The Kurri Kurri Bulldogs have scored a recruiting coup signing former Maitland Pickers and Wests premiership halfback Jade Porter and ex-NSW Country captain Sam Wooden.
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Porter and Wooden are among several players heading to Kurri Kurri with Maitland Pickers centre George O’Brien and Maitland Blacks wing and goal kicker Jono Maloney and signed by the club.
Porter, 36, and Wooden, 31, will add much needed experience to the young Bulldogs after the departure of hooker and captain Terence Seu Seu to Central Newcastle.
Bulldogs coach Ron Griffiths said seven-time premiership player Porter was one of the outstanding halfbacks in the Newcastle Rugby League and would give the club great direction on field and be a real asset in developing the young team as a mentor.
Griffiths said former NSW Country fullback Wooden had returned to the Hunter Valley after playing out west in Mudgee.
Wooden was a premiership player at Wests and played with Cessnock and South Newcastle in the Newcastle RL competition.
“They are both very talented footballers and bring plenty of finals experience with them to the club,” Griffiths said.
“They are also quality blokes and will be leaders in reinforcing the culture we are building at the club in mentoring roles”.
Griffiths said Maloney and O’Brien were recruited for their character as much as their ability.
“I’ve been a fan of young George for a long while and was eager to entice him to the club. He’s a quality young man and will fit in the club well,” he said.
“Jono has been playing rugby union with the Maitland Blacks but has a rugby league background and strong links with the club through the Legget family.
“He played in the banks and is likely to play on the wing or in the centres and he is a very good kick for goal.
“We identified areas where we needed to strengthen our team and I think we’ve done really well in doing that.”
While the Bulldogs have been busy recruiting, they have managed to re-sign the bulk of a young core of players to take them into the future.
Mitch Cullen, Ben Wyborn, Michael Steele, Tyme Dow-Nikau, Brock Gilmour, Brock Hollis, Kade Hardy, Brady Hammond and gun youngsters Jordy Mitchell and Reid Alchin have all penned contracts.
Bulldogs secretary Jeff Polglase said Cullen, Wyborn and Steele at 25, 27 and 24 respectively had their best footy years ahead of them.
He said the trio were among a core group of younger players who had assumed greater leadership on the field and off in a testing end to the season when the club was without established halves and Seu Seu was injured.
“Most of the core group we’ve retained are all under 24 and it was great to be able to reward young players like Jordy (Mitchell) and Reid (Alchin) with new contracts,” he said.