It’s the annual Newtown Jets club reunion day at Henson Park tomorrow, Saturday, 26th August

The Newtown Jets and North Sydney Bears square off tomorrow in the deciding match of the 2017 Frank Hyde Shield series.

These two 1908 foundation clubs have the greatest of admiration and respect for each other, but there are no holds barred when it comes to claiming bragging rights for the annual Frank Hyde Shield. The trophy is played for each year in memory of one of the greatest identities in the history of rugby league in Australia. Frank Hyde played with distinction for both Newtown and North Sydney, and was captain of the Shoremen when they played Newtown in the 1943 first grade grand final at the SCG. Frank went on to an outstanding career in radio broadcasting and journalism, winning the rugby league broadcast ratings for more than thirty years in a row.

NSWRL Intrust Super Premiership NSW – 25^th Round

Saturday, 26^th August 2017

Henson Park

Newtown (11^th place, 19 points) v North Sydney (6^th place, 27 points)

Kick-Off: 3.00pm.

Referee: Zbigniew Przeklasa-Adamski. Touch Judges: Mark Bohan and Tim Hannon.

Newtown’s team (as at Friday, 4.00pm):

Tyla Tamou, Leigh Higgins, Reubenn Rennie, Edrick Lee, Brent Anderson, Joseph Paulo, Kurt Kara, Kurt Dillon, Adam Clydsdale, Jaimin Jolliffe, Jason Schirnack, Jack Williams, Jayden McDonogh.

Bench: Ben Martinez-Murray, Jordan Galloway, Luke Towers, Alec Bush, Tesimoni Taliauli.

Coach: Greg Matterson.

North Sydney:

Eli Levido, Tautalatasi Tasi, Sitiveni Moceidreke, Latrell Robinson, Abbas Miski, Ed Murphy, Luke Kelly, Jason Clark, Brad Deitz, Fred Mauala, Tom Freebairn, Piki Rogers, Cheyne Whitelaw.

Bench: Jamal Hunt, Toby Rudolf, Clayton Williams, Patrice Siolo.

Coach: Ben Gardiner.

Newtown beat North Sydney 16-12 on the 14^th May at North Sydney Oval in the first leg of this year’s Frank Hyde Shield series. If North Sydney wins at Henson Park tomorrow, the Shield winners will be decided on points for and against.

There were some tremendous statistics recorded in last Saturday’s close encounter between Newtown and Mounties. Kurt Dillon, the pre-eminent front-rower in this year’s ISP NSW competition, made 50 tackles and ran 204 metres. Young lock Jayden McDonogh also made 50 tackles; backrower Jaimin Jolliffe made 49 and hooker Adam Clydsdale made 37.

Kurt Dillon and Adam Clydsdale both made the NSWRL ISP NSW team of the week for Round 24:   http://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2017/08/22/isp_nsw_team_of_the_.html

This article from the NRL website places Henson Park on the Ladies Who League bucket list of favoured rugby league grounds:  http://m.nrl.com/ladies-who-league-rugby-league-bucket-list/tabid/10874/newsid/111360/default.aspx

2017 marks 25 years since Newtown won the 1992 NSWRL Metropolitan Cup first grade premiership. It is also the 20^th anniversary of Newtown’s win in the 1997 NSWRL Metropolitan Cup first grade premiership, which was of course the third of a hat-trick of premiership titles achieved from 1995 to 1997. We look forward to a big roll-up of all the identities from those premiership seasons at Henson Park tomorrow.

And here’s a Metro Cup-oriented quiz to honour the anniversaries of these premiership titles:

Name the players who were in all four of those Newtown RLFC Metro Cup first grade premiership-winning teams of the 1990’s. (The players nominated can be from the starting line-ups or the listed reserves.)

The first correct entry emailed to jets@newtownjets.com will receive an item of Newtown Jets merchandise.