More than a century of rivalry will come to a head this Sunday afternoon when foundation clubs Newtown and North Sydney go head-to-head in the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup grand final.
For the last two decades, supporters of both clubs have claimed that their respective team is the cream of the crop when it comes to the NSW-based second-tier comp - and now they finally have the chance to prove it in the biggest game of the season.
While Norths haven’t featured in the top-level footy for 25 years, and Newtown’s exile has been even longer at 41, both legacy clubs possess extremely dedicated fan bases, and you can guarantee that CommBank Stadium will be rocking once the players take to the field.
On the park, it will be a battle of contrasting styles.
George Ndaira’s Jets, who act as a feeder side to the Sharks, tend to play a free-flowing brand of football, which sees big forwards like Tuku Hau-Tapuha and Braden Hamlin-Uele try to win quick play-the-balls, so speedsters Liam Ison and Sam Stonestreet can weave their magic out wide.
Last Word: Bears captain Kurt de Luis
Likewise, you can’t discount the attacking spark of the dummy-half double act of Queenslander Jayden Berrell and the Warriors-bound Sam Healey, both of whom can cause havoc when the opposition defence is caught on the back foot.
On the other hand, the Storm-aligned North Sydney prefer to engage in a dog fight (or should we say bear fight?).
They favour a defensive brand of football, that relies on solid, mistake-free rugby league, and often allows them to grind out tight wins.
Workhorse prop and skipper Kurt De Luis is central to this game plan. A veteran of 12 first-grade games with Manly between 2021 and 2022, he has been the heart and soul of the Red and Blacks since he joined the club in 2023.
That said, the Bears don’t lack flair, with utility back Kieran Hayman and explosive winger Allan Fitzgibbon capable of lighting up the turf when called upon.
An electric finisher, Fitzgibbon is the competition’s leading try scorer with 20 tries from 20 appearances in 2024, while Hayman was the leading point-scorer with 208 points.
In something that will have neutrals rubbing their hands in anticipation, two of the past three encounters between the teams have been seriously tight affairs.
In round 15, Norths scraped home 16-12 on a dreary afternoon at Henson Park, and despite Newtown taking the honours 18-8 at North Sydney Oval in round 23, the minor premiers sealed the first Grand Final berth, when they pipped their rivals 18-16 at Leichhardt Oval two weeks ago in the major semi.
Last Word: Jets captain Billy Burns
Despite being minor premiers in 2023, the Bears had to settle for second last year after being shaded 22-18 by the Rabbitohs in the decider.
Can they go one better this year, and break a drought stretching back to 1993, when they completed a reserve grade three-peat?
Or will the Jets claim their third NSW Cup since returning to the second tier in 2000?
All will be revealed on Sunday as two proud clubs battle it out for premiership glory and a spot in the State Championships showdown against Norths Devils on NRL grand final day.
