Newtown halfback and captain Tom Raudonikis scores for the Jets early in the second half of the 1981 NSWRL first grade grand final.

Photo:
Newtown RLFC.
Newtown halfback and captain Tom Raudonikis scores for the Jets early in the second half of the 1981 NSWRL first grade grand final. Photo: Newtown RLFC.

The Newtown Jets bid Farewell to Tommy Raudonikis

The Newtown Rugby League Football Club mourns the passing of Tom Raudonikis, one of the great identities in the history of the rugby league game.

Tom made his senior rugby league debut with the RAAF club in Group 13 in southern NSW in 1968.

He was recruited by Western Suburbs from the Group 9 club Wagga Kangaroos and joined the Magpies in mid-1969. He played 202 games with Wests from 1969 to 1979, where he attained legendary status and regular representative honours.

John Singleton recruited him to the Newtown Jets in 1980, where he proved to be the perfect addition to the powerful Jets squad that Singleton and coach Warren Ryan were assembling.

Tom played with Newtown for three dramatic seasons from 1980 to 1982. Terry Rowney recalls that Raudonikis provided Newtown with inspired leadership and a never-say-die determination that transformed the Jets from being cellar-dwellers into nearly making the semi-finals in 1980, and then on a thrilling surge into the grand final against Parramatta in 1981.

He captained NSW in the inaugural State of Origin match played at Lang Park in July 1980.

Raudonikis moved to Queensland in 1983 where he coached in the Brisbane first grade competition for several seasons. He later coached Western Suburbs and NSW in the 1990s.

Tom played for NSW on 24 occasions and 20 times for Australia. He was a member of both the Western Suburbs and Newtown Teams of the Century.

He was made a member of the NRL Hall of Fame in 2008 and the NSWRL Hall of Fame in 2019.

Tom was an outstanding rugby league personality, the like of which the Newtown RLFC is unlikely to see again in a very long time.

Hard-running centre Nene Macdonald played on numerous occasions for the Newtown Jets in 2021.  Last Sunday Nene was playing for Papua-New Guinea against the Cook Islands in the 2023 Pacific Championships - Pacific Bowl and he scored four tries. (Photo: Mike Magee).

Information about 2024 Newtown RLFC memberships; Newtown Jets playing in the 2023 Pacific Championship Series; and a reminder about Newtown RLFC merchandise.

Kyle Pickering and Daniel Atkinson, Italian rugby league representative team, 7th October 2023 (NSWRL Twitter) crop

These Newtown Jets players have gained selection in various end of season representative rugby league teams

Newtown Jets 2023 Presentation Night bottom image for web post

The Newtown Jets RLFC held its Annual Presentation Dinner on the evening of Friday, 29th September 2023 at the Petersham RSL Club.

Newtown Jets left-edge backrower Kyle Pickering (in possession) about to score at Henson Park on Saturday, 22nd July 2023. Jets fullback Manaia Waitere salutes the crowd after playing a clever role in setting up the try. (Photo: Mario Facchini, mafphotography)

Newtown RLFC 2023 Presentation Dinner Details

July 22, 2023 - Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia, Kyle Pickering of the Newtown Jets scores his second try of the game during Round 21 of the NSWRL Knock On Effect NSW Cup at Henson Park in Marrickville, New South Wales. (Mario Facchini/mafphotography)

Newtown RLFC 2023 Presentation Night Details

Sunday Sun 603

The Other Premiers of 1943

Australian Mutual Bank
Front of Jersey

Petersham RSL
Back of Jersey

Deicorp
Back of Jersey, Training Gear, Socks

Invisi-Gard
Jersey Minor

John Singleton Group
Sleeve

Schofield King Lawyers
Sleeve

Coverforce
Front of Shorts

The Henson
Back of Shorts

Sydney Park Hotel
Back of Shorts

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.