Newtown Jets well beaten in final trial match under the hot sun.
At the front of the photo - Kristian Dixon (left) and Khaled Rajab (right) lead the Newtown Jets out against Penrith. (Photo: Mario Facchini).
The Newtown Jets were decisively beaten by the Penrith Panthers in their second and final trial match played at Henson Park on Saturday, 21st February.
This game had the unusual feature of kicking off at 12 noon, an arrangement that had been agreed to by both clubs because of the Penrith RLFC staging a major function later that afternoon and evening, which was a celebration of their 60th season in top level NSWRL competitions.
The Penrith Panthers won this trial match by 44-14 after having led by 24-6 at halftime. An unusual statistic emerged from this game in that Newtown scored the first and last tries of the match.
The Jets fielded a considerably changed team from the previous Sunday’s trial lineup that played so well against Parramatta.
From the left - Newtown forwards Sam McCulloch, Ryan Eisenhuth, Xavier Cacciotti and Felix Faatili deal with a Penrith Panthers opponent at Henson Park last Saturday. (Photo: Mario Facchini).
Two players who had made outstanding debuts for Newtown on the previous Sunday, centre Cathane Hill and front-rower Kai Currie, both missed this Penrith match through injury. Players who had turned out with the Cronulla Sharks NRL squad on the previous Sunday and who then played against Penrith included Kristian Dixon, Felix Faatili, Brad Fearnley, Sam McCulloch and Jontay-Junior Betham-Misa. These players would all be familiar to Henson Park regulars from the 2025 season.
Last Saturday’s team had spent less time together than the Newtown trial team that had defeated Parramatta by 42-16, and it was evident that the Jets didn’t handle the midday heat quite as well as the boys from the foot of the Blue Mountains.
Newtown Jets middle forward Brad Fearnley (in possession) gets ready to take on these Penrith opponents. (Photo: Mario Facchini).
Newtown has a bye in the first round of the NSW Cup competition, and is then drawn to play Penrith in the second competition round on Saturday, 14th March. The Jets will (in all probability) be fielding a somewhat different team when they next confront the Panthers.
With play underway, Khaled Rajab and Brad Fearnley combined smartly through a snappy interchange of passes, with Rajab racing in underneath the southern end goal-posts in the third minute. Kristian Dixon converted this try for Newtown to lead 6-0.
Newtown Jets middle forward Brad Fearnley (in possession) gets ready to take on these Penrith opponents. (Photo: Mario Facchini).
Penrith made good use of a possession turnover by Newtown and they responded by scoring a converted try in the 9th minute. There were no further points scored for the next twenty minutes, as both teams battled in the heat to gain an advantage.
The Panthers opened up a big lead when they laid on three converted tries in the space of nine minutes, including a try from a crafty one-on-one strip right on halftime.
Penrith had the majority of possession and favourable field position in the latter part of the first half and they certainly made the Jets pay dearly in that decisive last ten minutes.
If Newtown was going to stage a fightback in the second half, big centre Joe Nadenic struck such a blow when he surged onto a well-directed flat pass to score, getting the Jets on the way back into the contest by trailing 24-10.
Newtown Jets middle forward Felix Faatili takes on two Penrith tacklers in last Saturday's match. (Photo: Mario Facchini).
Unfortunately, the Panthers effectively stymied Newtown’s comeback aspirations by scoring two quick tries, extending their lead to 34-10 with about 25 minutes left on the clock.
Not surprisingly, the hot conditions (34 degrees and a pitiless, cloudless sky) caused tempers to fray and a wild melee broke out in the 51st minute which the referee and touch judges brought under control.
The Mountain Men added two more tries to extend their lead to 44-10, with ten minutes left to play. Newtown’s defence rallied sufficiently to prevent another Panthers try, despite Penrith having several sets on end within Newtown’s 20 metre zone.
With just three minutes remaining, the Jets mounted a well-worked attack down their left side, ending with a cut-out pass that enabled winger Maile Haumono to score wide out.
Newtown Jets centre Joe Nadenic (in possession) on the charge in last Saturday's NSW Cup trial match against Penrith. (Mario Facchini).
The kick-off following this try was knocked on, which in addition to the prevailing furnace-like temperature, just about summed up Newtown’s overall day!
As previously indicated, Newtown’s next match and first competition game is in Round 2 of the 2026 Knock-On Effect NSW Cup, when the Jets will take on Penrith at St Marys Leagues Stadium at 2.00pm on Saturday, 14th March.
Full-Time Score from Saturday, 21st February 2026:
Penrith 44:
8 tries, 6 conversions
defeated
Newtown 14:
Khaled Rajab, Joe Nadenic, Maile Haumono tries;
Kristian Dixon 1 conversion.
Half-Time Score: Penrith led by 24-6.
Newtown’s NSW Cup team from last Saturday (21st February) was:
Fullback: Josh Latham
Wingers: Nikora Williams, Kristian Dixon
Centres: Tyrell Lafituanai, Joe Nadenic
Halves: Harrison Geraghty, Khaled Rajab
Lock: Sam McCulloch
Second-Rowers: Hayden Lammon, Ryan Eisenhuth
Front-Rowers: Felix Faatili, Brad Fearnley
Hooker: Xavier Cacciotti
Interchange:
Peter Taateo, Reece Alderton
Jontay-Junior Betham-Misa, Kobie Wilson
Lachlan Birtles, Xavier Ndaira
Tevita Taumoepenu, Maile Haumono
Harry Middleton, Ashton Simmons.
Coach: George Ndaira.
Penrith’s team from Saturday, 21st February 2026:
Fullback: Braye Porter
Wingers: Nick Murphy, Cameron Kaanan
Centres: Angel Hotere-Papalii, Sam Curtain
Halves: Haami Loza, Hayden Bonanno
Lock: Kye Raven
Second-Rowers: Tyson Sangalang, Cayne Nicholas
Front-Rowers: Del Wigmore, Tobias Crosby
Hooker: Vea Tapa’atoutai
Interchange:
Jensen Tuaoi, Jakeb Vailalo
Josh Ruxton, Aden Perry.