Trevor Ott has seen the highs and lows at the Maitland Pickers but next year someone else will be steering the ship as first grade coach.
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Ott has collected a premiership and two wooden spoons during four split seasons in charge (2011, 2015-2017), but ended his second tenure at training on Thursday night.
The club has opened applications for the position with president Frank Lawler suggesting several possible replacements including current marquee signing Luke Dorn, last year’s grand final winning captain-coach Todd Hurrell and former Newcastle Knights Harold Matthews mentor Mark Morrissey.
Ott, whose son Tyran was recently picked for Manly’s SG Ball squad, will stay on at Maitland as a coaching coordinator.
“I’ve been happy to do the hard yards to get where we are,” he said. “Had a lot of good moments here and some tough ones.”
Earlier this week Craig Miller re-signed at Central Newcastle and Todd Edwards was appointed at Lakes for outgoing mentor Dean Noonan.
Edwards said he was “looking forward to the challenge” of working with a “young” Seagulls squad next year and would watch them in action against Maitland at Cahill Oval on Saturday.
Miller, midway through his first season at Central, said he didn’t want to “walk away” and felt obliged to “finish the job”.
Elsewhere in the coaching ranks and Kurri Kurri are currently reviewing the performance of Ron Griffiths, who took over from Bulldogs legend Phil Williams.
South Newcastle’s Ben Cross, who guided the NSW women’s side to a second straight Nellie Doherty Cup over Queensland on Sunday, hasn’t confirmed for 2018.
Cessnock’s Steve Kidd and Macquarie’s Adam Bettridge are both in the midst of two-year deals.
On field to round 13 fixtures and Kurri welcome Jack Riddett onto the bench for his first grade debut as the Bulldogs host sixth-placed Souths on Saturday. Only two points separate them.
Over at Peacock Field on Saturday and Nathan Hinton replaces Royce Geoffrey (knee) in Macquarie’s centres while fifth-placed Cessnock remain unchanged for the first time this season.
And on Sunday third-placed Central hosts competition leaders Wests, who are still without Warren Schillings (calf). The Butcher Boys will nominate a new halves partner for Brad Murray to replace five-eighth Nathan Taylor, who suffered a broken leg last weekend, after training on match eve.
Meanwhile player of the year standings have now gone in-camera with Wests five-eighth Ryan Walker (19 points) comfortably leading Macquarie hooker and 2014 winner Chris Hyde (14). Also in the mix at the end of round 11 were Rosellas halfback Sam Keenan, Kurri hooker Terence Seu Seu (12) and Murray (10).
- NSW Blues hat-trick hero Jessica Sergis will line up alongside the likes of Allana Ferguson for Cronulla Caringbah at Passmore Oval on Sunday (3pm) when they tackle North Newcastle, featuring World Cup hopefuls Bec Young, Caitlin Moran and Isabelle Kelly, in round 11 of the state women’s premiership.
