If the Jets are to be a top-flight team in 2016, Sunday’s away game against the Warriors is a must-win assignment …

The Jets take on the in-form New Zealand Warriors in Auckland this Sunday.

Intrust Super Premiership NSW – Third Round; Sunday, 20th March 2016; Mt Smart Stadium; New Zealand Warriors v Newtown; Kick-Off: 11.45am (NZDT); 9.45am (AEDT).

Please note: Contrary to information previously provided to the Newtown RLFC administration, this match kicks off at 9.45am (AEDT) on Sunday, 20th March and will not be televised live on Fox Sports One as had been advised.

This is the tenth journey by the Jets across the Tasman. Of the nine games previously played in Auckland between 2007 and 2015, Newtown has won on four occasions and lost on five.

The Stacey Jones-coached New Zealand Warriors ISP NSW team is in good form, coming off a 44-6 demolition of Wests Tigers at Leichhardt Oval last Saturday.

You can follow the progress of Sunday’s ISP NSW match on Twitter and Facebook: Twitter: www.twitter.com/newtownrlfc and Facebook: www.facebook.com/newtownrlfc

Sunday’s teams are:

Newtown Jets: Arana Taumata, Mitch Brown, Jordan Drew, Matt Evans, Jacob Gagan, Josh Cleeland, Fa’amanu Brown, Junior Roqica, Kurt Kara, Kurt Dillon, Malakai Houma, Anthony Moraitis, Jason Schirnack. Bench: Harrison Muller, Travis Robinson, Ahmad Ellaz, Myles Taueli, Jaline Graham. Coach: Greg Matterson.

New Zealand Warriors: Tomas Aoake, Ken Maumalo, David Fusitu’a, Matt Allwood, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Erin Clark, Ata Hingano, Paul Tuli, Jazz Tevaga, Upu Poching, Marata Niukore, Raymond Faitala-Mariner, Ali Lauitiiti (Capt). Bench: Viliami Kaveinga, Daniel Palavi, Pat Sipley, James Bell. Coach: Stacey Jones.

Referee: Shane Rehm. Touch Judges: Jamal Thompson and Simon Taylor.

The weather forecast for Auckland on Sunday is: 25 degrees Celsius; scattered showers.

Injuries update (courtesy of the Cronulla Sharks website):

Sharks and Newtown hooker/utility forward Matt McIlwrick received an accidental poke in the eye in the Newtown Jets Intrust Super Premiership match against the Newcastle Knights. With some bleeding behind the eye and due to the sensitive nature of the injury, McIlwrick was kept out of the Jets team to travel to Auckland to take on the Warriors this weekend. And McIlwrick’s Sharks and Newtown teammate Kurt Capewell also succumbed to injury in the Jets win over the Knights, limping from the field with a knee problem in the 37th minute of the match. While fears were held as to the extent of the injury, Capewell received good news following scans conducted at Southern Radiology where it was revealed the former Ipswich Jet to have suffered only minor damage. Like McIlwrick, Capewell will miss the New Zealand trip but is expected to be available the following weekend.

Other ISP NSW Third Round matches to be played this weekend:

Newcastle Knights v Mounties (on Fox Sports, Saturday, 19th March, 2.40pm); Penrith v Wentworthville; Illawarra Cutters v North Sydney; Manly-Warringah v Canterbury-Bankstown; Wyong v Wests Tigers.

Here is the ISP NSW competition table after two rounds: http://bit.ly/1Pbz32c

Highlights from all the games played in Round Two of ISP NSW (including Newtown’s 28-20 win against the Newcastle Knights): http://bit.ly/1S3N3Q5

Gary Sutherland took these photos last Saturday at the Newcastle Knights v Newtown match at the Cessnock Sports Ground: http://bit.ly/1Mmjc0U

How the Jets win against the Newcastle Knights was reported on pages 15 and 16 in the Cooks River Valley Times of Wednesday, 16th March: http://bit.ly/1ptGnBY

Details of Newtown’s next game: ISP NSW – 4th Round; Saturday, 26th March 2016; Brookvale Oval; Manly-Warringah v Newtown; Kick-Off: 3.00pm.

The 2016 Rugby League season is well and truly with us, and the best way you can show your loyalty and support to Australia’s oldest Rugby League is by becoming a 2016 member by either joining up or renewing your membership. Revenue from annual memberships is a critical aspect of our club’s income stream. Please go this link to make your choice of 2016 Newtown Jets membership packages: http://www.newtownjets.com/jets-membership-2016/

The Newtown Jets have been rated as the Greatest Hipster Club in the world of Rugby League, edging out some rather out there Rugby League clubs in cities like New York, Toronto and London. Make sure you have some of your own cutting-edge Jets clothing and merchandise – go to: www.newtownjetsclothing.com.au to make your selection (naturally you can make your purchases online).

(Source: Glen ‘Bumper’ Dwyer’s JETS E-Newsletter)