How craft beer and hipsters prepared rugby star for his NRL debut

·Contributor

17 May 2022 at 11:13 pm·3-min read

Lachie Miller, pictured here in action for the Newtown Jets at Henson Park. — Lachie Miller in action for the Newtown Jets at Henson Park. Image: Mario Facchini/Supplied

A stint at the coolest rugby league club on the planet has prepared new NRL sensation Lachie Miller for his debut with Cronulla on Sunday.

The Olympic rugby 7s star will line-up at fullback for the Sharks against Gold Coast at Cbus Stadium after his repatriation to rugby league via NSW Cup club, the Newtown Jets.

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The famous Bluebags are Australia's oldest rugby league outfit and put on the game's hippest gameday experience, mixing craft beers, German bratwurst and professional sideline wrestling exhibitions at their stuck-in-time home ground, Henson Park.

After every home match, the official home crowd is announced as 8972 – the same figure as the attendance at the Jets' final home game in 1983 before they were kicked out of the NSWRL.

Miller travelled to some of world sport's most desirable destinations during his rugby career – think Malaga, Dubai, Seville, Toulouse, London, Vancouver – but immediately felt at home at the Jets, who act as a feeder to Cronulla's NRL squad.

"I've been pretty lucky to play around the world but Henson Park is a special place. It's a pretty awesome field to play footy at," he said prior to his NRL call-up

"And it's pretty cool to play for a club like Newtown, with all its history. It's such a well-run club with great supporters and a great home ground.

"I haven't met a bad person yet and I don’t think I will.

"It's been the perfect re-introduction to rugby league."

Henson Park is one of Australia's hippest sporting venues. Image: Supplied

Miller leads the NSW Cup for tackle busts and sits second for line break assists.

The 27-year-old wasn't expecting to play NRL this year but finds himself in the Sharks' No.1 jumper following Will Kennedy's two-game ban.

He said: "It's been pretty good. It's nice to be back in rugby league.

"Union was a bit foreign to me and this feels a bit more natural. I can get in the groove of games a bit easier.

"Coming across from union at the start of the year, my approach was really just to learn as much as I could.

"But things are moving pretty quickly."

Lachie Miller, pictured here in action for Australia at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. — Lachie Miller in action for Australia at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. (Photo By Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images) (Stephen McCarthy via Getty Images)

Newtown Jets coach backs Lachie Miller

Newtown coach Greg Matterson predicts Miller will be make a seamless transition from NSW Cup to the NRL.

"He's got something. He's a good attacker, he's tough, he's got good footwork and he's a confident kid," Matterson told Yahoo Sport Australia.

"He's got a good instinct for the game and a rugby league mindset.

"He's not foreign to the game and it's been a pretty easy return from union.

"He won't be overawed by playing first grade. That won't worry him. He will bounce in ready to go and back himself.

"He's not going to win or lose the game for them but he'll play his part. He will go well if the team goes well."

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