Jets coach Warren Ryan presents Bill Noonan with a special award prior to his final appearance with Newtown at Henson Park on Sunday, 31st August 1980. (NSWRL photo).
Jets coach Warren Ryan presents Bill Noonan with a special award prior to his final appearance with Newtown at Henson Park on Sunday, 31st August 1980. (NSWRL photo).

Farewell to the great Bill Noonan

The Newtown RLFC regrets to announce the recent passing of the former stalwart front-rower Bill Noonan, who played two first-rate seasons with the Jets in 1979 and 1980.

Bill had been dogged by ill-health in recent years.

He was a product of the Linwood Keas RLFC in the Christchurch (NZ) rugby league competition. The hard-working young front-rower represented the Canterbury Province against the touring Australians in 1965, and in 1967 he was a member of the New Zealand Kiwis team that toured Australia that year.

Bill represented New Zealand again in 1969 against the touring Australians and he scored a decisive try in the Kiwis’ famous Second Test victory that squared the two-Test series.

The wily Peter “Bullfrog” Moore recruited Bill Noonan to the Canterbury-Bankstown club in 1969 and he played for Canterbury for nine productive seasons between 1970 and 1978. Bill became the first New Zealander to play in a NSWRL first grade grand final when he played for Canterbury against Eastern Suburbs in the 1974 premiership decider.

Bill became an important component of the recruitment campaign conducted by John Singleton, Warren Ryan and Frank Farrington that brought badly-needed new talent to the Newtown Jets ranks leading into the 1979 season. Noonan’s front-row experience drawn from international experience with New Zealand and nine seasons with Canterbury-Bankstown fitted the bill exactly at Henson Park.

He turned in two top-class seasons with Newtown in 1979 and 1980 and was widely regarded as being one of the best front-rowers in the entire NSWRL first grade competition. Bill could play at hooker as well as being a world-class front-rower, and it’s no surprise that the coaching maestro Warren Ryan described Bill Noonan as being “the most professional rugby league footballer I ever coached”.

A great many Newtown Jets supporters maintain to this day that Bill Noonan might have retired one year too early. Who knows what could have happened had he played for one more season in 1981?

The Newtown RLFC extends sincere sympathy to Bill’s wife Julie and her family.


Bill Noonan looks to get his pass away in this match between Newtown and Manly-Warringah, played at Henson Park on Saturday, 31st May 1980. (Big League magazine).
Hard-running centre Nene Macdonald played on numerous occasions for the Newtown Jets in 2021.  Last Sunday Nene was playing for Papua-New Guinea against the Cook Islands in the 2023 Pacific Championships - Pacific Bowl and he scored four tries. (Photo: Mike Magee).

Information about 2024 Newtown RLFC memberships; Newtown Jets playing in the 2023 Pacific Championship Series; and a reminder about Newtown RLFC merchandise.

Kyle Pickering and Daniel Atkinson, Italian rugby league representative team, 7th October 2023 (NSWRL Twitter) crop

These Newtown Jets players have gained selection in various end of season representative rugby league teams

Newtown Jets 2023 Presentation Night bottom image for web post

The Newtown Jets RLFC held its Annual Presentation Dinner on the evening of Friday, 29th September 2023 at the Petersham RSL Club.

Newtown Jets left-edge backrower Kyle Pickering (in possession) about to score at Henson Park on Saturday, 22nd July 2023. Jets fullback Manaia Waitere salutes the crowd after playing a clever role in setting up the try. (Photo: Mario Facchini, mafphotography)

Newtown RLFC 2023 Presentation Dinner Details

July 22, 2023 - Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia, Kyle Pickering of the Newtown Jets scores his second try of the game during Round 21 of the NSWRL Knock On Effect NSW Cup at Henson Park in Marrickville, New South Wales. (Mario Facchini/mafphotography)

Newtown RLFC 2023 Presentation Night Details

Sunday Sun 603

The Other Premiers of 1943

Australian Mutual Bank
Front of Jersey

Petersham RSL
Back of Jersey

Deicorp
Back of Jersey, Training Gear, Socks

Invisi-Gard
Jersey Minor

John Singleton Group
Sleeve

Schofield King Lawyers
Sleeve

Coverforce
Front of Shorts

The Henson
Back of Shorts

Sydney Park Hotel
Back of Shorts

Sports Medicine Institute
Medical Services & Rehabilitation

Label Plus
Major Sponsor

Arista Technologies
Technology Partner

Newtown Jets respect and honour the Traditional Custodians of the Land and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on and that the land area encompassing Henson Park traditionally belonged to the Gadigal people of the Eora nation.