However, behind the scenes negotiations continued and on April 11, 1908, (less than a fortnight before the opening round) The Arrow newspaper reported that Newcastle would be the eighth team in the premiership.
The Sportsman reported a few days later: "It is announced that the eighth team in the competition will be Newcastle and district up to Tamworth. This team will come to Sydney each Saturday. Each week finds the rugby league growing stronger, and the union climbing down a bit." The League had agreed to pay the team's travel and hotel expenses, as well as compensate players for any time off work.
Sporting the local rugby representative colours of red and white (in hoops) Newcastle joined the NSWRL and were apparently known by some as the "Newcastle Rebels". However, due to the inability to secure an acceptable local ground in the Newcastle area, the players had to travel to Sydney each Saturday morning for the afternoon game.
Newcastle played Glebe on April 20 at Wentworth Park in their first premiership game in front of a crowd of about 3000, with Glebe winning 8-5. Their first win came in round 3 with a 37-0 drubbing of Cumberland at Wentworth Park.
Newcastle also played games in 1908 against Baskerville's New Zealand "All Golds" who were returning home from their 1907/08 tour of England. The "All Golds" won both encounters - 53 to 6 in the first (under rugby rules) and 34-8 in the second. The New Zealand Maoris also paid a visit to the Hunter where they defeated Newcastle 15-2.
Newcastle were placed in the top four towards the end of the season after wins over Newtown (17- 8) and Balmain (28-5), however losses in the final rounds to Easts and Souths saw them miss out on the semi-finals.
While Stan Carpenter played one game for New South Wales, none of the Newcastle players gained selection for the 1908 Test series against New Zealand. Later in the season winger Bill Bailey was selected as a member of the first Kangaroo Tour party to Great Britain. He was joined by team-mate Pat Walsh when he was called-up as a late inclusion for the tour.
Bailey returned to Newcastle in 1909, while Walsh was convinced to remain in England by the Huddersfield club where he stayed for three years.
1909 saw Newcastle play three home games at the Newcastle Showground, the first of which was a loss to Eastern Suburbs 18-16.
Code:
[/quote]
I think you might be wrong on the colors, im sure it was similar to the heritage ones.
[img]http://www.rl1908.com/History/Newcastle08.jpg[/img]
