Newtown points-scoring ace
dominates the Jets Awards Night

Classy fullback Nathan Merritt took the lion?s share of awards at the recent Newtown Jets RLFC annual presentation night.

The NSW Minister for Education and Training and MP for Marrickville Carmel Tebbutt was the principal guest of honour at the well-attended evening last week at the Jets Sports Club. There were a great many Newtown club sponsors, officials, players and supporters on hand as the Jets celebrated their best season in Rugby League for many years.

Nathan Merritt, who has joined South Sydney for the 2006 season, won the following awards:

Leading VB Premier League try-scorer for 2005
Leading VB Premier League points-scorer for 2005
Club record number of points scored by a Newtown player in one season
Club record number of points scored by a Newtown player in one game
Newtown RLFC VB Premier League Players? Player award.

Merritt?s personal tally of 40 points in one game (scored against the Cougars on the 21st May) was second only to the all-time record of 45 points, set by the legendary Eastern Suburbs champion player Dave Brown back in 1935.

Other major award winners were:

Newtown RLFC VB Premier League Best and Fairest ? Kevin Kingston
Newtown RLFC Jim Beam Cup Best and Fairest ? Rimini Reweti
Newtown RLFC VB Premier League Coach?s Award ? Russell Aitken
Newtown RLFC Jim Beam Cup Coach?s Award ? David Vial
The Fred Daly Memorial Award (for outstanding service to the club by a player) ? David Thompson.

Several speakers praised the Cronulla-Sutherland club for the responsible manner in which the partnership between the two clubs had been conducted in 2005. Although both clubs had mutually agreed not to extend the joint venture beyond 2005, the success of the association was clearly evident in two ways. Both of the Newtown club?s senior teams had made the semi-finals, and several of the Sharks youngsters who had been on loan to Newtown had graduated into the Cronulla NRL ranks during the year.

Many of the speakers on the night paid tribute to all those Cronulla-Sutherland players who had readily adapted to playing with the Newtown club, and who had really applied themselves to their football in a most professional manner. They had all worn the Newtown colours with both honour and pride and had won the admiration of Newtown?s big support base. The Cronulla-Sutherland brigade had all contributed to the Newtown club having had its best season in many years.