Jets

KOE NSW Cup Round 16

FRANK HYDE SHIELD

Sunday 22nd June 2025

3pm

 NORTH SYDNEY OVAL

Norths 2024 220
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Here comes the 2016 Rugby League season – and the Jets start training on Monday, 9th November

Newtown’s 109th season in Rugby League football gets underway this Monday … by Glen ‘Bumper’ Dwyer

The Newtown Jets head into the second year of their Inner-West Side Story rugby league partnership with Cronulla-Sutherland, and both the Jets and Sharks recruiting and retention staff have been kept busy in the off-season. The Newtown Jets begin their pre-season training program this Monday, 9th November.

These players have already signed or are likely to sign with the Newtown RLFC for 2016:

Brett Anderson (ex-St George-Illawarra NYC and Illawarra Cutters NSW Cup); Daniel Abou-Sleiman (played with Newtown in 2015 and recently with Lebanon in Rugby League 2017 World Cup qualifiers against South Africa); Kurt Dillon (played with Newtown in 2015); Tarek Elmasri (played with Newtown in 2015 and with Lebanon against South Africa); Matt Evans (played with Newtown in 2014 and had a shoulder reconstruction in 2015); Malakai Houma (played with Newtown in 2015); Ben Jones (a much-travelled player who has been with Newtown previously. Was with the Mackay Cutters in 2015); Kurt Kara (heading into his sixth season with the Jets); Corin Smith (played with Newtown in 2015 and scored four tries against North Sydney in last year’s Reunion Day game); Levy Sopi (ex-Cronulla Sharks NYC); Arana Taumata (returning to Newtown after stints at Tumut as captain-coach and with South Newcastle); Tevita Vaea (ex-New Zealand Warriors).

Apologies for any omissions. Updates to this list will be supplied in upcoming emails.

Our NRL partners the Cronulla Sharks have been very active in the player market and are well placed to put together a very strong and well-balanced full-time NRL squad. Along with the players who have signed for Newtown in 2016, there is every expectation of a highly-competitive Newtown Jets NSW Cup squad being assembled … and it all gets underway on a serious basis from this Monday onwards.

The Newtown RLFC regrets to announce the recent passing of Steve Hanson, who played with Newtown in 1991. That was a year of some historical significance to our club, as it was Newtown’s comeback season in the NSWRL Metropolitan Cup competition. Steve played for North Sydney from 1985 to 1990, representing City Seconds in 1985 and NSW State of Origin in 1988. After his one year with Newtown, Steve played with Eastern Suburbs in 1992 and 1993. The Newtown RLFC extends sincere condolences to his family members.

Congratulations to the four 2015 Newtown Jets players – Ray Moujalli, Daniel Abou-Sleiman, Tarek Elmasri and Ahmad Ellaz – who all represented Lebanon in the two 2017 Rugby League World Cup qualifying matches played against South Africa at Brakpan near Pretoria recently. Lebanon won both games and now go through to the 2017 Rugby League World Cup tournament that will be played in Australia, New Zealand and Papua-New Guinea.

Pat Politoni played with Newtown in 2015 and represented Tonga in that country’s recent World Cup qualifying win against the Cook Islands, played at Campbelltown Stadium on Saturday, 17th October.

The Newtown club extends good wishes to the popular Tinirau Arona and his family who will be moving to the North of England in the near future. Tinirau has signed a contract with the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats in the English Super League. “T” played 58 NSW Cup games with Newtown between 2010 and 2015 and represented the NSW Cup representative team and the Cook Islands, as well as playing more than 70 NRL matches with the Sydney Roosters and Cronulla-Sutherland. Tinirau will be linking up with Brian Smith (his former coach at the Sydney Roosters) at Wakefield Trinity.

Former Newtown Jets players turn up in the most unlikely places. Dustin Cooper, the older brother of Gavin Cooper from the North Queensland Cowboys, played with the Jets back in 2003. He recently captained the Boston 13’s to the 2015 USA Rugby League National Championship title.

Newtown Jets membership packages for 2016 will be made available for sale very soon. 2015 members will be contacted by email in the near future. Please favourably consider renewing your membership for 2016 or taking out a club membership package and encouraging others to do so. The revenue from club memberships is becoming an increasingly important component of the income of so many Rugby League clubs, and this source of revenue is of vital importance to the ongoing survival of the Newtown RLFC.

The annual Newtown Festival is on this Sunday, 8th November 2015, at the Camperdown Memorial Rest Park from 9.30am to 6.00pm. This is a huge inner-western Sydney occasion and attracts in excess of 90,000 people. The Newtown Jets will have a clothing and merchandise stall there so be sure to call by and make some early Xmas gift choices. You can of course always buy Jets merchandise online by going to the website at: www.newtownjetsclothing.com.au

The current England-New Zealand Rugby League Test series is shaping up as a real thriller. England surprised with their 26-12 win in the First Test and there were three former Newtown Jets in the Kiwis First Test lineup: Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Sio Siua Taukeiaho. The Second Test is at the Olympic Stadium, London on Saturday, 7th November at 2.30pm GMT. It will be shown here live on Fox Sports One on Sunday, 8th November at 1.30am, AEDT.

There might not be any former Newtown Jets players in the England Rugby League Test squad, although Henson Park ground announcer John Lynch recalls seeing the current England Test five-eighth Gareth Widdop playing for the Melbourne Storm against Newtown at Henson Park on Saturday, 22nd May 2010. This was the same day that the Newtown Jets fullback Luke Towers scored one of the most exceptional individual tries ever seen at Henson Park:

Image: Harrison Tse

Newtown Jets Team List v North Sydney Bears (Frank Hyde Shield) Sun 22nd June 2025

Dick Poole, the captain-coach of the undefeated Australian Rugby League World Cup team in 1957, is chaired from the SCG by Australian team-mates (from left to right): Kel O'Shea, Brian Clay, Norm Provan and Ken McCaffery. (NSWRL Media).

Farewell to the great Dick Poole

Jets backrower Blake Hosking powers through the Warriors defence to score in the first half on Saturday.  Photo: Mario Facchini/mafphotography

The Jets narrowly beaten in hard-fought tussle with the top of the table Warriors

The Newtown Jets might have been off their game on Saturday, but they still retained the Tom Raudonikis Cup for 2025 by virtue of their better points for and against over the two games played against Western Suburbs this season. Glen Warner from the Australian Mutual Bank (one of the Newtown Jets best sponsors) is holding the trophy. Photo: Mario Facchini/mafphotography

Newtown Jets turn on a lacklustre performance in shock loss to Western Suburbs

Image: Harrison Tse

Newtown Jets Team List v Warriors Sat 7th June, 2025

Newtown second-rower Dylan Coutts (in the middle of the photo) is congratulated by his Jets team-mates after scoring in Saturday night's game against the Sydney Roosters. Coutts scored two tries in his debut appearance in the NSW Cup competition. (Photo: Mario Facchini / mafphotography)

The Jets surge back into winning form with a huge victory against the Sydney Roosters

Australian Mutual Bank
Front of Jersey

Petersham RSL
Back of Jersey

Deicorp
Back of Jersey, Training Gear, Socks

Eclectic 365
Chest

John Singleton Group
Sleeve

PHILTER
Shoulder blades, Brewing

Coverforce
Front of Shorts

VIC on the Park
Back of Shorts

Strive Fitness
Gym

Sports Medicine Institute
Medical Services & Rehabilitation

Henson Park Hotel
Back of Shorts

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.