Time for Jets to end Tweed torment

The Jets have found it difficult over the years to go there and come away with the win.

Supportive mother Trish Walker enjoys getting her hands on the Intrust Super Cup the Ipswich Jets won in 2015.

TWEED is a hard place to travel to play football.

The Jets have found it difficult over the years to go there and come away with the win.

The Jets will have to carry two burdens into round one in 2017: A terrible record at Tweed and an awful round one record.

The Jets have only won twice at Tweed from 16 games.

In the first week of the finals in 2014, the Jets recorded their first ever win at the Coast.

It took 14 attempts to break that duck.

Round one hasn't been kind to the Jets either.

The Jets have been winners in one opening round game since 2010.

The Jets beat Easts 32-16 in 2010 and then didn't get two points again to start the year until last year the Jets got over Norths 38-24.

Overall the Jets have only won 11 of 30 games between these two clubs.

"We want to get back to Tweed being somewhere people don't want to come,'' Tweed coach Aaron Zimmerle said.

"You want your home to be a fortress.

"This pre-season we have worked hard on defence, so what better test than the Jets."

Titans influence

THE Colts will also take on Tweed this weekend.

Tweed had a terrible 2016 in the Colts competition only winning two games.

"Tweed will be strong with a greater Titans influence this year, but I'm not sure how well equipped they are for a chip and chase every set of six. At the very least, we will be entertaining,'' Colts coach Adam Boettcher said.

Former Ipswich Jets player Chris Beattie. Picture: Rob Williams

Remember that Jet?

I FIRST met Jet # 270 when I was in year eight at Ipswich Grammar.

Chris Beattie was the huge behemoth of a man who was doing senior.

Beattie would go on to have three years at the Jets from 1996. They were hard times with the Jets only winning seven games in those three years and having three different coaches.

He remembers men like Sandy Savage keeping the Jets running.

Beattie would play 52 games for the Jets and score three tries.

He was honest and passionate in saying that those three years taught him more about himself, other people and rugby league than any other years he played.

"It shows what sort of people you're dealing with,'' Beattie said.

"Then you know more than likely you're going to get beaten on the weekend, who is going to hang around?

"Who is coming to training on Tuesday?

"You learn pretty fast who is going to drop off."

I asked Chris if in that time he received offers to leave?

"I got two offers - one from Easts and one from Burleigh. I didn't consider either of them,'' he said.

"Why would I leave my home, my city and play for another team for all the wrong reasons."

Beattie would leave to play for the Sharks after Jets' life member Noel Bragg and long-time friend of John Lang tipped the Sharks' coach off to the presence of a young prop in Ipswich that may be what the Sharks were after.

Beattie would play 86 games for the Sharks and three Origin games for Queensland before moving to France and playing for the Dragons in the Super League.

He still owns his land at Fernvale and gets out there every weekend.

He is married with three young children and works for Huntchinson Builders as a foreman.

Cooper's stat

THE Ipswich Jets have played 465 Intrust Super Cup games with 209 ISC wins, 240 losses and 16 draws.

A cold beer with . . .

TRISH Walker is that supportive loving football mum we've all heard about. She is also the mum of Jets' coaches Ben and Shane Walker. I sat down for an ale and talked footy, life and her boys.

So four boys, surely you must have craved some feminity in your house? I really felt I was a mother made to have boys. We had male horses, cats, dogs and birds. Only now I know how beautiful it is to have female company with four amazing daughter-in-laws and six adorable granddaughters.

Who was more likely to need mum during backyard games Ben or Shane? Neither. I couldn't tackle very well.

Round one will be 150 games coaching the Jets for Ben and Shane. You know them better than anyone what do you think each brings to the Jets? Ben and Shane think like twins. They might not agree on everything but they sort things out sensibly and with a lot of thought. I know they both have everyone's best interest at heart hence they pass on loyalty, honesty and integrity. Family values are extremely important to both Ben and Shane and I feel they have brought that culture to the Jets. Teaching the team to be brave, humble, strong and respectful.

Do you get more nervous watching them play or coach? I did get nervous watching them play. I really enjoy the coaching part of it, to see them pass on footy knowledge to the Jets and watching entertaining footy.

Did you have any doubts they could coach together? Did the mum in you think is this going to work? Coaching . . . never in doubt. They are both extremely good leaders, great personalities and they understand people very well. They seem to have a gift handling most situations.