Terry Newton
Encyclopedia
Terry Newton was an English international rugby league
player. He played for Leeds Rhinos
, Wigan Warriors
, Bradford Bulls
and Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
, and was one of a handful of players to feature in each of the first 15 seasons of Super League
. In February 2010, he was given a two-year ban after being one of the first sportsmen to have tested positive for human growth hormone. He was found hanged in his home seven months later.
had claimed they had also signed the young Newton.
Terry missed his first year of Academy rugby due to the problem however when he finally joined in March 1996 he made an immediate impact. He made his debut against Sheffield Eagles
at Headingley in April of that year and by the next season was a regular in the side making 26 appearances in 1997 and scoring 2 tries.
His progression continued in 1998, despite going on loan to Bramley
for a month, he still played in the Grand Final team at Old Trafford before playing his best season at the club in 1999. Leeds had signed Great Britain hooker Lee Jackson and Newton’s opportunities looked limited, however coach Graham Murray
came up with a game plan that used both to their maximum potential. Newton, with his no nonsense direct play would start games with Jackson coming on off the bench to carve teams open. He played 83 times for Leeds and scored 6 tries.
Newton joined Wigan Warriors and made his début for the Warriors on Boxing Day
1999 against St Helens. He was a prolific try scorer for Wigan, bagging over a dozen tries in each of his first two seasons. Newton signed a 4-year extension to his Warriors contract in August 2002. He played much of the 2003 season despite needing a knee operation. He decided to put the operation back to the end of the year because the club was suffering an injury crisis at the time. He was rewarded for his efforts when he was included in the 2003 Super League 'Dream Team'.
At Wigan, Newton featured in three Super League Grand Finals, and was on the losing side on each occasion. He also featured on the losing side in the 1998 Grand Final, while playing for Leeds.
Newton moved to Bradford Bulls for the start of the 2006 season as part of a swap deal involving Mickey Higham
. He was a consistent performer for the Bulls, but the club did not feature in a major final during his time there. He was allowed to leave the club following the expiry of his contract at the end of the 2009 season.
Newton signed for Wakefield following the expiry of his contract at Bradford.
He made his return to the Great Britain squad for the 2003 Ashes series, despite needing a knee operation, and was selected for the Tri-Nations squad the following year.
Newton won caps for England while at Leeds Rhinos in 1999 against France (2 matches), while at Wigan Wariors in 2001 against Wales, and won caps for Great Britain while at Leeds Rhinos in 1998 against New Zealand, while at Wigan Warriors in 2002 against Australia (sub), in 2003 against Australia (3 matches), in 2004 against Australia (3 matches), and New Zealand, while at Bradford Bulls in 2006 against New Zealand (2 matches), New Zealand (sub), and Australia (2 matches), and in 2007 against New Zealand.
, but the contract was cancelled.
The father of two young girls became a pub licensee
following his ban.
district of Wigan
. A later post mortem found traces of cocaine
, amphetamine
s and the steroid
nandrolone
within his system, prescription anti-depressants, and consumption of alcohol, all of which could have impaired his judgement. Newton had left several notes stating he wanted to die. Coroner Jennifer Leeming recorded an open verdict.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
player. He played for Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
, Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
, Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....
and Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
, and was one of a handful of players to feature in each of the first 15 seasons of Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
. In February 2010, he was given a two-year ban after being one of the first sportsmen to have tested positive for human growth hormone. He was found hanged in his home seven months later.
Club
Newton joined Leeds after a protracted transfer from Wigan amateur team St Judes, after WarringtonWarrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
had claimed they had also signed the young Newton.
Terry missed his first year of Academy rugby due to the problem however when he finally joined in March 1996 he made an immediate impact. He made his debut against Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles RLFC are an English rugby league club based in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Their home games are played at Bramall Lane after leaving Don Valley Stadium in late 2009....
at Headingley in April of that year and by the next season was a regular in the side making 26 appearances in 1997 and scoring 2 tries.
His progression continued in 1998, despite going on loan to Bramley
Bramley Buffaloes
Bramley Buffaloes is a rugby league club from the Bramley area of West Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. Previously known simply as Bramley RLFC, the club is a famous name in rugby league, having existed prior to the formation of the Northern Union in 1895...
for a month, he still played in the Grand Final team at Old Trafford before playing his best season at the club in 1999. Leeds had signed Great Britain hooker Lee Jackson and Newton’s opportunities looked limited, however coach Graham Murray
Graham Murray
Graham Murray is an Australian rugby league player and coach. Murray is currently the High Performance Unit Director of Coaching at the Newcastle Knights.-Playing career:...
came up with a game plan that used both to their maximum potential. Newton, with his no nonsense direct play would start games with Jackson coming on off the bench to carve teams open. He played 83 times for Leeds and scored 6 tries.
Newton joined Wigan Warriors and made his début for the Warriors on Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
1999 against St Helens. He was a prolific try scorer for Wigan, bagging over a dozen tries in each of his first two seasons. Newton signed a 4-year extension to his Warriors contract in August 2002. He played much of the 2003 season despite needing a knee operation. He decided to put the operation back to the end of the year because the club was suffering an injury crisis at the time. He was rewarded for his efforts when he was included in the 2003 Super League 'Dream Team'.
At Wigan, Newton featured in three Super League Grand Finals, and was on the losing side on each occasion. He also featured on the losing side in the 1998 Grand Final, while playing for Leeds.
Newton moved to Bradford Bulls for the start of the 2006 season as part of a swap deal involving Mickey Higham
Mickey Higham
Mickey Higham is an English rugby league player who currently plays for English club Warrington Wolves in the Super League competition...
. He was a consistent performer for the Bulls, but the club did not feature in a major final during his time there. He was allowed to leave the club following the expiry of his contract at the end of the 2009 season.
Newton signed for Wakefield following the expiry of his contract at Bradford.
International
Newton won international honours with two caps for England against France in October 1999, and he gained two caps in the 1998 Great Britain v New Zealand test series whilst at Leeds. Terry would surely have represented Great Britain in the 2001 Ashes series had it not been for a broken arm suffered in the Warriors Grand Final defeat to Bradford Bulls at Old Trafford.He made his return to the Great Britain squad for the 2003 Ashes series, despite needing a knee operation, and was selected for the Tri-Nations squad the following year.
Newton won caps for England while at Leeds Rhinos in 1999 against France (2 matches), while at Wigan Wariors in 2001 against Wales, and won caps for Great Britain while at Leeds Rhinos in 1998 against New Zealand, while at Wigan Warriors in 2002 against Australia (sub), in 2003 against Australia (3 matches), in 2004 against Australia (3 matches), and New Zealand, while at Bradford Bulls in 2006 against New Zealand (2 matches), New Zealand (sub), and Australia (2 matches), and in 2007 against New Zealand.
Suspension
On 22 February 2010 Newton was banned for two years by the UK Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD) after failing a drug test on 24 November 2009. He was just two games into 2 year deal that he had signed with Wakefield Trinity WildcatsWakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
, but the contract was cancelled.
The father of two young girls became a pub licensee
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
following his ban.
Death
On 26 September 2010, Newton was found hanged in a house on Harswell Close in the OrrellOrrell, Greater Manchester
Orrell is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The area is contiguous to the town of Wigan itself and the centre of the district is situated to the west of the town centre...
district of Wigan
Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. It is named after its largest component town, Wigan and also includes the towns of Leigh, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Ince-in-Makerfield, and Hindley. The borough was formed in 1974 and is an...
. A later post mortem found traces of cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, amphetamine
Amphetamine
Amphetamine or amfetamine is a psychostimulant drug of the phenethylamine class which produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.Brand names of medications that contain, or metabolize into, amphetamine include Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat,...
s and the steroid
Steroid
A steroid is a type of organic compound that contains a characteristic arrangement of four cycloalkane rings that are joined to each other. Examples of steroids include the dietary fat cholesterol, the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone, and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.The core...
nandrolone
Nandrolone
Nandrolone is an anabolic steroid that may be present naturally in the human body, albeit in minute quantities of less than 0.4 ng/ml. Nandrolone is most commonly sold commercially as its decanoate ester and less commonly as a phenylpropionate ester...
within his system, prescription anti-depressants, and consumption of alcohol, all of which could have impaired his judgement. Newton had left several notes stating he wanted to die. Coroner Jennifer Leeming recorded an open verdict.
Club career
| Year | Club | Apps | Pts | T | G | FG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Leeds Rhinos Leeds Rhinos Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League... |
14 | 4 | 1 | – | – |
| 1999 | Leeds Rhinos Leeds Rhinos Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League... |
25 | 8 | 2 | – | – |
| 2000 | Wigan Warriors Wigan Warriors Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011.... |
28 | 48 | 12 | – | – |
| 2001 | Wigan Warriors Wigan Warriors Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011.... |
31 | 60 | 15 | – | – |
| 2002 | Wigan Warriors Wigan Warriors Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011.... |
30 | 32 | 8 | – | – |
| 2003 | Wigan Warriors Wigan Warriors Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011.... |
27 | 16 | 4 | – | – |
| 2004 | Wigan Warriors Wigan Warriors Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011.... |
24 | 56 | 14 | – | – |
| 2005 | Wigan Warriors Wigan Warriors Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011.... |
26 | 36 | 9 | – | – |
| 2006 |  Bradford BullsBradford Bulls Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league.... |
20 | 20 | 5 | – | – |
| 2007 | Bradford Bulls Bradford Bulls Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league.... |
23 | 36 | 9 | – | – |
| 2008 | Bradford Bulls Bradford Bulls Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league.... |
10 | 12 | 3 | – | – |
Representative career
| Year | Team | Matches | Tries | Goals | Field goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 |  EnglandEngland national rugby league team The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2001 | England England national rugby league team The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football... |
3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2002 |  Great Britain national rugby league team The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions".... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2003 | Great Britain national rugby league team The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions".... |
3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2004 | Great Britain national rugby league team The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions".... |
4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 2006 | Great Britain national rugby league team The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions".... |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2007 | Great Britain national rugby league team The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions".... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |