RUGBY LEAGUE
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Brock Lamb had a year to remember in 2012.
The West Maitland junior was named five-eighth in the under-15 Australian Schoolboys team, his NSW Combined Catholic Colleges squad went through undefeated to claim the national title in Darwin and he finished runner-up in the Maitland Junior Sportsperson of the Year awards.
But this weekend the 16-year-old from East Maitland will start the next chapter of his rugby league career.
Lamb will line up for the Newcastle Knights under-16 team in the opening round of the statewide Harold Matthews competition.
It will be his first official game wearing the red and blue of his home town NRL club and, despite being four days out from kick off at Baddeley Park in Cessnock, he declared himself ready and rearing to go.
“I can’t wait,” Lamb said.
“All the pre-season is almost over, so we can get out there and play.”
Lamb, who turned down offers from half-a-dozen rival clubs to sign a three-year deal with the Knights last month, will be playing alongside some familiar faces this season.
Four of his West Maitland teammates – Jayden Butterfield, Brody McKinney, Zac Pursehouse and Charlie Woods – will also play for Newcastle in 2013.
Six others from the Maitland district schoolboys system will also look to make their mark being Ngangarra Barker, Daniel Poole (East Maitland), Jobey Ingram, Daniel McFadyen, Jayden Wright and Dylan O’Neill (Kurri Kurri).
But next to Lamb in the halves will be his good mate and fellow under-15 Australian Schoolboys representative Jack Cogger, a number seven from Central Coast club Toukley.
“He is one of my best mates and we seem to play our best football together,” Lamb said.
“But there are heaps of guys from Maitland playing which will be a big help.”
The Knights meet the South West Sydney Academy in their opening round of Harold Matthews on Saturday at 4pm.
The Newcastle under-18 squad, featuring four players from the Maitland district, start their campaign in the SG Ball competition against the West Coast Pirates at the same Cessnock venue at 5.30pm.
A further 15 players from the Maitland region are part of the Knights under-15 and under-17 squads.
NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
SG Ball (under-18)
Michael Dent (East Maitland), Elliott Jennings (Maitland rugby union), Dan Killen (East Maitland), Oliver Powell (Cessnock).
Under-17
Sam Apthorpe (Cessnock), Kiah Cooper (West Maitland), Callen Edwards (Greta Branxton), Brock Hollis (East Maitland), Daniel Jurd (Cessnock), Joe Morris (East Maitland), Lincoln Smith (East Maitland).
Harold Matthews (under-16)
Ngangarra Barker (East Maitland), Jayden Butterfield (West Maitland), Jobey Ingram (Kurri Kurri), Brock Lamb (West Maitland), Daniel McFadyen (Kurri Kurri), Brody McKinney (West Maitland), Daniel Poole (East Maitland), Zac Pursehouse (West Maitland), Charlie Woods (West Maitland), Jayden Wright (Kurri Kurri), Dylan O’Neill (Kurri Kurri).
Chargers (under-15)
Brandon Bendeich (Greta Branxton), Tom Burgess (Greta Branxton), Brodie Jones (Cessnock), Connor Kirkwood (Greta Branxton), Nick Lawrence (Greta Branxton), Cory McDonald (Cessnock), Ethan Niszczot (East Maitland), Hudson Young (Greta Branxton).