Newtowns Ins and Outs for 2011

[Horry]

NSWRL Media
14/12/2010 12:41:31 PM

NEWTOWN JETS

Coaching staff:

Head Coach: Greg Matterson (now in his fourth year)

Assistant coaches: Darryl Neville - backs (formerly with Souths, Illawarra, Fiji)

Sean Rutgerson - forwards (ex-Norths, Canberra, Salford, Jacksonville Axemen, South Africa World Cup rep)

Strength and Conditioning Coach: Brad Stocks

Trainers: John Zoller (ex-Roosters); Dan Wortley (ex-Harlequins)

Team manager: Sam Mavrovelis

Former assistant coach, Luke Ellis, is now the Football Manager at the Roosters

Former team manager , Mick Dabela, is having a sabbatical.

Train on squad:

Steve Naughton - Roosters full-time.
Luke Towers - playing with Limoux in the French RL Elite competition - likely to return to Newtown in June.
Tommy Symonds - full-time with the Roosters
Brad Barrett - training with Newtown
Aidan Guerra - full-time with the Roosters
Tinirau Arona - full-time with the Roosters
Ryan Verlinden - training with Newtown
Brad Takairangi - full-time with the Roosters
James Koloamatangi - training with Newtown
Mose Masoe - full-time with the Roosters
Johnathon Ford - full-time with the Roosters
Byron Ford - returning to Newtown in February
Khalid Deeb - training with Newtown
Ben Jones - full-time at the Roosters
Rhys Pritchard - ex-Wests - training full-time at the Roosters
Mark Kheirallah - ex-Roosters Toyota Cup - training full-time at the Roosters
Byron Fruean - ex-Knights - training full-time at the Roosters
Kurt Kara - ex-Wests - training full-time with the Roosters
Chris Afamasaga - ex-Goulburn Workers Bulldogs - training with Newtown
Chris Enahoro - ex-Tweed Heads Seagulls Q-Cup - training with Newtown
Brock Harmer - ex-Newcastle Wests - training with Newtown
Josh Kent - ex-Canterbury-Bankstown Toyota Cup - training with Newtown
Brett Lane - ex-Balmain - training with Newtown
Isaac Maliota - ex-Roosters Toyota Cup - training with both the Roosters and Newtown
Boyd Strickland - ex-Roosters Toyota Cup - training with Newtown

Released/Losses:

Jason Baitieri - full-time with the Catalans Dragons (Super League)
Sonny Tuigamala - released.
Tu'u Maori - full-time with the Melbourne Storm
Chris Tuatara-Morrison - released
Troy Savage - undecided as to whether he'll play again
Liam Foran - full-time with Manly-Warringah
Jason Wells – released
Ray Moujalli - training full-time with Manly-Warringah
Nick Kouparitsas - full-time with the Harlequins (Super League)
Keith Peters - released
Richard Kambo - released
Russell Aitken - retired
Nick Doig - released
James Aubusson - captain-coach of Goulburn Workers Bulldogs

Training Schedule:

Started on the 8th November 2010
Four sessions a week - two in the gym, one at Marrickville Oval and one at different beachside locations on early Saturday mornings.
Last session before Xmas: Tuesday, 21st December 2010.
Resuming on Tuesday, 4th January 2011.

First trial:

Versus South Sydney in the annual Return to Redfern Oval match on Saturday, 5th February 2011.

Players you expect to have a breakout year in 2011:

Tinirau Arona will play NRL in 2011. He was the stand-out man of the match in the Cook Islands' 26-22 win over NSW Country at Tamworth in mid-October and was also Newtown’s player of the year in 2010.

Kurt Kara (ex-Wests) is a very impressive trainer and looks set for a big season especially after catching the eye of Rooster Coach Brian Smith.

Brett Lane (ex-Balmain) will be a very good signing for Newtown in 2011. Has the ability to play several positions in the backline and will no doubt be a useful tool for Coach Greg Matterson.


Expert’s opinion:

The Jets looked to have recruited well for 2011 and Coach Greg Matterson will have to make some tough decisions when he selects his side for Round One of the NSW Cup in March. A pre-season injury to Roosters hooker Anthony Watts could provide an opportunity for one of Matterson’s men to pressure the newly signed Mark Riddell for a back up hooking role during the NRL season. Newtown will be keen to feature long into the finals once again but with the 30 year anniversary of their 1981 Grand Final appearance taking on special meaning, 2011 shapes to be one to remember for the proud Club.

[Guest]

excellent to see towers in the squad. i still think he has the potential to replace mini from fullback - goalkicking, speed, finishing, ball playing etc. he is the package and a local boy

[Guest]

Hopfully Tom Symonds can have better luck this year and put pressure on for a first grade spot. He will have some pretty hot opposition in the backrow though.

[elo]

Sam Brunton not mentioned......what happened there? Also thought Rhys Jack from the Dogs was bought too. Squad looks light in the halves and at hooker without those two listed as we lost Peters, Doig, Foran, Aubusson who covered these positions last season, everywhere else well and truely covered.

[Rooster_6]

Sam Brunton not mentioned......what happened there? Also thought Rhys Jack from the Dogs was bought too. Squad looks light in the halves and at hooker without those two listed as we lost Peters, Doig, Foran, Aubusson who covered these positions last season, everywhere else well and truely covered.

He was never actually signed, I mentioned this in the thread I started about Shaun Berrigan.

[crikey chris]

Did not see the name Lama Tasi, our new signing from Manly's toyota cup side. Having played the last 2 years in NTC, I'd say he will be too old to play another year? Or is he in our top 25 for firstgrade?

Is the Brett Lane (ex Balmain) the same guy that was in our Flegg team?

Crikey

[Chookies74]

Hopfully Tom Symonds can have better luck this year and put pressure on for a first grade spot. He will have some pretty hot opposition in the backrow though.

Tom played a lot of 5/8 for Newtown when he got back on the park last year.
What pos'n is he likely to play this yr?

Even though he's not a 5/8, I'd like to see him play there there to cover for Carney during Origin, and or Pearce, (ie Carney to half), Tommy to 5/8.

[Rooster_6]

Did not see the name Lama Tasi, our new signing from Manly's toyota cup side. Having played the last 2 years in NTC, I'd say he will be too old to play another year? Or is he in our top 25 for firstgrade?

Is the Brett Lane (ex Balmain) the same guy that was in our Flegg team?

Crikey

Will definitely be in our top 25, classy player.

[Rooster_6]

Tom played a lot of 5/8 for Newtown when he got back on the park last year.
What pos'n is he likely to play this yr?

Even though he's not a 5/8, I'd like to see him play there there to cover for Carney during Origin, and or Pearce, (ie Carney to half), Tommy to 5/8.

He'll play in the second row, he was carving up there in Round 1 this year before his injury, didn't look the same player when he came back at the end of last year (it was a pretty serious injury) but at his best he just seems to break the line with so much ease.

[Burnt Rooster]

Kurt Kara

Ex Newcastle Wests, I dont know anything about him, what position does he play, centre, I hope, apparently Smithy has been taken back, by what he has seen of him so far.

[Guest]

Kurt Kara is an interesting one - solid young player from the Warriors NYC team of 2009, didn't know he was part of our FG squad.

Sydney Roosters

Minichiello, Perrett, Kenny-Dowall, Linnett, Graham, Carney, Pearce, Ryles, Friend, Myles, Nuuausala, Aubusson, Anasta (c), BENCH: Riddell, Conn, Hargreaves, Kennedy

Newtown Jets

Kheirallah, Naughton, Fruean, Carney, Lane/Pritchard, Ford, Jones, Arona, Kara, Masoe, Tasi, Symonds, Guerra, BENCH: Towers, Takairangi, Maliota, Strickland/Deeb/Koloamatangi/Verlinden/Afamasaga

[Guest]

Kurt Kara is an interesting one - solid young player from the Warriors NYC team of 2009, didn't know he was part of our FG squad.

Sydney Roosters

Minichiello, Perrett, Kenny-Dowall, Linnett, Graham, Carney, Pearce, Ryles, Friend, Myles, Nuuausala, Aubusson, Anasta (c), BENCH: Riddell, Conn, Hargreaves, Kennedy

Newtown Jets

Kheirallah, Naughton, Fruean, Carney, Lane/Pritchard, Ford, Jones, Arona, Kara, Masoe, Tasi, Symonds, Guerra, BENCH: Towers, Takairangi, Maliota, Strickland/Deeb/Koloamatangi/Verlinden/Afamasaga

Mack,

Not often I can pick you up for missing someone, but you missed BJ.

[fletch]

also Maubs and Graham will miss the first month of the season due to off season surgery, Linnett would also have some question marks over him as he won't start running until late January after groin surgery so he will require everything to go to plan in his rehab to make round 1.

[The Pelican]

Kurt Kara is an interesting one - solid young player from the Warriors NYC team of 2009, didn't know he was part of our FG squad.

Sydney Roosters

Minichiello, Perrett, Kenny-Dowall, Linnett, Graham, Carney, Pearce, Ryles, Friend, Myles, Nuuausala, Aubusson, Anasta (c), BENCH: Riddell, Conn, Hargreaves, Kennedy

Newtown Jets

Kheirallah, Naughton, Fruean, Carney, Lane/Pritchard, Ford, Jones, Arona, Kara, Masoe, Tasi, Symonds, Guerra, BENCH: Towers, Takairangi, Maliota, Strickland/Deeb/Koloamatangi/Verlinden/Afamasaga

You forgot Cherrington as well, shows just how much depth we have. I CAN'T WAIT FOR 2011!

[Guest]

You forgot Cherrington as well, shows just how much depth we have. I CAN'T WAIT FOR 2011!

And Cordner....LOL.

I think we will be shedding a couple of second rowers at the end of the year....there will be some pretty talented backrowers in the Jets (and on the bench for the Jets!) next year!