The Pickers dominated much of the game and led 16-0 after 25 minutes, but a glut of possession to the Butcher Boys on the back of Maitland errors and back-to-back penalties let Central in for two tries in the final 10 minutes and a 16-10 scoreline at half-time.

Central started the better in the second half but after about five minutes the Pickers clicked and wrestled back control of the game.

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Brock Lamb converted a penalty in the 60^th minute for the Pickers to lead by eight and then a well-worked try out wide by James Bradley and a clutch conversion by Lamb gave the Pickers a 24-10 lead and the match.

Lamb was excellent, but the middle trio of James Taylor, Jayden Butterfield and Sam Anderson were the Pickers' best.

Pickers coach Matt Lantry said it was OK round one performance.

"We need to improve and some individuals need to be a lot better than today but as a collective I'm happy enough." he said/

The Pickers opened strongly and had two tries on the board within the first 15 minutes.

Gary Anderson crossed first in the 12th minute off a clever kick by fullback Daniel Langbridge through the line. Langbridge got a second chip onto the ball and Anderson scored out wide.

Sam Anderson then bustled his way across the line adjacent to the uprights in the 15th minute.

Perry Le Broque crossed to take the score out to 16-0 after Brock Lamb's second conversion.

"For the first half an hour we were by far the better side, we dominated field position, we dominated possession," Lantry said.

"We rolled through the middle of them and got our kick, Lamby executed his play five kicks really well which made it hard for them to get out of their own end and that's why we led 16-0.

"And then, the game sort of flipped on its head. We went through a 10 minute period when we didn't have any possession and back-to-back penalties on our own goal line on the back of some errors as well and there is enough strike power in that team to cause you some trouble.

"Kyah Cooper was a handful on the edge and Tamanu Alexander on the other side and we gave up two tries which was a little disappointing."

Central broke through for their first from Randall Briggs five minutes before the break after repeated sets on the Pickers line.

The second came three minutes later when Cameron Anderson scored out wide after Central shifted the ball across the field.

"We addressed a few things at half-time about repeating our first 30 minutes and I was disappointed the way we started the second half. I thought we were a bit flat," Lantry said.

"We put ourselves under pressure with field position, but we defended well enough to turn them away and tried to flip momentum a couple of times and finally wrestled some field possession back in our favour.

"They come up with a penalty which put us eight clear and then some nice skill to score the last try and a great conversion by Lamby."

"I thought it was a real clutch kick by Brock and it got us out by 14 and we were good enough to defend it."

The Pickers went into the game without regular hooker and skipper Alex Langbridge who withdrew late in the week after testing positive to COVID.

Harrison Spruce stepped into the breach and played the full 80 minutes at dummy-half.

"I though Harrison was very good for us. He stepped in and did the job well. That was the first 80 minute performance he has had in a long time," Lantry said

Langbridge will be available next week for the Pickers first home game of the season when they host Western Suburbs Rosellas.

Congratulations to Jackson Shade who made his first grade debut for the Pickers off the bench late in the game.

In other Coalfields games on the weekend the Cessnock Goannas had a 14-10 win against the Rosellas at the Cessnock Sportsground on Saturday.

The Kurri Kurri Bulldogs home clash against Lakes United will be rescheduled after a washout at the Kurri Kurri Sportsground on Saturday.

The game between Macquarie Scorpions and South Newcastle at Lyall Peacock Field was also washed out.

In the other completed Newcastle RL game, Wyong Roos defeat The Entrance Tigers 14-10.