Maitland locals Josh Maddox, Gary Dixon, Jason 'Bucket' Golding and Joe Elers have been pranking each other at the end of footy season since 2015 in the form of a giant wooden spoon.

Standing at 4.8 metres tall, "it's an absolute monster" according to Mr Maddox, who has had the spoon planted in his front yard this year, as he supports the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs who have come in last place in this year's NRL competition.

"I saw the lights as soon as I pulled into the estate and I thought, there it is... in all it's glory."

The spoon has gone viral on Facebook receiving 7.1 thousand comments - and counting.

"The amount of social media attention it has received is hilarious, it had only been up for an hour and a half last night and on one of the pages it had 1600 likes."

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The spoon was put together in Gary Dixon's back shed and is put in the front yard of whoever's team comes last each year.

"It goes around between the friends and the family as just a bit of banter between each other... I just think it's hilarious that it's gone from a small thing we used to do to annoy each other at the end of the season to what it is now."

The prank started as a friendly rivalry to tease the losing member of the group and it has just been a lucky - or unlucky - coincidence that a member of their group has come last almost every year.

"It started at Jason Golding's house in 2015, 16 and 17 for the Knights and in 2018 it went to my father in law Gary Dixon's house because he goes for Parramatta... in 2019 it had a spell before going to Joe Elers' house in 2020 (Brisbane Broncos)."

According to Mr Maddox, whoever loses the previous year looks after the spoon for the next year's recipient, and is also in charge of updating the paint job.

"It's been upgraded along the way - it has solar lights around it now, and it gets bigger and better every year."

Being Maitland born and bred, Mr Maddox doesn't know exactly how he got into supporting the Bulldogs.

"Don't hold it against me," he said.

Despite defeating the Wests Tigers in a triumphant 38-0 win on Sunday, the Bulldogs have come in at the bottom of the ladder in this years NRL competition.

Mr Maddox hopes to see the Brisbane Broncos receive the wooden spoon in 2022.

"I don't think it'll happen but I'd like to see the Broncos get it again."

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