Charles "Chicka" Cahill
Premiership winning Newtown forward in the 1940s and actively involved with the Bluebags for the next forty years.

Match details

5.30 pm, Saturday, 14 Feb

The Crest Stadium, Bass Hill

Match summary

Newtown Jets 20 [Michael Mizrahie 2, Boyd Cordner, Jack Littlejohn tries, Jacob Miller 2 goals]
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 16 [3 tries, 2 goals]

Half-Time: Bulldogs led 6-4.

Match report

The Newtown Jets SG Ball Cup team won their opening competition match with a thrilling 20-16 victory over the Bulldogs on Saturday evening at The Crest Stadium (Bass Hill).

The game took place in wet and slippery conditions where the huge Bulldogs forward pack had been expected to dictate the terms of play.

Both teams found the steady rain difficult to contend with and there was a lot of dropped ball in the first half.

Dedicated defense bring young Jets home

The Bulldogs went into the half-time break with a 6-4 lead but the Jets improved their completions rate and defended magnificently in the hard-fought second half.

The 'Dogs' were clinging to a narrow 16-14 lead with two minutes remaining but Jets five-eighth Tom Dawney put classy second-rower Boyd Cordner into a gap for the winning try.

Coach praises team for second half effort

Jets SG Ball Cup coach Joel Greig was full of praise for his young team and pointed to their strong second-half effort as being the key to the victory. Greig noted that "the boys showed patience and discipline and tackled the giant Bulldogs forwards out of the game. It was a terrific showing by a young team in their first competition match and up against one of the early premiership favourites".

Player performances

Newtown's best forwards were Boyd Cordner, Nick Ehsman, Samson Manu'a and the busy hooker Steve Blakemore.

Halves Jacob Miller and Tom Dawney steered the team around in fine style, in what was a truly memorable occasion for Rugby League's foundation club making its return to the SG Ball arena after an absence of 26 years.

Who played?

Interchange

Coach: Joel Greig