FOR MACARTHUR RUGBY LEAGUE WRAP
The once mighty Narellan Jets could face expulsion from senior rugby league in the local region with reports of destruction of important financial paperwork, serious debt, question marks over player welfare and life members walking away from the club.
Macarthur Rugby League Wrap understands the New South Wales Rugby League has been keeping a close eye on the Jets since last year and were given stern ultimatums at the club’s last AGM.
If the Jets senior club was to be axed – Narellan Sports Ground would be handed to the South West Goannas.
It’s more bad news for Narellan after MRLW recently revealed several players want out of the club and have requested releases to join a rival in the Macarthur premiership.
Preparing to celebrate 50 years in 2027 – the Jets are the current holders of the wooden spoon and are 0-7 to start the season, already conceding 302 points at a differential of -186.
They have won just six games in three years, and their last victory came against fellow battlers, Goannas, on the 23rd of June last year.
The Jets first grade side has not won a premiership since 2004.
A source has told MRLW of serious “internal issues” with new committee members quickly squeezed out of sponsorship and senior trainer positions.
“We figured the whole helping with the committee and rebuilding the club would have gone a lot better than it has,” they said.
“We were quickly squeezed out of communications, club decisions, including financial ones.
“Darrin [Patton – Jets President] and Rebecca [O’Brien – Jets Secretary] took over the role of sponsorship by arranging and having meetings…”
“The senior club is under watch by NSWRL due to how the club was run last year and the AGM for the 2025 season was tabled by Stephen Hazelton [NSWRL League and Club Support Coordinator] because of this fact.
“The club was in over $40,000 debt from the previous season with many players not receiving payments for games from the previous season.
“The previous committee withheld and deleted [and] destroyed paperwork and financials from the previous seasons.”
MRLW understands that most of the debt has now been recovered.
There has also been strong information of serious disgruntlement within the playing group and into the Under 18s with several alleged on-field injuries, including concussions, not being reported by Jets trainers.
“There have been multiple injuries within the squad that have not been reported,” the source confirmed with MRLW.
In a pre-season trial earlier this year, MRLW understands a Jets player had a head gash glued together and told “to not be a pussy”.
The player allegedly returned to the field soon after before taking himself to a doctor to receive stitches later that day.
Further frustrating the situation is alleged “bullying” between players and coaching staff on group chats.
MRLW has been told squad members have requested certain Under 18’s be elevated into the reserve grade side – based on their performances in that grade – only for those calls to be ignored by club officials above the head coach.
Adding to the toxic culture at the club, MRLW has been told “verbally abusive” ex-committee members are still working in and around the Jets at training and on game days.
But MRLW can also reveal issues with the Narellan Jets JRLFC with one young family desperately trying to recoup their son’s registration money from the Jets – despite transferring to a rival team before the competition had started.
Parents of an “upset” 7-year-old boy, who had played with the Jets since he was five and had already paid his rego, had received little time in one trial game in March.
“Group 6 and Oran Park approved their section [for a transfer] within two days,” they told MRLW.
“Jets waited until day 10 to approve it… making sure our 7-year-old son missed out on playing round 1 and round 2 of the season [for Oran Park].
“During these 10 days I had tried on multiple occasions to contact the club.”
MRLW understands Oran Park Chargers officials phoned the Jets but refused to release the registration money due to the child receiving Jets training gear which sources have told MRLW did not happen.
With the rego money paid to the Chargers and the existing registration being held by the Jets – the young family has forked out almost $400.
Several complaints have been made to Narellan, Group 6 and NSWRL with no luck.
“We have been dealing with this issue since the 24th of March and don’t feel that we should have to pay a second registration for a little kid to play grassroots footy.”
Narellan JRLFC have been contacted for comment.
