Maitland's under-12 and under-13 teams were on track for top five finishes before the weekend's heavy rain forced the cancellation of the NSW Sate Junior Netball Championships at Penrith.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Maitland's under-12s were third in Division 2 at the end of day one with five wins and a loss from their six games, while the under-13s were fifth with four wins, a draw and a loss from their sixth games.
The under-14s had made a slow start and had only one win from six games.
Play wasn't possible on Sunday and the tournament was cancelled on Monday. Due to teams only being able to get one day of play in, no State Champions or Division winners were crowned for 2022.
Cessnock and Kurri Kurri teams made strong starts to the Netball NSW State Junior Titles.
Cessnocks under-12 and -13s made unbeaten starts in Division 3 on day one to finish second and first respectively on their tables.
The under-14 Division 3 team were fourth with four wins and a loss.
Kurri Kurri's under-14s, 13 and 12s were all unbeaten in Division 4 and were first or second.
Netball NSW executive general manager of community and pathways Tim Fava said he understood the tough decision would cause huge disappointment.
"Having had the last two years affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, to see this year's event fall victim to the weather after getting off to a great start is simply heartbreaking for everyone involved," he said.
"Firstly, our thoughts are with all of the players, coaches, umpires, team managers and fans who put so much into their campaigns, many of whom have come from places as far away as Ballina and Wagga Wagga.
"Given the risks involved this was really our only option. I would like to reiterate again how difficult it has been the come to this decision, but it is the correct one as the wellbeing and safety of our netball family must, and always will, come first."
In other news:
Do you know you can subscribe to get full access to all Maitland Mercury stories? Subscribing supports us in our local news coverage. To subscribe, click here.