is working hard to rehab a knee injury that he sustained midway through last season as he eyes off a June return to the field.

With cricket season still in full swing and a few players like Jake Brayshaw and Nathan Trindall to miss this Sunday’s trial match against Moore Creek, coach Neil Brayshaw labelled the clash as a fantastic opportunity for other players to showcase their skills and make an early case for themselves to be in the selection picture for the first grade side come round one.

“We’ve taken on this game to get some miles in our legs. We’re looking to get some fitness and some combinations happening with an earlier start this year,” Brayshaw said.

“It’s pretty hard with not everyone available, but it won’t be about the result; it will be about getting some match fitness into us because the 2026 season is fast approaching.

“Having a few players who were regular first grade players last year gives everyone a really good opportunity to assert themselves and show what they’ve got.

“We’ve got this Sunday’s game, then hopefully another on February 21 here in Narrabri against North Companions, which we’re hoping will be at Narrabri High School, and then the Johnson Cup (pre-season tournament in Tamworth) on February 28.”

Brayshaw said that while numbers have been positive so far across the pre-season, he was hopeful of adding a few new players to the group before the season kicks off.

“We’re looking okay so far. We had 21 players at training on Sunday, which was a really good sign, especially with a few other players letting us know they wouldn’t be there due to having other commitments. T

“That gets us up to about 27, but we’re really looking at building a squad of around 32 to 35 players,” he said.

“We’ve got Rod (2025 first grade golden boot winner Rodrigo Araujo) back this year, and we have a Peruvian guy named Gabriel Lopez who has come along to training. He is a midfielder/striker and looks good.

“We’ve also got a new goalkeeper onboard in Mitchell Graham, who is working out Wee Waa/Rowena way. He has played at a high level and he looks very good. He’s going to be pushing Zaac (Brayshaw) for the first grade spot.

“With him, Zaac and Marco (Aria), we have a solid group of goalkeepers this year.”

Namoi United’s 2026 campaign will kick off with an away trip to Armidale on March 14 when they travel to Phil Wheaton Oval to challenge Norths United.

They will then host back-to-back home games in Narrabri in rounds two and three, with at least one of those expected to be played at Narrabri High School, given that cricket season will wrap up on March 21.

The club’s training sessions are expected to continue on Sundays and Wednesdays until the cricket season finishes.