The battle for the signatures of Geordie Connelly and Jarome Haines has ended in a one-all draw with the Kurri Kurri Bulldogs and Maitland Pickers effectively swapping their star backs.
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New Kurri Kurri coach Mitch Cullen confirmed this week that Connelly had signed with the Bulldogs for the 2020 season and will be joined by his Pickers teammates Hayden Grainger and Shay Padberg at Kurri.
Securing both Haines and Connelly would have been a coup for either club and Cullen admitted it was disappointing to lose Haines who had a break-out season playing representative football with the NSW Pioneers and Newcastle Rebels and winning the Bulldogs player of the year award.
"Geordie can play anywhere in the backline but he'll probably play five-eighth where Jarome played last year for us," Cullen said.
"It was pretty much a one-for-one deal in the end, they got one and we got the other.
"I was disappointed in Jarome leaving, but I got a really good one in return in Geordie."
The Bulldogs began pre-season training on Tuesday night and the Pickers trio join the Bulldogs' other star signing former Kiwi international and Sydney Roosters premiership player Frank-Paul Nuuausala at the Graveyard.
Pickers coach Matt Lantry said he would have loved to be able to secure both Connelly and Haines in Maitland colours but was excited about what Haines would bring to the Pickers in 2020.
"He is an excellent player, he played representative football with Newcastle and then for the state with the Pioneers," he said.
"I think with the right players around him and direction, Jarome will become and even better player over the next one to two years.
"Exactly where he fits into the team will be decided, but he has the ability to play five-eighth, hooker or fullback and will be another important addition to what is becoming a very good spine."
The Pickers have been active in recruiting previously signing Western Suburbs quartet Alex Langbridge (hooker), Chad O'Donnell (five-eighth) and Pay Mata'utia (second row) who are all Newcastle representative players, and Daniel Langbridge who can play in six or seven.
The Pickers also signed former Newcastle Knight and Super League forward Tyler Randell who is expected to play lock with Alex Langbridge and Jarrod Smith playing nine.
"Shay can play seven, he can come off the bench as nine or 13 and Hayden offers the same versatility. Tom McKenzie and Craig Richardson will probably get first shot as our hookers, but it certainly gives us a lot more depth in those key roles," Cullen said.
Ben Wyborn, Tyme Dow-Nikau and Ngangarra Barker are the only key first graders yet to pen a deal for 2020.
"Ben and Tyme have been away on holidays and I hope to catch up with them on Tuesday night and finalise things. I've been speaking with Ngangarra and there are a couple of things to work out, but I'm confident he will sign," Cullen said.
In further good news for Kurri, fullback Kade Hardy has been given the all-clear to return to full training for the first time in a year after a horror ankle injury on the eve of the 2018 finals.
"He was our best that year, you wonder how we would have gone with him in the side and we also lost a couple of others with Tyme having issues with his heart and Brady Hammond suffering from vertigo," Cullen said.
"They just dropped like flies at the end of that season, we went on a good run and it could have been a good year."