Maitland Blacks begin 2023 campaign this Saturday in trial against West Harbour Pirates

A combination 1^st and 2^nd grade Blacks side will face the Pirates 3rd grade team at 1.40pm in a big day of rugby.

Shute Shield side the Hunter Wildfires are hosting trial games at Marcellin Park with their first grade side taking on fellow Shute Shield opponents the Pirates in the feature game at 5pm.

With six games across two fields it will be an opportunity for the region to see high quality rugby, the day beginning with a junior rugby clinic at 12.45pm.

Blacks coach Luke Cunningham said the early season hit out provides the club with an opportunity to test itself against a high-caliber opponent.

"It will be a good opportunity for our guys to play against that Sydney level football, it's different to what we are used to up here," he said. "To test themselves against a stronger club coming from that Shute Shield competition."

The club will rely on squad stability and an emerging talent pool as it looks to improve on last seasons' minor semi-final loss to Wanderers.

"We're in a good position over the last couple of years, we've given plenty of young fellas the opportunity to play first grade and now a lot of them have got one if not two years of experience under their belt," Cunningham said.

"Our expectations have lifted this year of what we want to achieve as a first grade team but also as a club, I think we've got the players this year to improve on where we finished last year."

Scrumhalf Max Stafford returns to the club after two years and Cunningham believes he will add attacking spark.

"He's a great pick up to get him back, he was a part of the team that played in the grand final in 2018," he said.

"He's a great halfback, very competitive and he lifts the standard of the players around him, he'll provide a bit of an attacking spark to how we want to play this year."

Cunningham said the club is waiting on this season's fixture list after the Singleton Bulls pulled out of the first grade competition due to a player shortage.

"All the clubs had to vote at the end of last week how they wanted to go, to keep the competition condensed or whether they scrap a couple of the wet weather weekends and expand the competition so everyone plays each other three times," he said.

Cunningham said the club expects to hear back from Hunter Rugby in the coming days as to whether a new draw will be released.

"We would like for the competition to be extended so play everyone three times, we want our players to be getting as much time on the park as possible and play as much football as possible," he said.

"With the alternative option the boys were only going to get a dozen games scattered with half a dozen byes which isn't great.

"The players put a lot of time and effort into preseason and it doesn't allow you to get consistency, cohesion or momentum if you're playing two weeks and then you have a week off."