The NEWFM Northern League One kicks off this weekend and 2019 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting and closest competitions yet.

Only eight points separated second from eighth last year and while Thornton has retained the bulk of their squad the teams around them have recruited strong.

Defending champions, Belmont-Swansea will be looking to re-produce their 2018 success and go back-to-back but West Wallsend will also be hoping to go one better and claim the title this year.

Cooks Hill will again be hard to beat and have quality all over the park.

South Cardiff and New Lambton are expected to be big improvers after recruiting heavily while Toronto-Awaba have also made some quality signings.

Singleton and Cessnock will certainly be formidable as they look to turn their home grounds into fortresses and Kahibah and Wallsend are two clubs looking to return to the peak of the mountain and recapture their form of seasons prior.

Thornton were one of the top sides of last season and finished in second position but went down 3-2 to West Wallsend in the semi-finals in two tight games.

This year, coach Gary Wand has kept most of the same squad, however, has lost key midfielder Trent Partridge while regular first-graders Tyson Fletcher and Nick Thompson have also departed.

The Redbacks do have strength in depth from the Under 23s side that finished firstlast season, while also adding former NPL defender Shane Farmer to their squad and retaining striker Jye McKellar, who will be the Redbacks target man again after knocking in 14 goals last campaign.

A win over strong Central Coast outfit Killarney Vale was the highlight of Thornton’s pre-season as they prepare for their Round 1 showdown with Cooks Hill in a 2018 1st vs 2nd clash.

“Shane (Farmer) will provide some added physicality as we lacked that sometimes last season as he’s a good, old-fashioned defender," Wad said.

“It been a bit of a mixed pre-season with two wins and a loss.

“Everyone’s going to improve, so we’re not going to put too much pressure on ourselves, but the aim is for consistency as we still are a younger squad.”