There will be no shortage of emotion at Maitland Sportsground on Saturday.
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Maitland Pickers will host Harry Hofman Memorial Day, in honour of the rising star whose life was tragically cut short in October last year.
Hofman, a Beresfield Bears junior, was an impressive 19-year-old player, respected by his teammates and loved by his friends.
“He was a great kid,” Maitland Pickers first grade coach Noel Dent told the Mercury last year.
“He was polite, well-mannered and just a lovely boy.
“On the field he could play anywhere, from back-row to wing.
“He really blossomed in the last two years and he probably would have played at Maitland all his life and been a really strong club man.
“It’s just devastating.”
A minute’s silence for Hofman will be observed before the Pickers’ reserve grade match, with players from all clubs and grades welcome on the field, dressed in their club attire, to pay their respects.
The minute’s silence will be one of a number of planned tributes to Hofman, who died suddenly from a ruptured spleen.
“We have come up with a reserve grade award each week which is based on commitment, not necessarily on the best player in the team,” club president Frank Lawler said.
“Someone who has done the training and everything their coach has asked.
“And just put in their best effort, they don’t have to be a superstar.
“That was how Harry played his football.
“We have worked with his dad Mark to see how [the family] would like that award structured.
“Harry was an honest toiler and a hard worker, he was someone the other boys loved to play with.”
Saturday’s Real NRL schedule will not just include a tribute to Hofman, but will double as Old Boys Day and also see six matches from 9.30am.
The main event will be the local derby clash between the Pickers and Cessnock Goannas.
Both teams are full of confidence after posting first-round wins.
While the Pickers overcame Central Newcastle on the weekend with a gutsy 22-20 victory, Dent said tasting success in their first home game of the season will require a mammoth effort.
“We’re going to have to improve,” Dent said.
“What we did last Saturday won’t be good enough this Saturday.”
Dent watched Cessnock’s fiery and convincing win over premiers Western Suburbs from the sidelines and was impressed with what he saw.
“They played pretty well against Wests – solid halves, centres – they’re strong all over the park,” the coach said.
“Our game [against Central] compared to the Cessnock game, we were down a notch to the level that game was.”
Alongside the Goannas halves pairing of Liam Foran and Willie Heta, Dent cited Dan Metcalf, Jarrod Edwards and Sean Metcalf as being particular dangers.
“They’ve got a very strong roster,” he said.
“So we can’t just concentrate on one area, we’re going to have to be strong across the park.
“We’re not the biggest pack in the world, so we’re going to have to be mobile and have everyone do their job to the best.”
While the Harry Hofman Memorial Day will be an emotional one for the club, Dent does not plan on exploiting the occasion to get his players to lift.
“It will be a big day, but I certainly won’t mention anything like that [to the players],” Dent said.
“Every week in this comp is going to be tough – there’s not going to be an easy game in the competition.
“We’ve just got to get our footy right, get the simple things right.”
SATURDAY PICKERS SCHEDULE
9.30am: Pickers under-17 v Central Charlestown
11am: Pickers under-19 v Cessnock
12.15pm: Pickers open grade v Cessnock
1.30pm: Pickers reserve grade v Cessnock
3pm: Maitland Pickers first grade v Cessnock Goannas
4.45pm: Maitland Pickers Women v Berkley Vale
