THE WOOD e NEWS. Hickey said he was thrilled to be given the opportunity to take charge of the 2008 Super 14 Finalists.

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1 THE WOOD e NEWS 5 JUNE The following press release is currently on the NSW Rugby Website and we have been granted permission to use it in our weekly newsletter by NSW Rugby. You can also listen to Chris being Interviewed on Tah Talk on the NSW rugby website EASTWOOD 2008 WALLABIES New HSBC Waratahs Head Coach, Chris Hickey The current Eastwood and former NSW A head coach has more than 14 years of first grade experience in Sydney and Canberra, where he has taken his sides to 11 Grand Finals and five Premierships. BENN ROBINSON NSW Rugby Union Chairman Arvid Petersen said Hickey's credentials, which also include two years at the helm of the Australian Under 21s, were the perfect qualifications for the role. "Chris is a proven winner," said Petersen. "His record with Eastwood has simply been stunning and we believe he can build upon what is already an impressive foundation. "Obviously there's a high standard to live up to, but Chris inherits a great set up, a great playing roster and the organisation will now work with him on getting his coaching team finalised for "He's shown at a club level his ability to set up a fantastic program with limited resources and create a winning culture. At the Waratahs Chris will have all the resources he needs to bring that experience to a completely professional environment and further develop the program at NSW Rugby." LACHIE TURNER The application and interview process resulted in Hickey being recommended for the role, which was unanimously accepted by the NSW Rugby Board last night. "We were very impressed with the applications we received and took ten applicants to the interview stage," said NSWRU Chief Executive Officer Jim L'Estrange. "We brought four back for a final interview and after that we settled on Chris Hickey being the candidate we would recommend to the Board following the completion of the Waratahs 2008 Super 14 campaign. The decision from the Board was unanimous. "We used some great Rugby minds in Michael Hawker, Matt Burke, Jeff Miller and Phil Waugh during the process, which makes us all the more confident we've made the right decision and can start looking forward to 2009 and beyond." MATT DUNNING Hickey said he was thrilled to be given the opportunity to take charge of the 2008 Super 14 Finalists. CONTACT DETAILS: GENERAL MANAGER: DARREN ORMSBY OFFICE: or admin@eastwoodrugby.com.au COACHING DIRECTOR: CHRIS HICKEY coach@eastwoodrugby.com.au

2 "This is special opportunity I've been given and I'm excited about the role," said Hickey. "Every professional Rugby coach in this state wants to have the opportunity to be the Waratahs coach. "It's a big challenge, a big responsibility, but I know I'm ready and can't wait to get started. "Obviously the team is in great shape, but the Super 14 is the toughest provincial Rugby competition in the world and there's a lot of work that needs to be put in between now and the start of 2009 to ensure the side remains at the top." In addition to coaching the NSW A side in 2003, Hickey was at the helm of the Australian Under 21s in 2005 and 2006 where he oversaw the progress of a number of players now in the Waratahs squad. "During those couple of World Champs we had Benn Robinson, Tatafu [Polota-Nau], Dean Mumm, Ben Mowen, Daniel Halangahu and Benny Batger who are all here at the Waratahs, plus probably 10 or 12 guys running around for other Super 14 franchises, so I'm familiar with a lot of the players. "It also shows the pathways in Australian Rugby to compete at the Super Rugby level are working well; having been a part of those at club, state and national level I have a lot of confidence in them. "I'm confident too that we can continue to use those pathways to further enhance this squad, while maintaining what is already a winning culture amongst a talented group of players." Hickey will formally start in the role on 1 July, and will work with Ewen McKenzie and General Manager High Performance Tony D'Arcy in a handover capacity over the coming month. Chris Hickey - Coaching Profile Vikings Rugby Club (ACT) - Coaching Director, First Grade Coach > Six Grand Finals, Three Premierships 1997 ACT Brumbies - Assistant Coach > Super 14 Finalists Eastwood Rugby Club - Coaching Director, First Grade Coach > Five Grand Finals, Two Premierships 2003 NSW 'A' - Head Coach Australia Under 21 - Head Coach > 2005 IRB World Championships - Finalists > 2006 IRB World Championships - Fourth THIS SATURDAY 1 ST GRADE v SYDNEY UNIVERSITY ABC GAME OF THE WEEK SYDNEY UNI OVAL No pm KICK-OFF

3 EASTWOOD v MANLY MAY 31 A strong defensive effort by the Manly Marlins saw them overcome Eastwood 19-6 at Manly Oval last Saturday. Despite both teams being strengthened by returning Super 14 players, it was expected that the in-form Woodies would continue their winning streak however; the Marlins led from start to finish scoring three tries to nil over their more fancied rivals. Although Eastwood had a number of opportunities in the first quarter, Manly put first points on the board when flanker Daniel Collins scored under the posts after the Manly half Paddy Pearse split the defence on halfway and found Collins backing-up inside. The Marlins fullback Adam D Arcy added the extras for a 7-0 lead. Manly s close defence placed the young Woods under plenty of pressure and promising attacking moves came unstuck through turnovers or misdirected clearing kicks. Eastwood were then forced to bring on lock James Keith who had completed a full game in seconds, as a replacement for Marty Wilson after he suffered a heavy knock to the head in a ruck in midfield. Right on halftime, Manly went further ahead when ex-eastwood flanker Will Brame gleefully accepted the final pass to score under the posts after a turnover on half way. Fullback D Arcy converted for Manly to lead 14-0 at the break. Immediately after the teams returned to the field, Damien Fitzpatrick replaced Todd Pearce at hooker and fullback Ben Batger kicked an easy penalty for a 14-3 score line. With both teams defence restricting most attacking moves, centre Rowan Kellam reduced Manly s lead to 14-6 with a field goal from just outside the opposition twenty two. This appeared to give Eastwood and their supporters some hope of a comeback but Manly were not to be denied and scored the try of the match when winger Lupini Siale finished off a an expansive backline move to extend their lead out to In the dying minutes of the match, Jim Mathers replaced lock James Keith however, the Woods efforts to salvage the match with some enterprising play failed to convert into points giving the Marlins their best win of the season. In lower grades, both the 2nds and 3rds had strong wins 24 3 and against top of the table opponents to see them both go to second on the ladder in their respective grade competitions whilst the 4ths were unlucky to lose 7 0 against one of the strongest sides in fourth grade. At TG Millner Field, Colts again had mixed results with 1sts and 3rds successful with Manly Colts winning the 2 nd grade fixture. Next Saturday Eastwood will play their deferred Round 8 match against Sydney University at Sydney University Oval (First Grade only) with lower grades and Colts enjoying a bye weekend. Woodies supporters are reminded that Eastwood 1 st Grade will play West Harbour at Western Weekender Stadium on Friday Night, June 13 with the match starting at 8.10 pm. For information on Supporter Buses, please contact the Darren Ormsby on to reserve your seat as there are limited seats available. Lower Grades (2nds, 3rds and 4ths) will play at TG Millner Field on Saturday 14 June whilst Colts will play West Harbour Colts at Concord.

4 W E S T E R N S Y D N E Y DOUBLE HEADER FRIDAY 13th JUNE PARRAMATTA v PENRITH 6.30pm EASTWOOD v WEST HARBOUR 8.10pm SUPPORTER BUS DEPARTING TG MILLNER FROM 6.00pm. ONLY $10.00 RETURN. RING CLUB TO BOOK A SEAT. WESTERN WEEKENDER STADIUM FORRESTER & BORONIA STREETS, ST MARY S

5 1 st Grade Colts: COLTS CORNER The team went into this game extremely determined to put Manly away, as they sat only 1 point behind us on the competition ladder. The lead up to the game was interesting, we lost our No.10 Ryan Siviour from the previous weeks game to a work accident on Thursday, and our normal No.12 Sam Ridley withdrawing in the warm-up due to a reoccurring hamstring injury. But without a doubt, it was our best game of the season, especially when everything clicked together during the 2nd half. In the first half the team started off on the back foot when giving away 5 penalties in a row over a 20 minute period as well as rushing some of their phase plays. These penalties and errors resulted in the team taking the pressure off the Manly at crucial times which allowed Manly to skip away to a 15 Nil lead after 25 minutes. It was at this point in the game, the players decided to make a stand, and started to turn the game around to the point when half time came, the Woods were looking fairly comfortable and looked to taking control of the game, even though they were still behind on the scoreboard The game completely changed momentum 10 minutes into the 2nd half when Ben James took over the No.10 role and completely controlled the game, and guided the team around the park. All players inside and outside Ben enjoyed his direction of play and ability to communicate to players on the run. This showed with all players performing extremely well, with some standouts as well. 3 rd Grade Colts Colts 3 s turned in arguably their strongest performance of the season to date in displacing second placed Manly on Saturday. Manly hit the front in the third minute with a try out wide, but it didn t take long for Eastwood to even the ledger, scoring a try of their own, courtesy of makeshift #12, Sam Gilbert. A converted try to Manly on the stroke of half time saw the teams break for oranges with the visitors holding a 12-5 lead. The second half was characterised by tough, aggressive rugby from both teams. Eventually the pressure told, with Eastwood skipper, Donal Furlong, crossing the stripe and reducing the gap to just With around two minutes remaining, Eastwood capitalised on a Manly indiscretion and Donal calmly slotted a penalty kick between the uprights for a lead. True to form, the cardiac kids kept everyone on the edge of their seats, when a wayward clearing kick gifted Manly a field goal opportunity with only seconds left on the clock. Fortunately, the kick went wide and the Woods managed to hold on by the narrowest of margins, Not for the first time this season, Eastwood were forced to play a regular #7 out of position in the centres, and Sam Gilbert turned in a Players Player performance in doing so. #6 Donal Furlong led the team by example and our itinerant Canuck, Scott Joziasse, also played strongly. Players Player Sam Gilbert 3 Donal Furlong; 2 Scott Joziasse; 1 Sam Gilbert The forwards dominated set plays, especially the scrums and controlled the breakdown area which lead to less errors, and more control of our game and the pace we wanted to play, and freeing up space for the outside backs. The Woods ended up scoring 3 tries in the 2nd half, which Ben James had a direct hand in 2 of the tries. A special mention should also go to Simon Walker (No.12) who had a very strong game in both attack and defence and was placed under pressure on many occasions. Simon normally plays No.14 and he stepped into the No.12 role during warmup. Simon broke the line on many occasions and his opposite player never got passed the game line. Final score Eastwood 22 Manly 15. Players Player: Simon Walker: Best & Fairest: 3 Points - Ben James & 1 Point - Chris Dan, Mitchell Lees and Simon Walker. Game Report 2nds Colts Manly An 8-7 lead at half time did not prove sufficient for holding out the 6 th Ranked team. As a result of the commitment shown in defence in the earlier part of the match, Manly clearly became frustrated, expecting an easier contest on the day. However, basic errors at the restarts combined with lack of ball control presented Manly with too many opportunities. Another strong performance (3pts) from # 7 Daniel Tamone, with his defence and line breaks. #13, David Sutton (2pts) made a welcomed return from injury. As VC, David s communication and direction of the backs was a major contributor to our improved performance from last week. Our (#4) and Captain, Lockie Parker (1pt) picked the right day to have his strongest game of the season to date.

6 NEXT HOME GAME 1 st GRADE EASTWOOD v WEST HARBOUR FRIDAY JUNE 13 WESTERN SYDNEY WEEKENDER ST MARY S LEAGUES CLUB LOWER GRADES v WEST HARBOUR TG MILLNER SATURDAY JUNE 14 1 st GRADE TEAM V SYDNEY UNIVERSITY 15: BEN BATGER 8: JOSH DUNNING 14: JESSE LEOTA 7: HUGH PERRETT (C) 13: ROWAN KELLAM 6: SEVA ROKOBARO 12: TIM CORCORAN 5: PHIL MATHERS 11: FILIPO TOALA 4: MARTY WILSON 10: BARNEY WOOD 3: AARON BROUGHTON-ROUSE 9: DAVE RIMMER 2: TODD PEARCE 1: SIMON NORRIS THE WOODIES TRADING POST IF YOU RUN A SMALL BUSINESS AND ARE LOOKING FOR SOMEWHERE TO ADVERTISE WHY NOT ADVERTISE WITHIN YOUR OWN CLUB? EASTWOOD RUGBY CLUB IS GIVING YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO REACH WOODIES FANS LIKE YOU BY ADVERTISING IN OUR NEWSLETTER. FOR COSTS AND FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT DARREN ORMSBY AT THE CLUB.

7 COLTS IN ACTION v MANLY

8 EASTWOOD SON RETIRES THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE HAS BEEN BORROWED FROM THE NEWCASTLE FALCONS WEBSITE Newcastle Falcons and Australian legend Matthew Burke has announced his retirement from rugby with immediate effect. The 35-year-old fullback has spent the last seven months recovering from a torn anterior cruciate knee ligament, but after a lengthy and gruelling rehab has reluctantly taken the decision to end his glittering playing career. A World Cup winner with Australia in 1999, Burke scored a remarkable 24 points against South Africa in the semi-final, before bettering that total with 25 against France in a dramatic final in Cardiff. A magnificent ten-year international career saw him rack up 81 caps for the Wallabies, with his tally of 878 points being the fifth highest of all time when he retired from Test rugby in June 2004, as well as the second highest in Australian history. Joining the Falcons in 2004, Burke wrote himself in to Newcastle sporting history scoring 26 tries and a total of 430 points in his 81 games, before the injury picked up against Bath on October 21 last year brought a premature end to an already stellar career. Speaking on the decision to hang up his boots, Burke said: I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Newcastle, playing my rugby and closing out my career with the Falcons. I look back on my four seasons and hopefully say that I contributed to the team s performances and provided some enjoyment for the fans to come and watch. To have played week in, week out with what I thought was one of the best group of supporters of a club, gave me a great sense of pride, and over my time I d hoped to have repaid them with my commitment to the shirt.

9 Playing with some of the game's best talent certainly gave me motivation to continue my rugby and to keep contributing to the game. To have experienced the Guinness Premiership and the Heineken Cup, and the high standard of play, was a privilege to be part of. Some of the memories that will live with me were the Heineken Cup win versus Perpingnon at home, beating Wasps at the death with a Dave Walder penalty and nearly getting hyperthermia at the same time, all the supporters that turned out for the Paris game and listening to the South Stand chanting 'Burkey is a Geordie'. Kate and I will be forever thankful for the support that was given to us and our family over our time in Newcastle. We made some wonderful friends during our stay, and were fortunate to have had this experience. Club chairman Dave Thompson said: Matt will go down as one of the greatest Falcons of all time. As well as being a sensational player who achieved incredibly high standards every time he took the field, the way he conducted himself behind the scenes should serve as an example to all professional players. It is quite rare to talk of a foreigner being regarded as a genuine Geordie sporting icon, but during his four seasons with us Matt most definitely achieved that status. He will now embark on the next chapter of his life with his family back in Australia, but he will forever be a Falcon. Newcastle director of rugby, Steve Bates, added: I was fortunate enough to work with Matt this season before his injury, and it is not hard to see why he is held in such high esteem at the club. Even after suffering what must have been a devastating blow he remained an incredibly positive presence around the team, and whilst it is a great sadness that a fantastic playing career is now at an end, I'm sure everyone will join me in thanking Matt and wishing him all the best for the future. Falcons fans will get their chance to say farewell to Burke in early August when he makes an emotional return to Newcastle for a programme of events, with details to be announced in the coming days.