Player notesKyle LodgeIn the late 1930s Newtown had an exceptional winger from Bombala in Athol Stewart, the famed Monaro Express. Seventy years later another man from the icy Monaro High Plains has come on board at Henson Park – classy centre Kyle Lodge, to be known henceforth as The Cooma Mail. Kyle has a very impressive Rugby League pedigree – a product of the Cooma Stallions in Group 16, he played junior representative football with the Canberra Raiders before moving on to the Souths-Logan Magpies in the Queensland Cup competition. Kyle scored the winning try for Souths-Logan in last year's Queensland Cup Grand Final and represented the Queensland Residents XIII. He looks like being one of the Newtown Jets trump cards in 2009 and is pictured here breaking away from the Dragons defence in last Sunday’s NSW Cup match at the Ron Costello Oval, Shellharbour. Ray Moujalli and Rohan Ahern selected for NRL, Rd 15One of our best forwards in recent weeks, Ray Moujalli has won selection in the Sydney Roosters NRL team to play the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville [Rd 15]. Ray deserves the highest praise for his hard-work and dedication, and he will be a very proud man as he makes his NRL debut. Well done from everybody at the Newtown RLFC. Rohan Ahern has also won a call-up into the Roosters NRL squad [Rd 15] and his selection is justified recognition for his great work-rate in recent NSW Cup appearances in the forwards with Newtown. Rohan is a member of the Roosters full-time squad and has played in the NRL earlier this year. Liam Foran and Ray Moujalli get ready to take on the Cane ToadsCongratulations and good luck to the two Newtown RLFC representatives in the 2009 NSW Residents team – Liam Foran and Ray Moujalli – who will play against Queensland at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday, 15 July. After joining the Jets only three weeks ago, Liam has been rewarded for his consistency in his games for the Jets and Ray received a late call up, after Josh Cordoba from Parramatta opted to travel immediately to England to take up a playing contract at Hull. Jets coach, Greg Matterson, is the NSW Residents team coach and Bobby Jones from the Sydney Roosters is the team manager. Liam comes to the Jets rescue
The mid-season resurgence of the Newtown Jets' playing fortunes has been due in no small part to the signing of the former Melbourne Storm and New Zealand Warriors halfback Liam Foran. Since Liam joined the club in early June, the Jets have won their last three matches and all of these being against top-level opposition. Foran is New Zealand-born and came to Sydney with his family as a teenager. He attended the Marist College North Shore along with Roosters and NSW halfback Mitchell Pearce, from where he won selection in the Australian Schoolboys and North Sydney Bears junior representatives teams. He has since had spells with the Storm (where he played three NRL games) and the Warriors, but sought a midyear release to pursue his rugby league career back in Sydney. Jets coach Greg Matterson says that Foran has added a great deal to Newtown's on-field repertoire with his organisational skills and top-class kicking game. Newtown Director Terry Rowney adds that Foran has "more than just a touch of Ken Wilson about him in the way that he can control the direction of play." Wilson played with the Jets in the 1970's and early 1980's and was renowned for his clever passing game and pinpoint kicking accuracy. Liam has fitted in quickly with his new team-mates and has won selection in the NSW Residents team (chosen from the NSW Cup clubs and from the ranks of the Country Rugby League) that plays Queensland Residents on Wednesday evening in a curtain-raiser to State of Origin III. The Newtown Jets aim to continue their recent winning form when they confront the Auckland Vulcans at Henson Park, Saturday 18 July. Iwi Hauraki - the Man from Whangarei
Iwi Hauraki has been selected to play for the Sydney Roosters NRL team against the Newcastle Knights at the Energy Australia Stadium this Saturday evening, 1 August. This will be his debut in the NRL competition. He is 22 years old and has been playing for the Newtown Jets in the 2009 NSW Cup competition. Iwi is a product of the Northland Region Rugby League in New Zealand and his home town is Whangarei. He represented the New Zealand Junior Kiwis in 2005 along with players such as Frank-Paul Nuuausala, Greg Eastwood, Sam Rapira and the late Sonny Fai. He played with Wentworthville in the 2008 NSW Cup competition and scored the winning try in the NSW Cup Grand Final against Newtown. This was the match made famous by being the longest senior Rugby League match (103 minutes) since the Golden Point extra concept was introduced, and also for the number of missed field goal attempts by both teams during extra time. Iwi is a prime example of "the poacher turned gamekeeper" concept - having scored the winning try for Wenty in the 2008 premiership decider, Iwi then transferred to the Newtown Jets for the 2009 season. He has been one of the Jets' most consistent performers this year and has played primarily as a winger, but has also turned out at fullback and five-eighth, scoring 7 tries in 13 appearances so far in 2009. He is a tough, uncompromising winger in the style of Taniela Tuiaki from Wests Tigers and is the sort of player who will eagerly take up the challenge of playing at the highest level of professional club Rugby League. Tere Glassie leads Cook Islands in Pacific Cup Final
This Sunday, 1 November, Newtown Jets front-rower, Tere Glassie, will captain his young Cook Islands team against Papua New Guinea in the Final of the Pacific Cup. The Cook Islands made the final by defeating Samoa 22-20 in Cairns and Fiji 24-22 in Port Moresby, last weekend. The Newtown RLFC President, Barry Vining, sent Tere congratulations and best wishes on behalf of the club. Tere Glassie Hello Tere, Just letting you know that everybody at the Newtown Jets RLFC is delighted with the success that you and your Cook Islands team-mates have achieved so far in the 2009 Pacific Cup Tournament. We send good wishes to you all for the Pacific Cup Final against Papua-New Guinea on Sunday. Special greetings as well to your team-mates Dominic Peyroux and Benny Vaeau who have also played with the Newtown Jets in previous seasons. Best of luck for Sunday from the Directors, coaching staff, players and supporters of the Newtown Jets, Barry Vining |
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