Newtown Rugby League Football Club - 1908-2008
Snippets from 2008 Jets e-News

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Jets e-news snippets from

Round 8  ~  
Round 7 - Week 2  ~   Round 7  ~   Round 6  ~   Round 5  ~   Round 4  ~   Round 2

e-News 5 May 2008 - Round 8 - split round

Representatives in Kiwi side for Centenary Test

Congratulations from everybody at the Newtown Jets to Sam Perrett, Iosia Soliola and Setaimata Sa on their selection in the New Zealand Kiwis team to play Australia in the Centenary Test match at the SCG on Friday, 9 May.

Sam and Sia have both played with Newtown this year and the supremely-gifted Setaimata had several impressive appearances with the Jets in 2006 and 2007.

Their Test caps bring further prestige to the Newtown RLFC and to the VB NSW Cup competition. Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Newtown's top try-scorer in 2007, toured with the Kiwis in Great Britain and France in the off-season and scored a try in his Test debut in Paris.

Country Team of the Century

Newtown gained representation in the Country Rugby League's team of the century through the multi-talented Herb Narvo, the powerhouse second-rower who was a key member of Newtown's 1943 first grade premiership-winning team. Herb was also the Australian heavy-weight boxing champion for a period in the 1940's.

Player 'trivia'

The Newtown Jets players of 2008 took advantage of the split round weekend and along with their wives and girlfriends enjoyed a spirited trivia night at the Jets Sports Club last Friday. John Lynch, "Mr. 8,972", more than capably compered the night.

e-News 1 May 2008 - Round 7 - Week 2

Where the Connected Guys meet…

One of the Jets' favourite sponsors is Alberto Talarico from Alberto's Pizzeria Restaurant at 589 King Street, Newtown.

Alberto lays on dinner for two for the Newtown players' player award winners and the prize is always popularly received. Alberto has been in the restaurant business in the inner-west for more than 30 years and his establishment has superb food and a terrific ambience - it has been described as the nearest you'll get to New York in downtown Newtown.

Visit Alberto's website and feast on the images of luscious food.

Henson Park meets Manhattan…

Talking of New York, former Newtown Jets forward Matt Astill (from the late 1990's) has lived in the Big Apple for several years and continues to play for the New York Knights in the American National Rugby League competition.

Matt runs The Australian Bar and Restaurant at 20 West 38 Street in Manhattan's busy Midtown district and he welcomes all Australian visitors to New York City to this popular venue.

The bar is festooned with large posters of many Rugby League identities including the likes of Frank "Bumper" Farrell, Steve Bowden and Brian "Chicka" Moore. What street-wise New Yorkers would make of the rough-hewn features of Francis Michael Farrell is anyone's guess!

With around 15,000 Aussies said to be living in New York City, Matt's place sounds like a real home away from home - as John Singleton discovered on a recent visit to New York.
Visit the bar's website.

e-News 28 April 2008 - Round 7

The Randy Petes were at Henson Park on Saturday.

A big contingent of the Petersham-Randwick Cricket Club came to Henson Park on Saturday and the Newtown club saluted this successful cricket club for their achievements in the past season.

Popular Newtown supporters John and Chris Sullivan are involved with the Petersham-Randwick Cricket Club and were there to see a great Newtown win against long-time rivals, Canterbury-Bankstown. Both John and Chris are big lads who have been known to enjoy the occasional ice-cold beer - but only on very hot days!

e-News 24 April 2008 - Round 6

The Jets were well represented in the Australian Rugby League Team of the Century

The Newtown RLFC was represented in the Australian Rugby League Team of the Century by the one and only John William Raper, the Camperdown Dragons junior product who played with Newtown from 1956 to 1958 and by the Team of the Century coach, the great Jack Gibson, who coached Newtown in 1973 and played with the Bluebags in 1962.

Other indirect representation came through Glebe's Frank Burge who coached Newtown in 1940 and also through Brian Bevan's father who played with the Newtown club just after World War I.

Judicial Capers

The Newtown RLFC had one particularly well-qualified and highly-placed representative in the Wests-Tigers football relay conducted last Sunday.

A Judge of the NSW District Court who played President's Cup for the Bluebags in the late 1960's wore our club's colours in the relay with great aplomb.

The eagle-eyed John Lynch informs me that the same judicial identity was graded with Newtown at the beginning of the 1970 season but decided to concentrate on his legal studies. Who knows. Had this talented young lock forward stayed on at Henson Park instead of excelling in his University law exams, the great Neil "Bing" Pringle might never have made it into first grade at Newtown!

Now open for business - Millie's Score Board at 535 King Street, Newtown

A second outlet for Newtown Jets clothing and merchandise will open on Thursday,24 April. Millie's Score Board is located at 535 King Street, Newtown - on the right-hand side going towards the Princes Highway - and is in the same premises as the clothing store operated by Newtown supporters, Lou and Millie Mascules, since the 1950's.

The new store will carry Newtown clothing and merchandise as well as a wide range of other retro Rugby League gear. Millie's Score Board is within easy walking distance from both the Newtown and St Peters CityRail stations and there's plenty of parking in the side-streets off the southern end of King Street.

e-News 11 April 2008 - Round 5

Always a Warrior …

Auckland Vulcans backrower Wairangi Koopu returned as a player to Henson Park last Sunday, eight years after appearing with the Newtown Jets in the 2000 season.

The Jets had formed a partnership with the then-Auckland Warriors club in that season, which has since proven to be the prototype for such partnerships between clubs that are now more commonplace in top-level Rugby League circles.

Wairangi was staggered at the remarkable transformation of the playing surface and facilities at Henson Park in the intervening years, thanks to the large funding injections and practical infrastructure investment from the NSW Government and Marrickville Council.

Coincidental connections …

The Jets 23-22 loss to the Vulcans last Sunday courtesy of a late field goal brought back poignant memories of the 20-19 loss to Parramatta in the 2006 Premier League Grand Final. How's this for irony?

The Vulcans 2008 coach Bernie Perenara is the father of former Eels player Marcus Perenara, who kicked the winning field goal in extra time in that 2006 decider!

Telling it like it is (or was) …

Popular Newtown Jets staff member Mick Dabela has been connected with the club since the early 1990's.

Originally a player, then a trainer and later on a team manager, Mick has a fund of stories from those years - and some of his stories are almost true! Just ask him about the time he and another trainer (Grant "Rooster" Law) were "drafted" into making comebacks as players as a result of a spate of injuries within the Jets ranks.

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e-News 4 April 2008 - Round 4

Ray Moujalli is in top form.

Ray Moujalli has been one of Newtown's form forwards since joining the Jets in the off-season after stints at the Sydney Roosters, South Sydney and Cronulla.

Ray sets the benchmark as a hard working front-rower and he is a tremendous trainer as well. He has really clicked in his new surroundings and is proving to be a valuable signing for the Newtown club.

There’s only one Dennis Yates.

Newtown's strength and conditioning coach, Dennis Yates, has been associated with the club for many years, having been a St Peters JRLFC product and a trainer with the Bluebags under Harry Bath’s coaching in the early 1970's.

He has played a key role in the choice of equipment and in the fitting out of Newtown's first-class gymnasium facility, an asset which has had a big impact on the Jets' playing performances since 2005.

Dennis is quite rightly regarded as an important contributor within the Newtown club structure.

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e-News 20 March - Round 2

Byron Ford is in top form.

Winger Byron Ford has added a lot of strike-power to the Newtown Jets left flank, having already bagged four tries for the 2008 season. Ford previously played with South Sydney and then more recently has spent three seasons with Hull Kingston Rovers, the famous Humberside Robins of the English Super League and the home of Great Britain supremos such as Roger Millward, Phil Lowe and "Flash" Flanagan.

Ford was recommended to Newtown Director, John Lynch, by one of his former coaches at South Sydney, the flamboyant Danny "The Racing Garfish" Loftus, who was a dashing Rabbitohs' first grade fullback in the early 1980's.

Tommy was Top of the Pops at Henson Park last Saturday.

Talking of flamboyant identities, Tom Raudonikis spent a busy day at Henson Park last Saturday, where he was popularly received by supporters from both of his former clubs for his cheerful readiness to sign Jets and Magpies clothing and memorabilia.

He was interviewed by John "The Phantom Bluebag" Lynch at the halftime break and then after the match he headed to the Jets after-match function at the nearby Marrickville Bowling and Recreation Club where he entertained the large crowd with his jokes and repartee.

Other sightings at Henson Park.

Another face in the crowd at Henson Park last Saturday was Newtown's classy first grade fullback from the 1970's, John "Busby" Floyd. John no doubt would have been impressed with the form of the current custodian of the Newtown Jets number one jersey, the spring-heeled Donny Thompson.

"Bubsy" met up with another of his 1970's team-mates in flying winger John Bradstock, who was the NSWRL first grade top try-scorer in 1972 and who represented NSW in a World Cup selection trial that year.

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