The Newtown Jets turn on a strong second half in their NSW Cup trial match against Penrith

The 2025 NSW Cup rugby league season began for the Newtown Jets on Saturday, 8th February, with a trial match at Henson Park against the Penrith Panthers.

This match was played over four quarters of twenty minutes each, with no goal-kicking by agreement between the two clubs.

The Henson Park playing surface looked superb and the relatively mild summer weather made for a pleasant afternoon for the first rugby league match of the new season at Henson Park.

The redevelopment project on the venerable King George V grandstand is making steady progress, while the Inner West Council is well advanced with its project of laying a wide walking path from the Woodland Street entrance to the water-harvesting tanks at the southern end (Sydenham Road) of the ground.

In what was an opportunity for both clubs to blood a lot of new players, Newtown used 25 players in total, with only 3 from the victorious 2024 NSW Cup premiership team playing on Saturday – these being Jordin Leiu, Khaled Rajab and Billy Magoulias. In all, 20 players were making their debuts in the Newtown colours. Penrith officials noted that most of the Panthers NSW Cup trial squad on Saturday were familiar with each other from having played in junior representative teams and/or in junior club competitions.

Penrith led 8-4 at quarter-time, and the game looked like it might crack wide open in the second quarter when the Mountain Men piled on four tries to nil to open up a 24-4 half-time lead. The Jets lads had been caught out in defence on several occasions and there had been some untidy ball the ball work where possession had been turned over. There are few other teams like Penrith that can quickly punish an opposing side for poor defensive reads or for turning over valuable possession.

Newtown fought back in the second half of the match, scoring four tries to two for the final score to read 32-20 in Penrith’s favour.

Jets forward ace Billy Magoulias showed he is primed for a big 2025 season, and he shifted a superb flat ball in the third quarter that enabled backrower Meli Nasau (formerly with the Sydney Roosters) to power over for a try. Clever five-eighth Khaled Rajab had sliced through the Panthers defence to score next to the northern end goal posts just before half-time.

One of the afternoon’s most impressive debutants was the young winger Pharrell Gray from the Cronulla Sharks Jersey Flegg team, and formerly from the Wellington (NZ) junior rugby union. This powerfully-built, long-striding winger is in the mould of the Sydney Roosters NRL flanker Dominic Young. Gray scored two tries for Newtown in the second half, with one being a seventy-metre surge down the left-side wing during which he palmed off no fewer than three would-be tacklers.

Newtown’s last try of the afternoon was scored by Joe Nadenic (previously with Easts Tigers in the Queensland Cup), who received a well-directed cut-out pass from halfback Jack Field (ex-South Sydney Jersey Flegg). Jack is the son of Craig Field, who had two outstanding seasons with Newtown in 2003 and 2004.

The Jets second NSW Cup trial match for 2025 is against Canterbury-Bankstown at Henson Park on Saturday, 22nd February, at 6.00pm.

This Jets-Bulldogs NSW Cup trial match will be preceded by a Jersey Flegg Cup trial between the Cronulla Sharks and the Canterbury Bulldogs at 4.00pm.

Match Details: –

NSWRL Knock-On Effect NSW Cup Trial Match
Saturday, 8th February 2025

Henson Park

Newtown v Penrith

Kick-Off: 4.00pm.

Weather: Slightly overcast, cooling breeze, 26 degrees.

Playing surface: Excellent.

Referee: Mitch Currie.

Touch Judges: Mitch Stone, Tom Cambourn.

The game was played in four twenty-minute quarters.

No conversion attempts.

Penrith 32:
8 tries

defeated

Newtown 20:
Pharrell Gray 2, Khaled Rajab, Meli Nasau, Joe Nadenic tries.

Half-Time: Penrith led 24-4.

Penrith led 8-4 at quarter-time; 24-4 at half-time; 28-16 after 60 minutes; 32-20 at full-time.

First half: Penrith 24-4; Second half: Newtown 16-8. (Full-Time: Penrith 32-20).

Newtown’s team was:

Fullback: Josh Latham
Wingers: Jahoiyakim Afoa, Pharrell Gray
Centres: Tyrell Lafituanai, Eparama Navale
Halves: Khaled Rajab, Jack Field
Lock: Ray Maroun
Second-Rowers: Meli Nasau, Jack Gunton
Front-Rowers: Tevita Taumoepenu, Jordin Leiu

Hooker: Josh Cook.

Other squad members:
Jontay-Junior Betham-Misa, Chris Slater-Raptis, Javier Pitavao, Billy Magoulias
Penaia Leveleve, Kai Currie, Joe Nadenic, Khalil Rahme

Riley Lester, Cody Fuz, Luke Glen, Kai Capelin.

Penrith’s team was:

Fullback: William Fakatumafi

Wingers: Ratu Rotavisoro, Sam Curtain
Centres: Masi Fidow, Semisi Kioa
Halves: Brad Keighran, Zac Greene
Lock: Aden Perry

Second-Rowers: Ioane Seluli, Zac Duclos
Front-Rowers: Filia Utokamunu, Mitch Butfield
Hooker: Connor Mason

Other squad members:
Matthew Curl, Mason Iaria, Lachlan Blackburn, Dylan Marshall
Warren Smith, Leroy Magalogo, Fletcher Haycock, Jesse Sene Lefao
Elijah Mataale, Jordan Main, Lufusi Tapaatoutai, Henry Tufuso, Shaun Fitzgerald.

Newtown’s next trial match:

NSWRL Knock-On Effect NSW Cup
Saturday, 22nd February 2025
Henson Park
Newtown v Canterbury-Bankstown
Kick-Off: 6.00pm.

Curtain-Raiser on Saturday, 22nd February:
Henson Park
Jersey Flegg Cup
Cronulla Sharks v Canterbury-Bankstown
Kick-Off: 4.00pm.