Prize-Winners From The 2025 Newtown Jets Presentation Night
The Newtown Jets 2025 Presentation Night was a great success, with a big crowd in attendance, excellent cuisine, good speakers and a great buzz in the audience looking forward to the 2026 NSW Cup season and recalling the best moments of what had taken place in 2025.
Newtown Jets halfback and captain Niwhai Puru displays his blue-ribbon award, the Brian “Chicka” Moore Shield which is presented to the Newtown team member judged as being the Best and Fairest player for the 2025 season. (Newtown RLFC).
Niwhai Puru had a busy evening at the Jets Presentation Night held in the Petersham RSL Club auditorium on Tuesday, 23rd September, when he was also the recipient of the Newtown RLFC Members Player of the Year award for 2025. (Newtown RLFC).
And the awards kept on coming for Niwhai Puru! Here he is receiving the Ken Wilson Memorial Shield for 2025, presented to the Newtown RLFC top points-scorer for the 2025 season. Jets CEO Stuart McCarthy (right) is assisting Niwhai with the award. (Newtown RLFC).
Niwhai’s twin brother Hohepa Puru was named as the Newtown RLFC Best Forward for the 2025 NSWRL Knock-On Effect NSW Cup season. (Newtown RLFC).
Newtown’s high-performance hooker and regular team captain Jayden Berrell received the Barry Vining Memorial Shield (presented by one of Barry’s daughters, Jodene Vining) for being the Newtown Jets Players’ Player for 2025. (Newtown RLFC).
One of the prestige awards of the night is the Fred Daly Memorial Shield, which is awarded to the player considered to have rendered the most outstanding service to the Newtown RLFC on and off the field. This year’s recipient is the Henson Park crowd favourite and powerhouse middle forward Brad “Big Red” Fearnley, flanked by the club President Barry Cotter (left) and the Australian Mutual Bank sponsorship executive and Development Manager Glen Warner (right). (Newtown RLFC).
The legendary Billy Magoulias has announced his retirement as a rugby league player, and he was presented with a superbly compiled item of memorabilia celebrating his bravura playing career with the Newtown Jets. The popular Newtown RLFC Life Member Olga Lauricella is assisting Billy display his award. (Newtown RLFC).
The popular physiotherapist and strapper Craig Tredinnick was the worthy recipient of the Club Person of the Year award for his diligent (and highly competent) attendance at training sessions and game days. Please note that this photo was taken after last year’s Grand Final victory over North Sydney. (Photo: Mario Facchini/mafphotography)
One of the glamour awards is that of the season’s top try-scorer and this year’s winner, Michael Gabrael, thrilled the Newtown Jets crowds with a most impressive 17 tries in the 2025 season. (Newtown RLFC).
Eli Clark joined the Jets this year from the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, and he so impressed Newtown’s coach George Ndaira with his application to training and his full-blooded match performances in the centres and on the wing that he won the Newtown RLFC Coach’s Award for 2025. (Newtown RLFC).
If you look up the word “consistency” in the Oxford Dictionary, you’ll find Blake Hosking’s picture there! Blake has now won the Newtown RLFC Most Consistent Award for the second year in a row (2024 and 2025). His win in 2025 is all the more admirable as he missed several games through injury. He is a great defender and his clever midfield ball distribution is top class. (Newtown RLFC).
Newtown’s head coach George Ndaira gave a highly articulate and well-considered assessment of Newtown’s 2025 NSW Cup season when he was interviewed by Newtown Jets Director Alby Talarico. (Newtown RLFC).
The Newtown RLFC President, Barry Cotter, was awarded Life Membership of the Newtown Jets in recognition of his service over many years where he has been able to assist the club in so many important ways. Most recently, he has been a tower of strength to the club in working carefully with the various parties involved in the complex Henson Park redevelopment project. (Newtown RLFC).
Jeff Gabriel (left) was awarded Life Membership of the Newtown RLFC in recognition of his more than 20 years’ service as a Director, where he has brought his professional skills as a lawyer to bear in giving highly valuable legal advice and assistance to the club in so many ways and so regularly. The Newtown RLFC CEO Stuart McCarthy (right) was onstage to present Jeff with his Life Membership. (Newtown RLFC).
Jeff Gabriel was kind enough to permit his Life Membership cap to be photographed and displayed. (Newtown RLFC).
Mick Dabela (on the left) has certainly given long service to the Newtown RLFC, firstly as a player and team trainer, and in more recent years extended service as an assistant coach. The Jets Head of Football Greg Matterson, who coached at Newtown from 2005 to 2022 and had Mick on his staff for several of those years, was on stage to present Mick with his Life Membership. (Newtown RLFC).