Former Gundagai Tiger and now First Grade Yass Magpie Centre Cody Bell will join the Monaro side and make his debut for the Colts when taking on the Newcastle Rebels and competition favourites this Saturday at Seiffert Oval in Queanbeyan. The Colts will be hoping to step up their game after a sound defeat over their western rivals, the Riverina Bulls, last weekend.
The Colts ran out winners 30 to 18 over Riverina, who failed to fire against the Canberra Competition side, who this year have made a focus on cohesion and coordinated and regular training sessions.
Coached by former Raider Darby Medlyn, who crossed the white line in the win against Riverina, the Colts will be primed for a contest against the Newcastle Rebels who have taken out the competition for three years running and are able to draw on international talent to do so.
Bell will be a welcome addition to the side in the Centres and at 6 foot 3 and over 105 kilos, the strike Centre will be hoping to make his mark at just 20 years of age. He will take some stopping as he did in the Canberra Competition in 2025 where he came from Gundagai and took the competition by storm, leading the top try scoring list for more than three quarters of the year, often playing outside his equally talented brother Kaidan, who plays in the halves.
Kaidan was unlucky not to be selected himself and will no doubt be in the mix in 2027 or later this competition if a player goes down.
Medlyn praised Bell’s breakout year and wants to see him bring that form to the weekend’s clash, “We had a centre that got hurt, he’s had a couple of niggles. I’m really excited to see what Cody can bring.
Bell and his brother Kaidan starred in the Group 9 Reserve Grade Grand Final win in 2024 and they had some players vying for their positions at a very talented club which has now won 5 premierships in a decade in Group 9. Their move to Yass freed them up to play their style of footy.
“Obviously, he played out of Yass and the impact that he brought to their side was really, really good. He’s a big body. He’s got a really strong carry and he’s a good finisher as well.
He knows how to cross the stripe. He has really earned that, and I really like the way he plays on, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what he can do for us.
“Kaidan was in the mix for selection. I watched him throughout the year, both those boys just had such a good impact for Yass. Their attack, they played on that same left edge together and you can tell they probably played the whole time growing up.
“They have got such a good connection and they have got that sort of unpredictability about them too, which I like in a team. Kaidan is a really good player too. I really enjoyed watching and playing against those boys this year.
“I think they’re both very young too, and they have got a lot of footy ahead of them, which is exciting for them.
Medlyn brings plenty of wisdom and experience to the squad.
“We progress now to take on Newcastle Rebels. They’ve been pretty consistent over the last few years.
They won it last year, they’re always strong. The Newcastle comp is probably the strongest comp in the country footy. They are always very handy.
“We have got a good job ahead of us.
“I think we’ll go well. I’m very confident in the group, we’ve got good talent in the Canberra comp and we’ve got a really good bunch of boys. Everyone has been enjoying each other’s company. We’ve had a bit more preparation than the last couple of years. We’ve had a trial and we’ve had a couple of months of training together.
“We have given ourselves every opportunity to gel and do pretty well. So I’m confident in what we’ve got, but we still have a hard task ahead of us. They are a very strong outfit all the time, the Newcastle boys. It will be a good test for us, but we’ll definitely be up for it.
Bell was elated at his selection and is chomping at the bit to play while also remaining his humble self. “I found out on Sunday night that I was going to be in the side for this weekend. The coach, Darby Medlyn contacted me.
“It means a lot. I’m very grateful. I like playing in the centres and had a good year and have enjoyed the time playing with the whole team, but especially with my brother.
“It’s a pretty full-on comp where a couple of niggling injuries can sort of come into the squad, and that’s how I got my chance.
“Kaidan was pretty close to selection too, but now I’ve got my opportunity, I’m just going to take it with both hands and just do the best I can at Seiffert Oval on Saturday.
Newcastle will be equally keen to put the Canberra side to the sword.
Newcastle, who have won the past three Men’s Country Championships, will aim for another chapter in the history books as they look to claim a fourth consecutive title. Despite their success, the Rebels will take the field with a new-look squad under the guidance of coach Garth Brennan.
“We’ve had a big turnover of players this year,” Brennan said.
“I’ve decided to blood some new guys into the squad. I think we have got about 11 or 12 new faces in the squad, which is quite significant from the previous years.
That experience comes in the form of two high-profile inclusions, with former internationals Kevin Naiqama and Sione Mata’utia joining the Rebels 2026 campaign.
Naiqama returns to the game after retiring in 2024, bringing with him a wealth of experience, including 120 NRL matches, 115 Super League appearances and an accomplished international career with Fiji.
Mata’utia’s playing resume is equally impressive. Becoming the youngest ever Australian Kangaroos debutant at the age of 18 years and 129 days. The former Australian and Samoan international went on to play 124 NRL games and 75 matches in the Super League. Both inclusions are guaranteed to be handy pickups for the reigning premieres.
“Mata’utia has played for Australia – there’s not much more you can do than that,” Brennan said.
“To have the youngest Kangaroo in our Rebels side is a bit of a coup for us here in Newcastle.
A close finish to last year’s grand final has proven the growing quality of the country competitions. The Rebels narrowed out the Northern Rivers Titans with a 32-28 victory to seal their third consecutive title.
“I’m very confident we can continue our success, but I have noticed over the last year how close the competition has become,” he said.
“The grand final was a cracker, right down to the wire, and we were only lucky to get away from Northern Rivers. That is great for country Rugby League.
“Obviously, I want to win it, but my focus for why I am involved being an NRL coach and encouraging those Sione Mata’uita’s to play in these comps, is to give back to country Rugby League and make the whole country Rugby League competition strong, not just Newcastle.”
There is an action packed day planned for Saturday, with the men kicking off at 2:30pm, Monaro Colts v Newcastle Rebels.
Be there or be square.