s on its final homestand after an impressive 6-1 road trip.MENGDEN WEARS DOWNMengden needed only 26 pitches to get through the first three innings and didnt give up a hit until Yuli Gurriels on

Its 3pm on a Saturday afternoon at one of Australian rugby leagues most cherished sites, and the ground announcer brings us all to attention.Righto ref, let er rip. And let er rip, the ref did, allowing the Newtown Jets to start charging away at their opponents, Penrith.Welcome to Henson Park, and a different, but special sporting experience.The weekend was Retro Round in the NRL and all the talk was about mullets, shoulder pads, ill-fitting footy jerseys, going the biff, swinging arms, king hits, Controversy Corner, weird colour schemes, ciggys and beer in the dressing rooms. The weekend was thick in league nostalgia.?But if you really wanted to go retro, and be among those who dont have to put on an act and appreciate the traditions of the game, there was only one place to go- Henson Park in Sydneys inner west.?Every Saturday when Newtown are playing at their home ground, its naturally Retro- a reminder of those times when league wasnt so caught up in the corporate world and was the game of the workers, the battlers who happily went to grounds with the bare minimum facilities to show their allegiances to the local colours.Even if it is well over 30 years since Newtown was ejected from the NSW Rugby League premiership due to financial dramas, they remain the sentimental favourites of so many league diehards.Nowadays playing in the second tier NSW Cup, known as the Intrust Super Premiership, Newtown still have a solid following.?Around the ground on Saturday, punters old and young- proudly wore the distinctive blue Newtown jersey- some looking as if they were three or four decades old- and reminisced of the time when their club was a Sydney premiership threat, such as in 1981 when they lost the grand final to Parramatta.A founding member of the NSW League in 1908, the Newtown Bluebags which became the Jets in the early 1970s, was for decades a haven for tough, evocative characters, such as Frank Bumper Farrell, who became one of Sydneys most feared policeman.In the 1970s and 80s they boasted such expressive souls as Brian Chicka Moore, Phil whats a packet of Sigsworth, John Ferguson, Lionel Williamson, Kenny Wilson, Tommy Raudonikis, even Phil Gus Gould for several seasons.This was a straight up and down league club, with their home ground adding to their hard and rugged character. Built on an old brick pit, Henson Park is open to the elements.?There is the King George V Memorial Grandstand on one side, which has seating for a few hundred, a scoreboard, with an overhang that can shelter a few, but its main attraction is a large grassy hill, that goes almost halfway around the ground.Great on dry days. Tricky when its wet. When it is sunny, the Hill is a delight, as on Saturday where it was covered with blankets and large groups relishing good old fashioned league, with the added attraction of a Beer, Footy and Food Festival, where local brewers and food operators were offering their wares.?The ground hasnt changed much since their last major premiership game at the ground in 1983.The grandstand has a new roof, and the scoreboard is now electronic, while there are AFL goalposts at either end, but the facilities are pretty much the same to what it was when Newtown were taking on the big names all those years ago.And yes, you can still park your car behind the goalposts at the western end if you want. Henson Park, unlike so many other suburban grounds, can never be labelled sterile. It is alive, a real family affair, where the crowd is made to feel welcome.?Over the afternoon, the ground announcer made certain they knew they were the best spectators in the world, and the salt of the earth.Rex and Betty, long time Newtown supporters, were congratulated for their 60th wedding anniversary.There were constant calls to buy raffle tickets for a meat try, fruit box and a case of beer.The punters were asked to check their pockets as lost car keys had been handed in.And at the end of half-time, the announcer had to gently remind several hundred children and their parents who had invaded the ground to kick footies and tackle each other, that they had to actually get off the field so the game could continue.Eventually everyone was herded off. Play was recommenced, but within seconds had to be stopped when a lost child wandered onto the field.So the two teams ran back to their original positions. Newtown kicked off again.No one seemed too bothered. And Newtown continues to thrive on its old school qualities, showing immense pride in its past.The two merchandise shops at the ground- including one up on the hill- were selling some of the best Retro T-shirts going around, celebrating their most vivid moments, including the infamous 1981 minor semi-final all-in-brawl with Manly, and players, such as Raudonikis gesticulating to a referee, underneath the words: Not me Sir.Theres even one T-shirt showing the moment when their American import Manfred Moore in 1977 threw a gridiron pass with a football which went over the top of the King George V Grandstand.As for the announced crowd figure, it yet again got an ironic cheer from the Hill. The number is an in joke; it is always 8972.Adding to the joy Newtown enjoyed a late surge, winning 12-10, and with it another crackly rendition over the loud speakers of the old club song.Newtown is Coming Hear the Bluebags Humming Newtown NewtownNewtown are flying Therell be no denying Newtown NewtownNo wonder those who love salt of the earth footy keep going back to Henson Park. Value for money and even a chance to win a meat tray.Fred VanVleet Raptors Jersey .2 billion agreement with Rogers Communications for the leagues broadcast and multimedia rights. Norman Powell Jersey . -- Ohio States Urban Meyer has never had any issue acclimating to the biggest stages in college football. http://www.nbaraptorsonline.com/Authentic-OG-Anunoby-Jersey/ .C. - The Carolina Hurricanes have placed backup goalie Anton Khudobin on injured reserve with an unspecified lower-body injury. Tracy Mcgrady Raptors Jersey . -- Teemu Selanne scored the first goal of his 22nd NHL season, and the Anaheim Ducks extended the best start in franchise history with their fifth straight victory, 3-2 over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. Toronto Raptors Jerseys . Dallas hasnt ruled out the star quarterback for Sunday nights game against Philadelphia, but all signs point to Romos back injury pushing Kyle Orton into the starting role after two years of limited play as the backup. Surely Ortons name isnt the first that comes to mind for fans wanting a change after years of damaging interceptions, fumbles or, most infamously, the field goal flub when Romo dropped the snap on a kick that could have won his first playoff game in 2006.OAKLAND, Calif. -- Daniel Mengden threw the pitch exactly where he wanted. Where it wound up -- not what the Oakland rookie wanted.Evan Gattis homered twice, catcher Jason Castro threw out a runner to end the game and the contending Houston Astros beat the Athletics 6-5 Wednesday to finish off a sweep.The Astros began the day two games behind Baltimore for the second AL wild-card spot.Gattis reached 30 homers. He hit a two-run drive in the sixth off Mengden (2-8) for a 4-1 lead and connected again in the eighth.Gattis tagged a 1-2 curveball at his knees on the outer part of the plate, highlighting a three-run inning that gave the Astros a 4-1 lead.I thought I made a pretty good pitch but he made a pretty good swing and it went out, Mengden said.Gattis first homer on the day followed Carlos Correas run-scoring double.I think the one bad pitch (Mengden) made was the two-strike pitch to Correa, As manager Bob Melvin said. The pitch to Gattis was a good pitch, it was almost on the ground. You have to give Gattis credit there.Oakland scored on second baseman Jose Altuves fielding error with two outs in the ninth inning to pull within 6-5. Castro then threw out pinch runner Arismendy Alcantara trying to steal second, and the call was upheld on a replay review.That replay on the stolen base was a tough one, Melvin said. (Astros reliever Luke Gregerson) is a pretty easy guy to steal on for the most part. I dont think (Arismendy) got his best jump on that one but thats what hes in there for and Castro made a good throw.There are a lot of plays in this game that were just a couple of inches one way or the other and if we get them were probably talking about a different game right now, but we didnt and they won the game, he said.Collin McHugh (12-10) won his fifth straight decision, allowing two runs and six hits over 5 2/3 innings. Five relievers combined to record the final 10 outs, with Gregerson retiring three battters for his 15th save.ddddddddddddCarlos Correa had two hits, including an RBI double, and Altuve singled twice and scored a run. Gattis homered for third time in three days to complete the three-game sweep.The Astros scored their first run without a hit in the fifth inning and added three more in the sixth.Altuve, the ALs leading hitter, had a one-out single and scored the go-ahead run on Correas double. Gattis followed with a home run.Gattis homer in the eighth was a towering shot that hit off the fa?ade underneath the luxury suites in center field.Danny Valencia singled and scored twice for the As. Oakland has lost the first three games on its final homestand after an impressive 6-1 road trip.MENGDEN WEARS DOWNMengden needed only 26 pitches to get through the first three innings and didnt give up a hit until Yuli Gurriels one-out single in the fourth before things quickly unraveled. He allowed four runs over 5 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts and two walks.TRAINERS ROOMAstros: OF Colby Rasmus missed his third straight game because of a lot of different physical issues, according to manager A.J. Hinch. Rasmus missed 23 games earlier this season after undergoing surgery to remove a cyst in his right ear. ... Preston Tucker was scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery on his right shoulder Wednesday and the team is confident the outfielder will be healed in time for spring training.Athletics: OF Khris Davis missed his second straight game after being a late scratch Tuesday because of an illness. ... Reliever J.B. Wendelken will seek a second opinion on his right elbow but Melvin indicated its likely Wendelken will undergo Tommy John surgery.UP NEXTAthletics: Kendall Graveman (10-10) starts against Texas on Friday at the Coliseum. The right-hander is winless since Aug. 24. ' ' '