The Newtown Jets and North Sydney Bears are up against each other in the New South Wales Cup Grand Final on Sunday — it doesn’t get much better than that.
It’s the first time the two proud foundation clubs will play each other in a grand final since 1943. Newtown won that 34-7 in front of a 60,000-plus crowd at the SCG.
That was, of course, back in the NSWRFL days when the first-grade competition consisted of eight Sydney-based teams.
81 years on and the Jets and Bears are still very much a key part of rugby league, albeit in NSW’s reserve grade competition.
North Sydney, who now feed to the Melbourne Storm following the end of a long partnership with the Roosters, were crowned minor premiers for the second year running and will play in back-to-back grand finals.
Newtown have been affiliated with the Cronulla Sharks since 2015 with the likes of Will Kennedy, Blayke Brailey and Briton Nikora among those who have spent a season or two in the famous jersey before becoming household names in the NRL.
Sunday’s game, which kicks off at 3pm at CommBank Stadium, will also feature some familiar Sharks faces like Sam Stonestreet, Billy Burns and Braden Hamlin-Uele.
There’s also up-and-coming fullback Liam Ison, who got a taste of the NRL this year when he made his debut in Round 21.
The 19-year-old has been a revelation for Newtown this season with 10 tries and 11 try assists in 16 appearances. He’s also been averaging six tackle busts and over 130 running metres per game.
But Ison wasn’t really a big part of coach George Ndaira’s plans coming into this season given the No.1 jersey belonged to Kade Dykes.
Ison spent the first two weeks of this season playing for the Sharks’ Jersey Flegg side. He received a call-up from Ndaira in Round 3 when Dykes was out, retained his spot in Round 4 with Dykes playing five-eighth upon his return but dropped back out of the 17 after that.
And one did — when Dykes was ruled out for the season after undergoing knee surgery.
It was a devastating blow for Dykes, who has had rotten luck with injures, but it was an opportunity for Ison to declare himself a week-in, week-out Cup player and push for an NRL debut.
“Everyone talks about Ison’s pre-season and how good it was,” Ndaira said.
“When you’re looking at your potential side at the beginning of the year you try to find a spot for him but with Kade Dykes in the side and some of the senior guys I thought he was only going to play a handful of games.
“But opportunity always arises and it’s up to the individual to make the most of it. He’s definitely done that and now I probably couldn’t see him not being in the side. He just always keeps delivering.
“His support play is outstanding and his kick returns, he brings the ball back with plenty of enthusiasm.
“He doesn’t die wondering, he doesn’t surrender on any play and he’s always looking to be involved and put himself in the play.
“I think when you watch him you just notice how enthusiastic he is… he’s always putting himself in the picture to take advantage of any half-opportunity.”
Ison is a Penrith junior and was a member of the Panthers’ premiership-winning Jersey Flegg side in 2022. He arrived to the Sharks ahead of this season on a development deal and made an immediate impact.
Just like an opportunity opened up for him in NSW Cup, another came about in July when Will Kennedy was suspended for one game.
Ison travelled up to Townsville to line-up against the Cowboys’ Scott Drinkwater and didn’t look out of place, finishing his debut with a try assist, a linebreak assist, seven tackle busts and 18 runs for 146 metres.
While he might be stuck behind Kennedy and Dykes in the fullback pecking order, Ndaira believes regular NRL isn’t too far away for Ison.
“He’s one of those (players) that if he’s not playing consistent NRL footy next year it’s probably not too far down the track for him,” he said.
“The Sharks have one (fullack) in waiting (in Ison)... they’ve got a couple because of ‘Dyksey’ as well. It’s a good position for the Sharks to be in.”
Sharks fans can also expect to see powerhouse prop Tuku Hau Tapuha have an impact on Sunday’s game with Ndaira declaring the hulking 22-year-old “has taken his game to another level this season.”
Then there’s lock Blake Hosking and second-rower Kyle Pickering, who are part of Newtown’s part-time squad.
Ndaira wasn’t sure if they’d fit into the 17 coming into this season but said they’re now “two of the first picked” and they’ve both “really earned their spots” in the side.
That’s the beauty of reserve grade — it’s a combination of players training full time with an NRL squad and players who juggle their footy with full-time jobs.
Take North Sydney’s Kurt De Luis and Regan Hughes as an example. De Luis is a concreter by day, while Hughes is a civil engineer during the week before taping up his head and running it off the back fence for the Bears on weekends.
And that juggle extends to plenty of coaches in the competition too with Ndaira currently juggling the pressure of preparing the Jets for a grand final with his full-time job at a train logistics company.
Ndaira, who played for Newtown in 2007, joined the coaching staff in 2017 as assistant to the long-serving Greg Matterson, which means he was a part of the club’s last premiership in 2019.
It was sealed with an iconic matchwinning play by Billy Magoulias, who became an overnight cult hero.
In the final three minutes of extra time against the Wentworthville Magpies, Magoulias produced a perfectly-weighted chip-kick, which was caught by Tyrone Phillips, who then set up Will Kennedy for a try.
The following week he repeated the exact same play to set up the matchwinning try in the final 10 seconds of Newtown’s clash with Burleigh in the State Championship.
“(The 2019 grand final) always brings backs good memories… I think Billy still gets a free dinner out of it every now and then. One he’ll never forget, that’s for sure,” Ndaira laughed.
“He’s got all the skill in the world. He definitely hasn’t lost that.”
Magoulias played 16 NRL games for the Sharks between 2019 and 2021 before a stint in the Super League. He returned to Newtown in the back half of 2022 and has been a key part of the Jets ever since.
Key Players to Watch
Bears captain Kurt De Luis has been named at prop after a consistent season averaging 35 tackles and 133 run metres without missing a game. Teammate Jake Toby, who missed today’s decider after breaking his foot last month, was chosen at fullback after a season that featured 21 try involvements (seven tries, 14 assists), eight line-breaks and 97 tackle-busts.
The Jets are represented by captain and second-rower Billy Burns, who boasted the most tries (eight) and try assists (five) of any edge forward in the competition, and hooker Jayden Berrell, following nearly 150 appearances across Queensland Cup and The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup.
Six Storm Players to Feature
Dean Ieremia, Bronson Garlick, Tepai Moeroa, Joe Chan, Ativalu Lisati and Sua Fa’alogo will all line up in Bears colours hoping to taste premiership success when they face the Newtown Jets at CommBank Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Bears joined the Storm feeder program in 2024 alongside existing feeder clubs, the Sunshine Coast Falcons and Brisbane Easts who both have long relationships with the club.
Storm General Manager Football, Frank Ponissi, said the partnership with the Bears had been a great success in its first season.
“Everyone at the Bears has been very welcoming and accommodating with our players this season,” Ponissi said.
“While we’ve had a partnership with Easts and the Falcons for a few years now, the Bears have given us another avenue to develop our players and we couldn’t be happier with the results.”
All six Storm players have been strong contributors for the Bears at various stages across the season and all have also featured at NRL level in the Storm jersey in 2024. Victorian born outside back Dean Ieremia has made the most appearances for North Sydney, scoring eight tries from his 19 appearances.
Joe Chan will be playing for his second consecutive state league Grand Final having lifted the trophy last season with Brisbane Easts after they won the Queensland Cup.
“We feel really lucky to have had a partnership with all three feeder clubs this season and the results are showing for both our Club and theirs,” Ponissi said.
“While Easts didn’t have the season they were hoping, both the Falcons and Bears have tasted finals in 2024, and we hope our boys can help lift that trophy on Sunday.”
A Grand Final Showdown for the Ages
The Bears and Jets met two weeks ago in the Major Semi Final where the Bears secured an 18-16 win. The winner of Sunday’s NSW Cup Grand Final will play Queensland Cup winners, Norths Devils, in the 2024 State Championship at Accor Stadium on NRL Grand Final day.
The clash between the Jets and Bears is set to be a thrilling spectacle. Both teams have a rich history and are filled with talented players. With the season on the line, expect an intense and hard-fought battle on Sunday at CommBank Stadium. The winner will not only claim the NSW Cup title but also earn a spot in the State Championship, further solidifying their place in the rugby league landscape.
