How Wolves glory days inspire boyhood fan - and 2024 signing - Darcy Madden

Now back at his beloved club after a season in the Queensland National Premier League, Madden would love to be able to replicate the feats of old with this current Wolves squad in the upcoming National Second Tier.

Following the 2024 NPL Men's NSW season, the Wolves will return to the national stage like in the old NSL days with the beginning of Football Australia's new National Second Tier comp, set to act as the league below the professional A-League.

Madden has spent near a decade with the Wolves, but moved up to Queensland with his partner to support her with her studies after the 2022 season. He spent a year at NPL powerhouse Peninsula Power.

But despite enjoying his time at the Power, his heart was always with his boyhood club the Wolves.

With the NST just around the corner, Madden said it could well potentially be a dream come true for him

"I was watching every Wolves game on NPL.TV last year because as much as I've been a player there for so long first and foremost, I've been a fan my whole life," Madden said.

"We're looking to really make a charge this year and basically prove on the field why we've been given an opportunity to join the 'B-League' next year because that's what people are going to be talking about.

"I don't try and hide the fact that I've been a fan for as long as I can remember. I went to the parade when Matt Horsley was lifting the [NSL] trophy through Crown Street. I've been there since day one.

"So to be honest, to play on the national stage would be a dream. It would be something that five year old me would have been super happy about and that dream hasn't changed.

"But having said that, I'm under no illusions that it's going to be a given to me or to anyone who is there fighting for a contract next year. There's only going to be five teams from New South Wales in it so effectively the whole league now is fighting for those contracts on those five teams."

Madden's return to the Wolves was marred by a minor injury which forced him off the field in the first half of their NPL Men's NSW round one clash against Marconi.

But it won't keep him out of action for long.

The defender said not much had changed from his year away from the club, other than the personnel, with Lachlan Scott and Banri Kanaizumi the only remaining members of the squad from when he last played there under former coach Luke Wilkshire.

Now led by David Carney, Madden said he was impressed with the current crop and said they could do plenty of damage in 2024.

"Coming back to a new place you've been at for so long, you might feel like it's a bit more of the same. But it hasn't' been, it's been fresh," he said.

"We're confident we can bounce back [from the Marconi loss] and play the football we know we're capable of playing.

"If we're just a bit more consistent throughout the match and get rid of those lapses of concentration and focus on being clinical then hopefully we can turn it around this week.

"We think if we can play our game, then we'll beat anyone and we don't really try and focus on whoever we're up against."

The Wolves will be up against Sydney United in round two of the NPL this Sunday, February 25 away from home. Kickoff is 3pm and the match can be streamed on Football NSW's YouTube channel.