Is the Maitland Pickers Rugby League Football Club currently home to the best country team in New South Wales?
The answer to that question should be known very soon.
In just over a week’s time, the Denton Engineering Cup champions tackle Illawarra’s best, the Thirroul Butchers, in the semi-final of the NSW President’s Cup at the Maitland Sports Ground on Saturday 16 September.
But, what the Pickers have already achieved in the past four years is highly-impressive.
In 2020, at the height of COVID-19, Maitland made the “controversial” decision to enter a statewide semi-professional competition to allow its players to compete at a higher level.
That move paid off, by winning a thrilling 17-16 victory over the Glebe-Burwood Wolves at Sydney’s Bankwest Stadium.
Since then, the President’s Cup is now contested at the end of the season between the respective titleholders from Newcastle Rugby League (Real NRL), Illawarra Rugby League, Peter McDonald Premiership and the Ron Massey Cup.
In 2021, the Pickers – back in the Real NRL – claimed the minor premiership by about eight points ahead of their rivals.
However, they were denied the right to win the major honours when restrictions, due to the pandemic, forced officials to cancel the play-off series.
Many believe Maitland deserved to be handed the trophy, too… a first-past-the-post gesture since the plug was pulled on the Real NRL that year.
Motivated by the snub, the Pickers made amends 12 months later, smashing the Macquarie Scorpions 40-4 at McDonald Jones Stadium.
The side then flogged the Hills District Bulls 36-12 at CommBank Stadium to earn its second NSW President’s Cup.
That brings us to 2023.
A week ago, Maitland put the very classy South Newcastle Lions, coached by Andrew “Bobcat” Ryan, to the sword 46-10.
By half-time, the Pickers led 38-0 and several pundits at the ground were comparing the performance to an actual NRL outfit, so perfect was the construction of their tries.
And, for the record, Souths didn’t play badly at all, they were simply outclassed in a 30-minute blitzkrieg.
Credit for that goes to mentor Matt Lantry, right-hand man Darren Taylor and their offsiders, as well as a close-knit playing group.
People bag them constantly about buying a title, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Most of the squad are actually locals or juniors who’ve returned to Maitland, while others have come through the organisation’s development pathways.
One thing I do know, Lantry would not swap Dan Langbridge, Will Nieuwenhuise, Matt Soper-Lawler, Gary Anderson, James Bradley, Chad O’Donnell, Brock Lamb, Jayden Butterfield, Alex Langbridge, James Taylor, Reid Alchin, Lincoln Smith, Sam Anderson, Luke Knight, Harrison Spruce, Faitotoa Faitotoa, Mitchell Cullen or Daniel Ticehurst for anyone else.
Well done Northstars on a brilliant year
Although their season is officially over, it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the efforts of the Newcastle Northstars in the Australian Ice Hockey League in 2023.
Seeing packed houses at the Hunter Ice Skating Stadium for home matches was outstanding.
Although you just fell short of a title, well done on a brilliant year.
For more sports stories:
- Knights stalwart Fitzgibbon deserves to leave a winner
- Emily van Egmond: Inspiring a new generation
- REAL NRL: Wests ask for ‘please explain’ after U19’s GF ‘howler’
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