Eels have too much for Jets

The Newtown Jets recent winning run in the VB Premier League came to an abrupt end at Parramatta Stadium on Sunday at the hands of competition leaders Parramatta. The Eels won by 41-26 after leading 28-12 at halftime, and are now four points clear at the top of the table as the competition nears the halfway mark.

The Eels out-muscled the Jets, with Newtown finding it hard to counter Parramatta?s quick play the balls and close support play. The Jets led 12-6 midway through the first half but the Eels took control from that point onwards. It was a clinical performance by the defending premiers as they remorselessly punished any Jets errors. Newtown added two late tries and can take some credit for fighting gamely right to the final siren.



Jets front-rower Glenn Hall scored two tries and lost nothing in comparison to his opponents. Newtown?s classy halfback Josh Lewis set up three of Newtown?s five tries and kicked well in general play. Forwards Daniel Dumas and Charles Tonga and fullback Aidan Kirk also impressed in this tough encounter. The Jets had plenty of walking wounded after the game and now have to regroup to take on traditional rivals North Sydney next Saturday.

In other weekend matches the Newtown Jetettes maintained their unbeaten run by comfortably accounting for the Parramatta Junior Eels by 24-10. In Group 11, the Parkes Spacemen gained some badly needed competition points with a 32-20 win over Dubbo Macquarie.

The visit by the Sydney Roosters NRL squad to the Jets Sports Club on Sunday evening was an unqualified success. The club was packed to the proverbial rafters with a marvellous roll-up of Jets and Roosters juniors and their parents. Sydney Roosters officials were impressed with the great crowd in attendance and the adulation extended to the Roosters players.

The Newtown Jets are back again at Henson Park headquarters this Saturday (June 3rd) when they take on the Melbourne Storm-aligned North Sydney Bears in the first leg of the 2006 Frank Hyde Shield, with this match kicking off at 3.00pm. The Jim Beam Cup competition resumes after a spare weekend, with the Jets travelling to the Lionel Watts Field on Sunday (June 4th) to play the Belrose Eagles at 3.00pm.