An icon of the NSW Cup competition for the Newtown Jets and former utility for the Cronulla Sharks, Billy Magoulias, has announced his retirement from rugby league.
Playing with the Newtown Jets for the past eight seasons, Magoulias has decided to hang up the boots on his playing career after stints in the NSW Cup, NRL and Super League competitions.
Although he is mainly known for his time with the Jets, he also featured in 17 matches for the Cronulla Sharks between 2019-2021 and had a one-year stint at the Warrington Wolves where he appeared for the club on 12 different occasions.
Also a five-time international for Greece, Magoulias will be fondly remembered for his heroics with the Newtown Jets, which saw him win two NSW Cup titles and one State Championship with them.
In particular, six years ago, in 2019, where he produced two moments of magic for the Jets.
In the 2019 NSW Cup Grand Final, he set up the game-winning try, which saw fullback William Kennedy cross the line, and a week later, he produced a chip-kick, which saw them defeat the Burleigh Bears in the State Championship match.
“Yeah, it is pretty crazy when you look back at it to think how did you do that? But, for me, I don’t sit there and talk about it personally – that doesn’t really [play] on my mind – but every time I talk to a Newtown fan, they always remind you of it,” he told The Sydney Morning Herald in 2024.
“I guess it’s good when the fans are getting enjoyment, because the Newtown fans, it’s not just like a feeder club to an NRL club, they’ve got their own set of fans, and they’ve got their own club and their own culture, their own sponsors, so they run their own show.
“I guess that’s probably the coolest part, is them enjoying that experience where we did win the competition and then go on to win it the next week.
“For me, that’s probably the best thing that comes out of it.”