Maitland Pickers impressive start to their trial games was marred when talented young gun Bailey Jenkins was stretchered from the ground with a suspected broken ankle.
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Jenkins, who is one of the Pickers’ Newcastle Knights NYC representatives, landed awkwardly in a tackle in his team’s 20-16 win against The Entrance Tigers.
Maitland lost Knights NSW Cup player Toby Evans with a sprained ankle in the opening minutes of the game and Lincoln Smith has a suspected broken knuckle in his thumb.
Pickers coach Trevor Ott said Jenkins’ injury was a blow for the club and the talented youngster.
“He has just come back from a really good pre-season with the Knights. It looks like a broken ankle, hopefully he won’t be out too long,” Ott said.
Ott said his team’s first hit up was even more impressive, given the injury toll.
He has just come back from a really good pre-season with the Knights. Hopefully he won’t be out too long.
- Trevor Ott on Bailey Jenkins' injury
“We lost three good players, but I was really happy with the way the middle stood up and paved the way for our backline to do what they could do,” Ott said.
“I think the only thing that let us down glaringly, it cost us two tries, was on the back of our kick-chase.
“We were a little bit staggered and they’ve scored run aways, 60 and 80 metres. We just can’t do that, especially in the third-quarter with seconds to go and they scored on the hooter.
“We’ve just got to be better there, but it’s a trial and we’ve got to be conscious of playing every minute.”
Ott said there were plenty of positives to come out of the trial with all four grades having wins and getting valuable playing time.
He said first grade would be strengthened by added depth.
“I was really happy particularly with the boys who stood up and played some long minutes,” he said.
Ott was particularly pleased with Knights NSW Cup recruit Kurt Aldridge who played at hooker.
“I thought the nine, Kurt Aldridge, was really good today. He had been in Manly’s top 25 last year and was the leading point scorer in the NSW Cup last year and the year before,” Ott said.
“He brought some exciting play for us tonight, I thought he was enormous.”
Zebastian Luisi got some valuable playing time and imposed himself more on the game as it progressed.
Pickers premiership winner Willie Polau led an impressive forward pack, which will benefit from his presence.
Ott said he was delighted that wing Lochlan Preston, who scored a try in his first grade debut.
However, he said his feel-good moment from the game was a late try by George O’Brien.
“Georgie O’Brien has predominantly only ever played second division football, he played really well in open age today, played reserve grade and I backed him up for first grade and he got a try in the corner,” he said.
