Newtown's fairy tale run is complete after the Jets produced another miraculous finish to win the State Championship on Sunday.
The Jets downed Burleigh 20-16 at ANZ Stadium having trailed 16-14 with 20 seconds remaining.
With the final play of the game, Newtown five-eighth Billy Magoulias produced a chip over the top. A crazy bounce of the ball evaded five Burleigh players back into the arms of Jets forward Jackson Ferris.
Ferris raced away 40 metres untouched to score, sliding over under the posts as the full-time siren sounded.
The match-winner was similar to the way Newtown won the Canterbury Cup grand final against Wentworthville last weekend, when Magoulias produced another desperate chip kick in extra-time.
The Jets improved their incredible winning streak to eight games. They finished seventh after the regular season in the Canterbury Cup, winning four consecutive elimination finals to win the premiership.
They looked dead and buried against the Bears, the Queensland Cup champions getting themselves out to a 16-2 lead seven minutes into the second half.
But the Jets soared back into contention with two tries to Sione Katoa and a try to Ferris.
Newtown, feeder club for the Cronulla Sharks, had a number of Sharks-contracted players in their State Championship squad including captain Scott Sorensen, Blayke Brailey, Will Kennedy, Katoa, Magoulias, Ronaldo Mulitalo and Jayson Bukuya.
Youngsters Brailey, Magoulias and Kennedy in particular showed Sharks fans they will be ready to take any chance in the top grade next season.
The Jets had Cronulla coach John Morris and former Sharks captain Paul Gallen watching on in the crowd as Burleigh suffered a horrendous start, losing hooker Pat Politoni to a suspected broken arm in the opening two minutes.
Bears halfback and Queensland Cup player of the year Jamal Fogarty was running the show, controlling the game with an excellent kicking game including a first half 40-20.
Newtown opened the scoring with a Braydon Trindall penalty goal before a pair of tries to Anthony Don gave the Bears a 10-2 half-time lead.
Fogarty danced across field and looked wrapped up by Magoulias before somehow flicking a pass to Don to score in the corner. Then, with the Jets on the attack, Dylan Phythian scooped up a loose ball to race away before finding Don in support.
It got worse for Newtown who lost Mulitalo for 10 minutes, with the Sharks winger sent to the sin bin for leading with his head on Blake Leary after making a tackle.
Burleigh then put themselves within touching distance of the state title with a bizarre try to Fogarty seven minutes into the second half.
The Jets finally got themselves on the board with 25 minutes to play when Katoa produced a spectacular finish, jumping higher than the corner post to evade a defender before touching down with an outstretched hand in the corner following a slick shift to the right.
The Bears were inviting Newtown back into the game through a lack of intensity. The closer the finish line got, the further away victory appeared.
It was game on with 18 minutes to play when Ferris scored his first try. Magoulias charged down a Fogarty kick with his legs 30m out from Newtown's line. Ferris raced through and picked up the bouncing ball on the run to run away and score.
It was an excellent come back from Ferris who had endured an unhappy couple of minutes, penalised for lifting his knee with Newtown on the attack before dropping the ball on the first tackle.
Down 16-10, the Jets had the chance to level the score with five minutes to play. Trindall's brilliant catch and pass to Kennedy saw the fullback find Katoa with a cut out pass, with the winger diving over in the corner under pressure again.
That gave Trindall the chance to make it 16-all from the sideline, only for the Jets halfback's unhappy day with the boot to continue.
The Bears put the ensuing kick off dead on the full, giving Newtown one last chance that they appeared to let slip.
But when Burleigh ended their final set 40m from the Jets line and 20 seconds on the clock, it gave the Jets essentially one do or die play.
And they took their opportunity.
Magoulias appeared to place his chip kick on halfway for Mulitalo, only for the ball to bounce wickedly on its point back inside for Ferris who grabbed it and ran almost 50m untouched to win the game and the State Championship for Newtown.
Leader Scoreboard
Newtown Jets 20 (Sione Katoa two, Jackson Ferris two tries. Braydon Trindall goal, Greg Eastwood goal)
defeated
Burleigh Bears 16 (Anthony Don two, Jamal Fogarty tries. Jamal Fogarty two goals)
at ANZ Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park
Leader man of the match: Billy Magoulias (Jets)
