Sydney Airport
Jets Add A Tiger Skin To Their Collection

The Sydney Airport Jets racked up another important home ground win, when they defeated the second-placed Balmain Tigers 20-12 in the VB Premier League match played at Henson Park on Saturday. Played in front of a crowd of more than two thousand, this was a fiercely-contested, engrossing encounter in which seven tries were scored in the first half and none in the second. Newtown had led 16-12 at half-time after trailing 8-0 after only nine minutes, and increased this lead to 20-12 through two second-half penalty goals by Troy Barnes.

Newtown?s forwards led the way in this victory, with valuable contributions made by James Stosic, Phillip Leuluai, Monah Elahmad, Billy Najjarin, Tommy Gemmell and Wade L?Estrange. Stosic and Leuluai are two of the standout forwards in the 2004 VB Premier League competition, while L?Estrange is proving to be a quality acquisition as hooker. The powerfully-built Elahmad has a probable appointment with the NSWRL judiciary after being sent off late in the match.

Winger Ben Cook, an established crowd favourite at Henson Park, had one of his best-ever games, scoring two tries, defending well and fielding kicks with confidence. Craig Field repeatedly drove the Tigers back onto their own line with radar-directed kicks, particularly in that gripping final fifteen minutes. Centres Ben Vaeau and John Sinisa are starting to ?gel? as an effective defensive combination.

Street-wise coach Colin Murphy employed yet another masterful motivational tactic when one of Australia?s greatest-ever boxing champions, former Newtown junior representative player and Enmore High graduate Jeff Fenech, made an impassioned address to the assembled Jets? players prior to the match.

Newtown?s run of outs in the Jim Beam Cup continued, with the Sydney Airport Jets going down to local rivals Souths Juniors by 48-24. Hamilton Hughes, Chan Ly and Peter Howie were the best players for the Jets.

Up in Group 11, our partners the Parkes Spacemen toughed it out to a valuable 36-32 win over Narromine, with Newtown's Dane Scott putting in a strong performance.

Newtown has another Henson Park home game against an old-time rival in the VB Premier League this Saturday (June 12), when they take on the Western Suburbs Magpies at 3.00pm. In the Jim Beam Cup, Newtown travels away to Ourimbah on Sunday, with this match at Sohier Park due to start at 3.00pm.