Maitland Pickers coach Trevor Ott is glad there’s only one training night left before his team’s first trial game.
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“They’re ripping in ready for a game,” Ott said after an intense training session by his squad on Tuesday night ahead their first pre-season trial game on Saturday against the Entrance Tigers at the Maitland Sportsground.
“It’s building nicely we’ve got some good numbers. We’ve got out Knights player placement program players coming back on Thursday, so it’ll step up again.”
Knights’ Parramatta signing Toby Evans is likely to feature in the halves and Knights NYC players Cameron King, Callan Edwards and Bailey Jenkins have also been named in an extended first grade team.
Former Pickers Geordie Connelly (centre) and Willie Poleo (front row) make their return to the fold.
However, former Pickers premiership player Jacob Sinclair, who has returned to the club after a stint in the UK, and talented youngster Jarrod Smith will be both away because of other commitments.
“There’s a bit of quality there but that’s fine it’s a trial game and it’s a good chance to give other guys a bit of a hit out,” Ott said.
The Pickers are also unlikely to have access to their five juniors – Matt Soper-Lawler, Joey Morris, Jayden Butterfield, Ngangarra Barker and Max King - who featured in last weekend’s NYC clash between the Knights and Titans.
“They’re good young players and it’s great to see them do well,” Ott said
“Matty got three tries, young Nangarra got a try and Buttsy and Joey Morris did really well.
“I think they benefited from getting that exposure last year in first grade, particularly young Matty and Nangarra playing first grade helped them kick start their career.”
Ott said he was a bit anxious to start the season as well.
“I can’t wait. It’s always a long pre-season,” he said.
“We’re still really a relatively young club overall. I want to enhance our open grade with good young players and that will be a stepping stone from 19s to reserves.
“It’s a matter of earning your stripes before you step up the grades.
“If we can get that quality coming through to give the other guys some pressure to keep their spots, that’s where we want to be.”
Pickers squad: 1 Steve Waetford, 2 Bailey Jenkins, 3 Liam Faughlin, 4 Geordie Connelly, 5 Lochlan Preston, 6 Zebastian Luisi, 7 Shayt Padberg, 8 Willie Poleo, 9 Luke Clydesdale, 10 Dan Killen, 11 Billy Tower, 12 Tyler Carter, 13 PJ Ellis, 14 Blake Steel, 15 Toby Evans, 16 Jye Delany, 17 Lincoln Smith, 18 Callan Edwards.