Magpies claim the Tom Raudonikis Cup for 2026 as the Jets turn on an underwhelming performance.

Match Report:

Wests Magpies took possession of the Tom Raudonikis Cup for 2026 by defeating the Newtown Jets 28-4 in the 9th round NSW Cup match played at Henson Park on Saturday afternoon.

The match was preceded by a Minute’s Silence in honour of the long-term Newtown Jets sponsor and popular club member Bobby Petersen.

Newtown didn’t field quite as strong a team line-up as on the previous Saturday, when the Jets produced their best performance of the season in running out winners by 25-10 over Canterbury-Bankstown.

Jets prop Braden Uele takes on these Wests Magpies opponents.

On Saturday, the two teams went set for set in the first half in what shaped up as an evenly-balanced contest. Both teams made first half mistakes such as possession turnovers, and Newtown had two tries disallowed because of marginal forward passes. The young Jets winger Nikora Williams would have been the try-scorer on both of these occasions.

Wests led 6-4 at half-time, with the Magpies first try being scored in the 18th minute through a very determined charge at the line by their five-eighth and some average defence by several Jets defenders close to their own try-line.

Jets centre Chris Vea’ila cruises in to score after standing up several Wests backline defenders.

Newtown’s only try for the match was through some clever footwork by Jets centre Chris Vea’ila as he stood up a Magpies back-rower covering for a team-mate who had been sin-binned a few minutes earlier. Jets forwards Brad Fearnley and Felix Fa’atili had both nearly scored close to halftime. Vea’ila’s try wasn’t converted even though it wasn’t too far from the posts.

Newtown had gone into this match as strong favourites, but that did a disservice to the Magpies. They were further down the table than the Jets, but they had lost several games by narrow margins. The feisty Pies had turned up ready to fight hard for the badly-needed competition points and for the inter-club prestige of winning the Tom Raudonikis trophy.

Jets middle forward Brad Fearnley takes on a wall of Wests Magpies tacklers.

If a survey had been conducted at half-time, a lot of Jets supporters probably would have said that while Newtown hadn’t been right on their best game in the first half, they would lift their performance in the second forty minutes and go on to graft out a win.

It turned out to be Western Suburbs who stepped up their performance in the second half, scoring a try in the 46th minute from a clever kick early in the tackle count, which caught out the Jets outside backs defenders. The Lidcombe Oval men added another try eight minutes later, with a Magpie forward taking advantage of some soft defence to score to the right of the southern end goal posts. One of these tries was converted and Wests led by 16-4, a lead that the Jets didn’t look like overtaking.

Newtown’s strong second-rower Jaxon Lavender is on the receiving end from these Magpie tacklers.

The Magpies added two more tries in the last ten minutes of the game – both tries were scored wide out and both were converted to give Wests a 28-4 lead, which they maintained until full-time. Newtown fans who had come to Henson Park expecting to win after their team’s good showing against the Bulldogs were very disappointed with the second half capitulation.

Wests registered better stats outcomes than Newtown in most of the vital categories, although Jets second-rower Harrison Hassett topped the tackle count with 47, and Newtown winger Kristian Dixon ran the most metres in possession with 154.

Jets winger Kristian Dixon shows how he ran 154 metres with the football in last Saturday’s match.

The seventh-placed Newtown Jets take on the third-placed South Sydney Rabbitohs on Sunday, 10th May at Coogee Oval at 2.00pm. This match is the first leg of the annual contest between these two NSWRL 1908 foundation clubs for the Jack Rayner-Frank “Bumper” Farrell Cup.

Saturday’s match details were:
NSWRL Knock-On Effect NSW Cup
Round 9
Saturday, 2nd May 2026
Henson Park
Newtown v Western Suburbs
Kick-Off: 3.00pm
This game was livestreamed on BarTV NSWRL.

Weather: 23 degrees, cloudy, rain had fallen in the morning. Slight northerly breeze.

Playing surface: Excellent.

Match Officials:
Referee: Dillan Webb
Touch Judges: Tom Cambourn, Pat Mackey
Standby: Sal Marigliano

Jayden Berrell (left), Peter Taateo (centre) and Harrison Hassett (right) are about to dish out some treatment to this Wests Magpies ball-carrier.

Match result:

Western Suburbs 28:
Javen Andrews, Heath Mason,

Josese Lanyon, Fiohiva Siale Fainga’a,

Solomone Saukuru tries;

Javon Andrews 4 conversions

defeated

Newtown 4:
Chris Vea’ila try.

Half-Time: Western Suburbs led by 6-4.

Sin Bins: Fiohiva Siale Fainga’a (Western Suburbs) 33rd minute;

Jayden Berrell (Newtown) 72nd minute.

Western Suburbs:
Fullback: Logan Brooks

Wingers: Fiohiva Sialo Fainga’a, Solomone Saukuru

Centres: Heath Mason, Patrick Herbert

Halves: Javon Andrews, Benjamin Stevanovic

Lock: Charlie Murray (Captain)
Second-Rowers: Mitchell Taotua, Ethan Roberts

Front-Rowers: Lulio Afoa, Mavrik Geyer
Hooker: Bailey Hodges
Interchange:
Josese Lanyon, Lachlan Broederlow

Vaka Fieteki-Aito, Luke Jack
Reserve: Iverson Matai

Blue Shirt: Feleti Mateo

Yellow Shirt: Mark Mamo
Orange Shirt: Sam Nash

Team Doctor: Dr Shady Mikhail

Coach: Tyrone McCarthy

Jets centre Joe Nadenic gets ready to stand up this Wests defender.

Match Timeline:
The match was preceded by a Minute’s Silence for the long-time Newtown Jets sponsor and popular supporter Bobby Petersen.

Western Suburbs kicked off to the northern end of the ground.

18th minute: Javon Andrews try.

Andrews converted his own try. Wests 6-0.

33rd minute: Fiohiva Siale Fainga’a (Wests) sin binned for a professional foul.

36th minute: Chris Vea’ila try.

Try not converted. Wests 6-4.

Half-Time: Wests led 6-4.

Second Half:
Newtown kicked off to the northern end.

46th minute: Heath Mason try.

Converted from wide out by Javon Andrews.

Wests now led by 12-4.

53rd minute: Josese Lanyon try.

Not converted. Wests 16-4.

72nd minute: Jayden Berrell (Newtown) sin binned.

73rd minute: Fiohiva Siale Fainga’a scores in the south-west corner.

Try converted from wide out by Javon Andrews.

Western Suburbs now led by 22-4.

77th minute: Solomone Saukuru scores from an intercept.

The try was converted from wide out by Javon Andrews.

Western Suburbs led 28-4.

Full-Time: Western Suburbs 28 defeated Newtown 4.

Western Suburbs win the Tom Raudonikis Cup for 2026.

 
Match Statistics: -

Player Statistics:

Harrison Hassett (Newtown): 47 tackles

Kristian Dixon (Newtown): Most run metres: 154

Kristian Dixon (Newtown): Most line breaks: 1

Team Statistics: -

Wests had 53% of possession

Wests had more time in possession.

Wests had a better completion rate (70% v 66%)
Wests made more runs, more metres run and made more post contact metres.

Wests made more line breaks, more tackle breaks and made more distance on average per set.

Wests made more kick return metres; Newtown on average played the ball faster.

Wests threw more passes (as well as more dummy passes)>

Wests made more kicks, made more distance with kicking metres and defused more high kicks.

Wests put up more bombs, but each side kicked an equal number of grubbers.

Wests made more effective tackles; Newtown made more tackles and missed more tackles.

Newtown made more intercepts .

Wests made 15 errors to Newtown’s 14.

Penalties favoured Wests by 7-6.

Each side had one player sin binned and both teams made 8 interchanges.

Newtown forward Felix Fa’atili on the charge at Henson Park last Saturday against Western Suburbs.

Newtown’s next game details:
NSWRL Knock-On Effect NSW Cup

Round 10

Sunday, 10th May 2026

Coogee Oval

South Sydney (3rd place) v Newtown (7th place)

Kick-Off: 2.00pm.
Sunday’s match is the first leg of the 2026 two-games contest between these two NSWRL 1908 Foundation Clubs for the Jack Rayner-Frank ”Bumper” Farrell Cup.