Newtown winger Jacob Gagan was in top form against the Canterbury Bulldogs at Belmore Sports Ground on Friday night. Two of his Jets team-mates Malakai Houma (on the left) and Fa’amanu Brown are also in this action shot taken by Mike Magee. Photo: Michael Magee Photography.
Newtown winger Jacob Gagan was in top form against the Canterbury Bulldogs at Belmore Sports Ground on Friday night. Two of his Jets team-mates Malakai Houma (on the left) and Fa’amanu Brown are also in this action shot taken by Mike Magee. Photo: Michael Magee Photography.

Jets stretched to the limit by energised Bulldogs.

Report on the Intrust Super Premiership NSW 6th round match between Canterbury-Bankstown and Newtown, played at Belmore Sports Ground on Friday, 8th April 2016 by Glen ‘Bumper’ Dwyer.

Coming off their impressive victory at Henson Park on the previous Saturday, the Newtown Jets showed another dimension to their capabilities in their 28-22 win against Canterbury-Bankstown on Friday night.  The Jets looked to be in real trouble when they trailed 18-0 midway through the first half in this Intrust Super Premiership local derby at Belmore Sports Ground. The Bulldogs had denied Newtown several try-scoring chances in the first half, but the Jets claimed an unconverted try through five-eighth Josh Cleeland right on halftime.

Following a frank assessment of their listless first half performance from coach Greg Matterson, the Jets turned on two converted tries to trail 18-16 just ten minutes into the second half. The game then remained in the balance, but Newtown pulled ahead 22-18 at the sixty-minute mark when strong-running winger Jacob Gagan scored his second try, thanks to a well-directed cut-out pass from Jaline Graham. It wasn’t until five minutes from fulltime that the Jets made the result reasonably secure, when Josh Cleeland scored his second try to extend Newtown’s lead to 28-18. Even then Canterbury scored a unconverted try that gave the Bulldogs an outside chance of pulling off a belated draw.

Canterbury had clearly come into this match in the mood to cause an upset. The Bulldogs might have been at the bottom of the ISP NSW competition table, but they had drawn against Newtown in the first round at Henson Park and had been narrowly defeated in two other games. They employed all the right stratagems to slow Newtown’s game down and to stifle the Jets’ scoring potential. Newtown had gone close to scoring three times in the first half before five-eighth Cleeland displayed strength and guile to score a morale-boosting try right on halftime.

Coach Matterson congratulated the Jets on their second half fightback against a team that was really fired up to end their run of narrow losses. Matterson said that the win was an important learning experience for the Newtown team and he especially commended young forwards Kurt Dillon and Malakai Houma for their wholehearted ball-running. Five-eighth Cleeland was also favourably mentioned, along with cunning halfback Fa’amanu Brown for his second half try from dummy-half and his two conversions from the sideline.

While this win puts Newtown into clear second place on the ISP NSW competition table, the Jets now confront a tough run of fixtures against several clubs who occupy the top half of the ladder. The Newtown Jets travel away this Saturday (16th April) to WIN Stadium, Wollongong where they will take on one of this season’s most-improved teams, the Illawarra Cutters. This round seven ISP NSW match gets underway at 3.00pm.

Newtown's head coach George Ndaira (left) and Head of Football Greg Matterson are pictured with the 2024 NSWRL Knock-On Effect NSW Cup premiership trophy. George and Greg are both on deck again as the Newtown Jets head into the 2025 NSW Cup season. 
(Photo: Mario Facchini, mafphotography)

Newtown’s first NSW Cup trial game for 2025 is against Penrith at Henson Park on Saturday, 8th February at 4.00pm

This photo of the Newtown RLFC players, staff, Directors and sponsors was taken at Henson Park on the day before the final home game for the 2024 season.  (Photo: Mario Facchini)

The Newtown Jets celebrate what was a magnificent year in the history of Australia’s oldest rugby league club

Newtown Jets 2024 Presentation Night Poster

2024 NEWTOWN RLFC NSW CUP PREMIERS PRESENTATION DINNER & AWARDS NIGHT

Newtown's giant front-rower Tuku Hau Tapuha gets into stride as he carries the ball forward in Sunday's NRL State Championship Final. Photo: Mario Facchini / mafphotography

Second half errors prove costly as the Newtown Jets lose narrowly in the NRL State Championship Final

Barry Vining of the Jets celebrates after the preliminary final of the NSW Cup finals series game between the Newtown Jets and Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs at Leichhardt Oval, Sydney on September 23, 2012. Jets defeated Bulldogs 34-6. (Photo by Jason McCawley)

Vale Barry Noel Vining OAM

Image: Mario Facchini, mafphotography

Newtown Jets Team List v Norths Devils Sun 6th October, 2024 (NRL State Championship)

Australian Mutual Bank
Front of Jersey

Petersham RSL
Back of Jersey

Deicorp
Back of Jersey, Training Gear, Socks

HPH-02

Henson Park Hotel
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

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.