Billy Towers will steer another young Maitland Pickers outfit around the park this weekend, which will include Australian Schoolboys representative Jayden Butterfield on debut.
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The ever-consistent Towers, who the Pickers hope to sign for next season, will be the elder statesman in a squad with 11 players under the age of 22.
One of those will be Butterfield, who will make his first grade debut for the Pickers after playing most of this year with the Newcastle Knights in SG Ball (under 18s) and NYC (under 20s).
The Pickers will host Macquarie at Maitland Sportsground on Saturday in the final game of the Newcastle Rugby League season and a win would see them avoid the wooden spoon.
Pickers coach Trevor Ott said the issue of finishing last was a no-go zone for his players, who were focused on the 80 minutes ahead rather than sitting one competition point ahead of Kurri Kurri with one game to go.
“We haven’t even talked about that [the wooden spoon],” Ott said.
“We just want to go out there and play a good brand of footy in our final game of the year.
“Macquarie has a few old legs and we have a few young ones, so we will look to run them around a bit.”
Ott said he was pleased to have Butterfield in the starting side rejoining a few of his junior teammates.
“He has achieved so much this year between Australian Schoolboys and the Knights,” he said.
“And now he can add a Maitland first grade debut to that as well.”
Ott also praised the efforts of Towers in leading an inexperienced squad during 2015.
“He has been Maitland’s best player year in and year out for a while now,” the coach said.
“He is such a consistent performer and someone the younger players look to.”
PJ Ellis remains out with a shoulder injury and Pat Robards (work) is unavailable.
Out at Cessnock Sportsground and the Goannas host Kurri Kurri on Saturday afternoon.
The Bulldogs need to beat their Coalfields rivals to have any chance of climbing off the bottom of the competition ladder.
The round 18 fixture will be a farewell for Knights premiership winner Daniel Abraham, who will play his 100th and final game for the Bulldogs after six and a half seasons at the club.
Abraham has agreed to join Macquarie for a swansong in 2016, which includes a role as Assistant coach.
Kick-off for both matches is 3pm.
MAITLAND PICKERS: 1 Steve Waetford (c); 2 Brodie McKinney; 3 Josh Morrison; 4 Tyler la Prince; 5 Kade Hardy; 6 Callen Edwards; 7 Ngangarra Barker; 8 Damien Frize; 9 Jarrod Smith; 10 Bryce Jones; 11 Jayden Butterfield; 12 Tylar Carter; 13 Billy Towers; 14 Luke Clydesdale; 15 TBA; 16 Dion Briggs;17 Bailey Jenkins