The Newtown Jets are the coolest club in rugby league. Rock stars sing cover versions of their team song. Their supporters have cool black beards and wear cool retro clothes.
And their home ground’s local boozer has gone from shady blood-hole of back-bar knuckle-men to that coolest of inner-city hang-outs, the gastro pub.
If you’d told Tommy Raudonikis the Henson Park Hotel would one day serve Nasi Goreng with grilled pork belly, acar pickles, banana chilli and tapioca crackers he’d have called you a fool and donged you on the bonce.
Newtown’s home ground, Henson Park, is largely the same as it’s always been – that being a chunk of 1947.
The King George V Memorial Grandstand – over which NFL player Manfred Moore once threw a football – is like a big concrete barn.
You can buy a sausage sandwich and a tin of beer. A car park rings the field, spectators watch in cars like people at drive-in movies. Local fans live in renovated terraces that were once just about slums, now worth more than Brisbane McMansions.
Newtown’s major artery King Street is like the Greenwich Village of Sydney. Yet you’ll see as many Jets t-shirts as those sporting Che Guevara.
Newtown may be known as the alternative art-hippy capital of Australia, but it’s cool to follow the Jets.
The Newtown ‘Bluebags’ were the first club admitted into the NSWRL on January 8, 1908. Club official Glen ‘Bumper’ Dwyer reckons “playing for Newtown is a bit different”.
“We’re a feeder for Cronulla, as the likes of Mounties are for the Raiders and Blacktown Workers will be for Manly. But there’s a lot of pride in the blue jumper. Players have a real feel for the history. We’re the oldest club in Australia.”
(Photo: Kris Swales)
The Jets hold three big days at Henson Park. There’s ‘Reunion Day’ for the old boys. There’s ‘Frank Hyde Shield’ games against North Sydney Bears.
And then there’s this Saturday’s ‘Footy, Food, and Beer Festival’ run by the excellently named Music and Booze Company, for which they’ll attract nearly 5000 fans.
For a footy club that plays in NSW Cup and is effectively reserve grade, they’re big numbers.
I went to Reunion Day last year, and it was a cracking day out. Kenny Wilson was there, he captained the club in its last first grade match, a 9-6 win over Canberra on August 27, 1983 at Orana Park, Campbelltown.
Former lock Neil ‘Bing’ Pringle was there along with 147-game prop Doug Kemister. Phil ‘Whatsapacketa’ Sigsworth was there, a man who shares the coolest nickname in footy with Knights man ‘Waltzing’ Matt Hilder.
The old boys from the 1996 Metropolitan Cup premiership were there along with Bob Carnegie, who captained the club from 1970-72 and played for Sydney Colts versus Great Britain at Endeavour Field in 1970.
So there you go.
And if you do go – and a festival of food, beer and footy would appear as good a reason as any – you should find some grassy space on the northern end and settle in for some sunny winter afternoon gold.
The grass tips will be tinged with flecks of gold.
As Paul ‘The Chief’ Harragon would tell you with his funny Footy Show fisting thing – that is gold.
The Jets will be welcomed onto the park, as they always are, with their brilliant team song, ‘Newtown’.
Thirteen men all dressed in blue / Look out ’cause they’re coming through / Newtown – Newtown.
Ricky May wrote it in 1972. Punk rockers Frenzal Rhomb rip it off today. Tim Freedman of the Whitlams sang it at the club’s centenary dinner.
The footy is not quite elite level NRL pro footy. But it’s still pretty bloody good. There’ll be guys with NRL games. Young kids on the up. Old boys still bashing heads.
According to Dwyer there are nearly 40 players spread across 16 NRL clubs who have played with Newtown. There are more in UK Super League.
According to Dwyer, Newtown “aims to remain a competitive and proactive club in the second-tier level of Australian rugby league”.
Could they ever come back? Doubtful. But there’s a place for them where they are. And it’s pretty cool.
Stuart McLennan
Expert
Love what Newtown have done to retain an identity and how they engage the community. It saddens me to think what could have been for Balmain.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
On what basis where they shafted? They had the same number of years of existence - and longer - to get their houses in order as the other clubs.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
There is no debate. Glebe were the first.
Alternate thinking
Guest
Wonder if clubs like Newtown and North Sydney would consider shifting to a different code seeing RL shafted it. Move to rugby union, Aussie rules or soccer for instance?
Midfielder
Guest
great read enjoyed it a lot...
tim
Guest
Glebe were formed first (awaiting furious debate...)
steveng
Roar Rookie
'Andrew' the Newtown, Tempe, Marrickville areas have had a major change in population in comparison to 25 years ago when the Newtown Jets were alive. The last and the person that stuffed up the Jets and put the final nail into its coffin was John Singleton, when he pulled his money out of the club and they collapsed. The Jets area is full of very rich people these days and LGBT people, wouldn't it be of an advantage if these people were acknowledged and supported to follow the NRL (like AFL is doing). There is allot of potential in that area and the Newtown Jets history and culture would be very appropriate to bring that back, with their royal blue with a splash of white jumpers and all the tradition and history of the working mans club. That would be perfect for the people around Newtown who are just the right people for that nostalgia to be resurrected and to make the Newtown jets a successful club.
Big Daddy
Guest
Good to see newtown still alive. Intrust premiership also has north Sydney, western suburbs. If Wests tigers split maybe Balmain can keep name alive by playing in Intrust cup.
Birdy
Guest
Thats a great post Pioneer. What you have to realise though is that when Newtown folded none of the players were paid anything. Phill Sigsworth being owed the most, about 2 + seasons worth. Has still never been paid , as far as i know to this day. This can never happen again.
Cleveland
Guest
I am probably a little older than most of the posters but my first memory of going to Henson Park was from the early 60s and I would have been ten years old or so. My uncle was the doorman on the changerooms under the George V stand. At the end of the season he gave me a blue bags jersey. There were no replica jerseys in those days. I was given a reserve for third grade jersey, number 49, if I remember correctly...took me many years to grow into it. My golden era of Newton includes memories of Brian Moore and Bobby Keyes, two of the best centres ever to play the game...well at least for Newtown. Love the fact that the team is still going strong at Henson.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
I'm just hoping they get that nil all lead at the break.Are you there Singo? Brilliant radio.
John
Guest
Round 8 Match at the SCG which Newtown won 1 to 0 - Jack Gibson was coach and Newtown won their one and only Club Championship that year(1973) - Had to replay a minor semi final match against St George after the first one was a draw then back up 4 days later to play Cronulla in the final for the right to play Manly in the grand final- Newtown lost. Paul Heyward played that year in first grade too http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/nswrfl-1973/newtown/summary.html
Bee bee
Guest
But why not? Some clubs are in but Newtown are not. It's not fair to say 16 NRL clubs are granted permanent NRL status just because it is what it is. It is what it is because people just accept it. The Jets (might) mix it with some of these NRL clubs right now. Let the Jets take off and if they are good enough put some other NRL club on the pine. Why let a rebuilding club like Newcastle get spoon after spoon, send them back to the NSWRL and when they are good enough they can fight to get back in. Adds extra venom to the salary cap too. Melbourne, Bulldogs would have been relegated in the past for salary cap breaches. We are too short sighted and too many vested interests. Let the lower tiers have real meaning. Bring in relegation. Jump the AFL. This automatically makes the sport national/Regional and no need to pour millions into artificially creating a franchise. GWS is an outrageous attack on RL. Basically plonk a team in NRL heartland, give it millions in concessions and stick it on free to air whilst all your poor Westies can't afford Foxtel to watch their beloved....... whatever Westies follow. If you want RL to thrive in NSW and everywhere else, make it happen. Be like a Jet. See the whole landscape. See beyond the small pond that is the NRL. Because the AFL just stuck some carp in your pond.
Daveski
Guest
Matt you missed their other big gala game "Hipster Day". Was held in May, entry ( normally $15 for adults ) was free to anyone with a beard, both real or fake. Gold ! KB tinnies replaced by Young Henry's now but still cheap and fished out of a garbage bin ice cold. Agree with another poster, easily best venue to take kids under 10 to a game of League bar none.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Great side. Steve Bowden, Sigsworth, Ken Wilson, Raudonikis, Paul Morris, Pittman, Ryan, Barry Jensen, Geoff Bugden? Best of all were Ferguson and Blacklock on the wings. Ive never seen two wingers combine as well as those guys. One would make a break and all of a sudden the other would loom up in support. Phenomenal. Plus Newtown had that epic brawl against Manly in 81.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Newtown are a pioneering club for rugby league in this country. Just like Glebe, Annandale, Cumberland, Newcastle, University, Adelaide, Reds, and North Sydney were. But Newtown, right now, are pioneering how to be successful in the lower tiers. And by all accounts, they seem to be doing a good job of it. Glebe, in fact, are trying to model their approach on Newtown's.
McNaulty
Guest
It is sickening to think of the Jets and the Bears as NRL "feeder clubs". Those 2 and 6 others should start their own competition totally independent of the NRL. A proper NSW Cup. Sell their games to ABC, Ten and Fox.
Big Daddy
Guest
What about the mighty "Kojak". I think Doug Lucas was his name. Sullivan twins and I think Lionel Williamson ( not 100%) sure. God I am showing my age now. I still remember bluebags song.
Birdy
Guest
Oh that sounds fine Pioneer. Lets bring back all the BRL clubs as well puttjng them in their rightful place in the top tier comp.
pioneer
Guest
Its rightful place, as a pioneering rugby league club, is in the top tier competition.