Chad O'Donnell ready to lead Country against City's sizable challenge

So when the call came from Newcastle rep coach Garth Brennan to see if he would be a starter for the Rebels this season - preseason thoughts of retiring from rep duties were swept aside.

"The competitor in me finds it hard to say no to the challenge," O'Donnell, 28, said.

"I was sort of thinking last year I had ticked a lot of boxes. I was very fortunate with the rep campaign I had and I was thinking about pulling the pin this year, but something within me just wanted to give it another go.

"I like the idea of giving back a bit, because it's a Newcastle Rugby League thing and they do a lot for the whole game.

"I suppose if I still can add some value, I'll keep on putting my hand up.

"I find the rep season to be a springboard for me into the regular season.

"Generally the first five rounds of the year is my quietest when I'm coming back from the year and building into the season getting your timing right.

"But with rep duties, you've got a fair bit of training under the belt, three games match fitness and then when I come to round one with the Pickers I'm generally more accustomed to playing. That's another part that I enjoy about it.

The Rebels and Country NSW are glad O'Donnell decided to continue as they prepare to run out on Saturday trying to successfully unravel the sizable challenge of the City team for the the second year running.

From the outside backs to the forwards City will have a big advantage in the weight and size stakes, but as they proved last season when they ran out 26-20 winners Country has the advantage in skill and footy nous.

O'Donnell said the familiarity of Rebels representatives from training and the country championships campaign and the addition of core of players from last year's squad were an advantage for Country.

"It's going to be tough, but the advantage of having no many Newcastle players in the team and players from other comps who were part of the core group last year works for us," he said.

"They have plenty of size everywhere, but they will only have one or two training sessions to work together."

O'Donnell was captain last year in a country side which featured fellow Maitland players James Bradley, Gary Anderson, Jayden Butterfield and Lincoln Smith.

Bradley and Anderson both earned places in the Newcastle Knights NSW Cup squad, Smith was firmly in the selection frame but is injured and Butterfield is back with his Pickers prop partner James Taylor and outside back Matt Soper-Lawler in 2024.

The four Pickers are among 11 Newcastle RL players named in Country's squad with Cahttps://www.maitlandmercury.com.au/story/8625348/maitland-pickers-triumph-in-chad-odonnells-100th-game-for-club/meron Anderson (Central), Luke Huth, Honeti Tuha (Cessnock), Lewis Hamilton, Ryan Glanville (Souths), Jake Woods and Ryan Shaw (The Entrance) also in the mix.

O'Donnell said it was a huge honour to be named captain of a team with so many quality and experience player with such incredible experience

"I wasn't expecting this year with so much experience in the team, so it was really special."

O'Donnell, who played his 100^th first grade game for the Pickers on May 11, is a crowd favourite among the Pickers faithful and the two-time premiership and three-time President's Cup winner with Maitland is committed long-term to the club.

His love of the game shows no sign of diminishing.

"I signed last year at Maitland for another three years which will bring me to 30 and I'll see how the body is feeling from there," he said

"Footy is essentially my escape I call it. Eighty minutes when I don't have to think about anything else from the week."