Teams from Maitland and around the state, including the NSW Waratahs, sent messages of support, raised money and wore white arm bands for Nate.

The six-year-old remains in John Hunter Hospital after he was struck in the head with a metal pole as he volunteered at Marcellin Park last week.

The freak accident rocked Maitland Rugby Club, and junior teams, including his brother’s under-12 side, showed solidarity for their little mate by wearing white arm bands during matches on Saturday.

The Singleton Bulls juniors, the Merewether women’s team and the Avoca Sharks also got involved. They wore white arm bands, took group photographs and raised money for Wetini’s family.

Players from defending Super Rugby champions the NSW Waratahs – including captain Dave Dennis, Wallaby back Adam Ashley-Cooper and former Blacks junior Jeremy Tilse – sent a video to Wetini with messages of support.

Donations to the Nate Wetini Appeal can be made at The Mutual – BSB 646-000, account number 10006309.

White hosts backs

Another Maitland Blacks junior was looking after his teammates last week but in a slightly different way.

Wallaby halfback Nic White hosted fellow ACT Brumbies at his Canberra house for a breakfast on Friday ahead of their Super Rugby fixture the following day.

It was all smiles around the dining room table, but on the field the Brumbies eventually went down 13-8 to the Melbourne Rebels.

Bowling success

To lawn bowls and Raymond Terrace trio Natasha Scott, Kelly Richards and Matthew Baus have been selected in Australian squads to attend trial camps on the Gold Coast this year.

Scott and Richards will be away with 20 hopefuls from May 21 to 24, while Baus will join 13 other men from June 10 to 12.

The camp will be used in conjunction with the Australian Open in June as the deciding factor in the selection of the final national squad for 2015-2016.

Major competitions during that period include this year’s Asia Pacific Championships and next year’s Trans Tasman, Six-Nation Invitational and World Bowls Championships.

This announcement follows a successful venture for the Raymond Terrace players ­representing NSW at the Australian Sides Championships in Perth. NSW made it a clean sweep at the annual tournament taking out the men’s women’s and overall titles.

Sexton reflects

It was flashback Friday for one Maitland triathlete last week. Olympian Brendan Sexton shared a photograph on social media of himself and younger sister Mel running in high school uniform from over a decade ago.

“Running around East Maitland with training partner and lil’ sis,” Sexton wrote. 

“We’ve both gone on to quite different lives, but Mel’s passion and tenacity was something that pushed me then and inspires me today. 

“My school-day fashion also inspires me today – to wear appropriately fitting clothes.”

Brendan has been racing in Auckland and on the Gold Coast and Mel has recently returned to Wollongong after having been in Sydney for leukaemia treatment before Christmas. 

Osborn switches codes

Maitland Pickers premiership-winning skipper Joel Osborn has switched codes following his retirement from rugby league. 

Osborn has decided to try his hand at the round ball code playing football for Raymond Terrace.

Caught out

MyCricket has released a breakdown of ­dismissals from across Australia for the 2014-2015 season.

As expected, caught (753,484), bowled (450,181) and LBW (121, 846) led the way but remarkably 154 people were timed out, 69 handled the ball and 58 obstructed the field. 

Dodgy athlete

And finally, Kendall Schler could claim the unwanted gong of the world’s dodgiest athlete after creeping onto the course late to try to win the St Louis marathon despite not running the entire 42 kilometre course.

Numbers Game: 64 – the number of points scored in 80 minutes of rugby league at Maitland Sportsground on Saturday afternoon with the Pickers and Cessnock playing out a 32-all draw.

Moment That Mattered: The handpass former All Saints College student Isaac Heeney delivered to Buddy Franklin en route to a goal in the Sydney Swans’ 21 point victory over cross city rivals the Greater Western Sydney Giants in the AFL on Saturday was all class. 

Quote: “Harry was an honest toiler and a hard worker, he was someone the other boys loved to play with,” Maitland Pickers president Frank Lawler on a reserve grade encouragement award being named in honour of Harry Hofman, who died suddenly aged 18 last year.