The Sydney Airport Jets take a
momentous step forward into the future

The Board of the NSW Rugby League has approved a joint venture between the Newtown and Cronulla-Sutherland Rugby League Football Clubs, whereby the Sydney Airport Jets will become the sole VB Premier League team for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.

The Newtown RLFC will continue to play in its famous Royal Blue colours.

Newtown will play at least 9-10 VB Premier League home games at Henson Park in 2005, with maybe 2-3 home games to be played as curtain-raisers to Cronulla-Sutherland NRL home games at Toyota Park. These games will be aligned as closely as possible with Cronulla-Sutherland's NRL draw.

The Newtown RLFC completely and unequivocally retains its own corporate identity and full legal entity, property and assets.

Newtown?s sponsors will benefit from having access to a broader market, and from the many networking opportunities that will become available through this cooperative venture. Newtown will receive NRL-contracted players from Cronulla-Sutherland to play in the Sydney Airport Jets VB Premier League team, on the same basis as occurs with other club's NRL and VB Premier League teams.

Certain current Newtown players are likely to be signed by the Cronulla-Sutherland RLFC. The remaining Newtown players and surplus Cronulla players will compete for places in the 2005 Newtown VB Premier League and Jim Beam Cup teams. The Newtown RLFC retains the right to select its own coaching, training and medical staff. The Newtown club will completely retain all of its long-held links within the local area ? through the schools, juniors, community festivals and through other tangible links with Newtown's famous inner-western Sydney heritage. This arrangement between the two clubs delivers financial savings to both organisations. From Newtown's point of view, it enables our club to field full-time NRL contracted players, and will greatly increase our chances of making the VB Premier League finals, thereby drawing bigger crowds, attracting more sponsors, and taking us along the path towards financial security. Senior officials from the Newtown and Cronulla-Sutherland clubs have met on a number of occasions. The meetings have been totally cooperative and positive, with complete focus on what can be achieved for the betterment of both Rugby League clubs. The aim of both clubs is for Cronulla-Sutherland to win the NRL Premiership and for Newtown to win the VB Premier League and Jim Beam Cup competitions.

Newtown's place in the Jim Beam Cup competition is seen as a real positive by Cronulla-Sutherland, with the Sydney Airport Jets' Jim Beam Cup team providing a higher level of Rugby League for Sharks Jersey Flegg products and ambitious Cronulla-Sutherland A Grade juniors to aim for.

Sharks CEO Steve Rogers, NRL Head Coach Stuart Raper and Recruitment Coordinator Theo Burgess have already attended Newtown training, and will attend future training sessions at Henson Park when appropriate.

The Directors of the Newtown RLFC are confident that all Sydney Airport Jets members and supporters will be thrilled at the prospects arising from this decisive moment in the history of Australia's oldest Rugby League club. The Newtown RLFC remains wholly and solely Newtown, but we certainly have a magnificent new partner to work with in the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks RLFC!