The Maitland Pickers will train indoors tonight as the city continues to deal with the devastation caused by the Hunter super storm seven days ago.
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The Pickers are to play the South Newcastle Lions at Townson Oval on Sunday and, with Maitland Sportsground still out of action, first grade coach Noel Dent said the squad would head to the gym instead.
However, if the Pickers home ground remains shut until later in the week Dent would be forced to make others arrangements for training on Thursday night.
“We can’t get on [Maitland Sportsground] Tuesday night and hopefully, if it remains fine all week, we might be able to get on Thursday,” Dent said. “If not we will need to arrange something else, but where?”
With many venues either waterlogged or damaged from the east coast low conditions last week, alternatives in the Maitland area are limited.
Not only that but players, like many residents across the region, remain isolated, without power or unable to negotiate traffic diversions.
“It has been a shemozzle,” Dent said.
“Our Kiwi boys couldn’t get home for three days, half of the boys had no power, the Hinton blokes were stranded and the Raymond Terrace guys couldn’t get anywhere.
“But we just have to deal with what we have to deal with.”
The Pickers had last weekend off because of an allocated bye for Anzac Day and were unable to train because of the wild weather.
Their last hit out was a 32-all draw with Coalfields rivals Cessnock at home on April 19 after opening the 2015 season with a last-minute 22-20 away victory against Central Newcastle.
Dent said the Pickers’ upcoming match would be in doubt if the Merewether venue received any more moisture, but he didn’t expect Newcastle Rugby League officials to make any decisions until later in the week.
“If it rains again this week I’d be surprised if we play to be honest,” Dent said.
“But I don’t think the league will be making any decisions until Friday.”
This would be a similar case for the Maitland Blacks in the Newcastle and Hunter Rugby Union and the Maitland Magpies in the Northern NSW National Premier League.
The Blacks are also scheduled to play at Townson Oval, but 24 hours earlier, against Merewether Carlton on Saturday. The Magpies are scheduled to tackle the Edgeworth Eagles at Jack McLaughlin Oval on Friday night.