The second round of the 2026 Australian Waterpolo League (AWL) season provided plenty of entertainment, including close battles and penalty shoot outs aplenty between clubs.
Catch up on all the highlights here…
Cronulla Sharks Big Weekend in the Pool
The Cronulla Sharks women’s team remain undefeated as they conquered the UNSW Wests Killer Whales and Hunter Hurricanes this weekend. Ord Minett Aussie Stingers Danijela Jackovich and Emma Putt lead from the front with 11 and 13 goals respectively across the four matches.
The men’s team also celebrated two wins against the Hunter Hurricanes but went down to the defending champions UNSW Wests Magpies twice, with one game separated by one point.
UTS Balmain Tigers vs Griffith Uni Queensland Thunder
In what is shaping up to be an exciting women’s season, the UTS Balmain Tigers went toe-to-toe with the 2025 AWL Champions, Griffith Uni Queensland Thunder. In their two matches at Fortitude Valley Pool, the QLD Thunder edged out the Tigers 12-9 in the first game before the Tigers flipped the script in the second match to win 11-5. The Tigers now hold second spot on the women’s ladder.
The results were similar when the men’s teams met in the pool. The Tigers earned a two-point victory over the Thunder before they leveled the score in the second match 17-15.
Drummoyne Devils vs Hunter Hurricanes
The Drummoyne Devils men’s and women’s teams have won their first points for the season in their match-up against the Hunter Hurricanes. Both teams secured home and away victories against the Hurricanes with a highlight featuring Dorotta Telek scoring seven goals in the women’s 19-7 win at Lambton Pool.
Sydney Uni Lions Battle on the Road
The Sydney Uni Lions teams had a busy weekend on the road against the Victorian Phoenix and Griffith Uni Queensland Thunder. The women’s team started the weekend strong with back-to-back victories against the Victorian Phoenix. Despite a loss on Saturday against the defending champions, the Griffith Uni QLD Thunder, they fought back in Sunday’s match to even the score 10-4. The Sydney Uni women’s team have now earned third position on the 2026 ladder.
The Sydney Uni Lions men’s team played bravely across the weekend against both Victorian and Queensland teams, suffering one-point losses in all four games where three of the four matches were decided in penalty shootouts. The Lions however find themselves off the bottom of the ladder, earning three bonus points from the round.
UNSW Wests Winning Performances
The UNSW Wests Magpies remain on top of the ladder with four more wins across round two. The team scored 74 goals across the weekend, with a standout performance from Ord Minnett Aussie Shark Matthew Byrnes, scoring 20 goals across the four matches.
The UNSW Wests Killer Whales added two more wins to their season against the Drummoyne Devils.
UWA Torpedoes vs Fremantle
The WA clubs continued their season with one fixture on Friday 30 January, with their second match scheduled for Friday 6 February.
The UWA Torpedoes men’s team secured a two-point win against the Mariners where the game finished with a penalty shootout. In the women’s game, the Marlins showcased dominance in the pool with a 15-2 victory, keeping the Torpedoes scoreless for the final three quarters.
For all results from Round 2, click here.
For the current standings of the 2026 AWL season, click here.
