Bulldogs snare NSW Cup title from Newtown

That pass was really well done, they had a glance at each other before he put his head down to collect the play the ball, then just banged the pass out. That started are a rather forgettable day for the Jets winger. Also saw Turvey and Eric Grothe as well as Kenny Wilson, how good is that!! And yes it will make Sunday more bearable, I was thinking I'd have to resume my failed gambling habits to make the day interesting... Can't wait to read the Jets article

Look forward to it. Albo made a speech about them in Parliament last month. Go the Jets.

I will take a day at Davies Park watching the Magpies over the Broncs at Lang park. I have a couple of mates who feel the same and they don't even support Souths. Sam Kasiano didn't really bother Redcliffe so I don't think the Bulldogs size will bother them too much. I think it will come down to who plays the better on the day. Both teams don't look far off each other to me based on highlight vids at least.

"Pure" is a great word. Nothing more I love than local footy. The Broncos at Suncorp is fantastic but 98% at night and produced as sports entertainment. Local footy is pure. I'm thinking I know Cleeland's name but just assumed he's had a start in NRL at one time or another but he was with Ipswich in their glory days. I watched those vids and you got some boppers and names in that team. Opacic played a quite a few games with the Broncos and Staggs and Turpin cameo'd a couple times this season, they would be the only recognisable names (you may know Jamil Hopoate for the wrong reasons). Although they have a prop in Rudolph (GF MoM) and young FB Fuller who has all the traits of a young Barba. This should be a cracker.

I’ve written and submitted an article about the Newtown culture. I hope I’ve done it justice.

Jets make Rugby League hip and cool by keeping it real. They deserve a lot of credit.

Great turnup at Leichhardt. I think the NSWRL underestimated the popularity - they ran out of hot pies before the game started and ran out of VB towards the end. The only real problem for me (apart from the result) was the similarity of the teams' colours. Surely one of the teams could have been asked to wear different jumpers.

It was a fantastic day. I know the Dogs first grade side has had a tough year but the best fun I’ve had this season is getting to grounds like Belmore, Leichhardt and Henson Park to watch NSW cup. The games are usually played at a great pace, still intense but with a little more freedom, players are happy to chance their arm. I’ve read that Lewis wasn’t brought back because he has a couple of niggling injuries and maybe some off season surgery booked. Same with Reimis Smith. Cleeland is superb. If you’re interested check out the highlights from the Dogs v Roos and Dogs v Dragons semi finals on the links below... Cleeland wears white headgear so he’s pretty easy to spot. He wasn’t as ndividually brilliant yesterday but controlled the game well and looks dangerous whenever he touches the ball. https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2018/09/17/bulldogs-hold-out-fast-finishing-dragons/ https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2018/09/09/bulldogs-pip-roos-to-progress-to-week-three/

Sounds like a great day TB. I went to Suncorp but it's really not designed for 10k crowd where a suburban ground would have been heaving. I'm wondering why Lewis was left out but if the Dogs came home that well without him, why break up the working combinations. By your posts, I'm getting the feeling Cleeland is going ok anyway. Redcliffe have been the dominant team up here this year and enough experience not to drop their bundle like PNG did last year in the interstate matchup. Someone said earlier in the year the Dogs reserve team pumped the Panthers so they must go ok. While I'm not a Redcliffe fan, you know, state loyalties and all... Good luck to your boys.

There was a clever play late in the game. Okunbur was playing left wing but after the Dogs hit the lead late they moved him over to the right for the short kick off. Sure enough the Jets went short and Okunbur sailed above the pack to claim the kick off before shuffling back out to the left wing. He scored a great try in the semi final versus Wyong. It involved a great tackle charging in from his wing, a one on one strip and an 80 metre sprint to the line. I watched a highlights package this morning of the Dogs semi finals. Cleeland is a gun.

Dogs ended up wining 8 of their last 10 matches, so certainly came home with a wet sail. Defence is pretty sound. Cleeland and Woolford both got stronger as the year went on. Okunbur a backrower previously getting moved to the wing was a revelation. Martin back in the side, a prop in To'omaga who has scored 9 tries and Eastwood always trying to prove a point - He broke Ford (Dragons) in half in the Prelim. - And Lewis and Remis Smith were both qualified for the team but didn't play in the finals series (though Martin did for some reason). I haven't seen any QLD Cup this year and although it is fair to say the Panthers were far and away the best side in the NSW Cup (losing 4 fewer games than anyone else), the Dogs will be hard to stop.

Agreed. Most enjoyable 80 minutes. Rhys Martin's conversion from the sideline into what appeared to be a stiff cross wind was as good as it gets. Keith Barnes would have applauded.

Yeah it was to’omaga...great way to cap off the afternoon. He could go well with an extended run in first grade too.

I missed the game yesterday unfortunately but saw plenty of Cleeland this year and he has really matured. He took the reigns last week when Frawley went down and ended up with three try assists. He has a kick and a pass and can scoot, so the fundamentals appear to be there if the football brain is. Saw the proposal on the NSWRL Instagram page as well - Looked like To'omaga? Nice touch having his team mates involved. Very cool.

It was great to see all the Sharks first graders there to support the Jets. Having a few beers but well behaved and chatting to fans. Also saw Steve Mortimer, Gavin Miller and Eric Grothe having a chat near the bar. Great day out and the atmosphere was fantastic. As I said above the NRL and it’s clubs could learn a lot from the Jets and how they’ve engaged not just their rusted on rugby league fans but their whole community.

Pretty good afternoon for the Jets/Sharks honestly. Great crowd and great atmosphere. Doggies got pretty lucky a couple of times especially with that strip against a Jets side that looked slicker and more dangerous all day. And that was against a Dogs side fielding a couple of experienced 30 year olds in the halves as well as dinosaurs like Greg Eastwood against our spine which is all still eligible for U20's (boy do they look like it too). Flegg won their GF comfortably with a slick display. Tons of quality youngsters all U20 coming through. Xerri, Brailey, Flanno, Lumelume, Ferris, Katoa, Trindall and plenty of promising forwards. A prelim in firsts, GF in reserves, and a premiership in U20's playing most of their genuine stars in opens is a solid result for the club. I'd be shocked if that wouldn't amount to the Club Championship if there was one still. Plenty of these young guys's will see some first grade next year.

Gday mate...I posted earlier but it has been held up by mods. I was sitting over on the hill but was walking back from the (only) bar when the Dogs kicked into the corner and the Jets winger slipped. Great presence of mind from Harper to get the strip...he scored right in front of where my mate and I were standing. The Dogs players were celebrating just on the other side of the fence so you and I must have been within a few metres... What a great day. Cleeland is unreal. He’s killed it every time I’ve watched him. Great running game, controls the play well, beautiful kicking game. He deserves a shot at first grade and I reckon he’d go well with Lewis. Woolford killed it too. His pass to the winger for the try on the blind side was an absolute cracker. Lichaa has now had five seasons of first grade. Woolford needs a shot. Great to have someone to cheer for on grand final day instead of trying to pick one out of Bates v Lecter...

go the doggies!!! great result, jets all over dogs first 35mins, then mistakes just kept eating away. Thought Josh Cleeland went well steering dogs around felt sorry for jets #15, he was obviously injured and struggling well before the crucial strip. Was right there 10 metres away when it happened. Poor guy looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole. A great day out at Liechhardt, and a sliver of light for doggies fans

What a great afternoon....!!! I met some mates for lunch and a few settlers in Leichhardt then we strolled down to the ground. NSW cup footy at a venue like Leichhardt is as pure as it gets, Great game from both teams. A lot of NRL teams can learn from Newtown and how they’ve engaged their fans. There’s an article there somewhere. It was a brilliant atmosphere, afternoon spring sun, fans from both teams mixing together, cans of VB, lots of fun banter, kids playing on the hill. Brilliant! Josh Cleeland is such a good footballer. He’s great running with the ball. His kicking game is immaculate, he controls the game beautifully, he’s a tough defender for a little man. I’d love to see him get a crack in first grade. I’d love it to be at the Dogs but am at the point where if he needs to go elsewhere to get a chance so be it...he deserves it. Forwards from both teams ripped in. Morgan Harper will be a star...he’s a natural footballer. His try to ultimately win the game was scored right in front of me. Rhyse Martin killed it all afternoon. After the win, the Bulldogs players came over to cheer their fans. One of the props called his girlfriend onto the field. As he dropped to one knee, his team mates pulled one word signs out from behind their backs that collectively formed the question “will you marry me?” The fans went up as one and fortunately for the love struck Bulldogs the lovely lady in question said yes. It was an absolutely beautiful moment to cap off a wonderful afternoon.