Dirty Reds sweep in on the high tide of history

The NSW Rugby League’s Canterbury Cup competition might have been cancelled for 2020, but rugby league has returned to Newtown’s home ground Henson Park on the past two weekends.

On Saturday, 25^th July the Glebe Dirty Reds defeated North Sydney 16-12 at Henson Park in a second round match of the newly-formed NSWRL President’s Cup. This competition is made up of Ron Massey Cup clubs and selected country rugby league teams.

The Glebe Dirty Reds claimed their first rugby league silverware in 93 years when they easily accounted for Wentworthville 53-16, in the final of the NSWRL Challenge Cup played at Henson Park on Sunday, 2^nd August. The Challenge Cup is a knockout tournament played between city and country clubs, with the qualifying rounds having been played back in February and March. Last Sunday’s Glebe-Wenty match was also the third round of the President’s Cup.

Sunday’s tearaway victory was a day of high emotion for Glebe supporters whose club has had an extraordinary history. The original Dirty Reds played in the NSWRL first grade competition from 1908 to 1929 when they were controversially expelled from the league. The club was re-established in 2016 and Sunday’s Challenge Cup triumph is the first trophy won by the Dirty Reds since winning the NSWRL third grade premiership title in 1927.

Prominent names in the current Glebe Dirty Reds line-up include former Penrith Panthers halfback Liam Coleman, son of the livewire South Sydney scrum-half Craig Coleman. Glebe’s hooker Jackson Garlick is the son of Sean Garlick, who was a well-performed hooker with both South Sydney and the Sydney Roosters. The team also included a host of Newtown contracted players including Wes Lolo, Addison Demetriou, John Olive, Thomas Hazelton, Matt Stimson, Jonah Ngaronoa & Trent Toelau.

The Dirty Reds play away to the Hills District Bulls at Crestwood Oval (Baulkham Hills) on Sunday, 9^th August at 3.00pm.