Maitland Pickers flex muscles in 50-14 win against Northern Hawks

Still missing a handful of stars from their best line-up including star halfback Brock Lamb, the Pickers gave a well-deserved debut to Jackson Eckford who rewarded his coach Matt Lantry with a hat-trick and superbly landed backflip to celebrate the third.

Feeling the effects of a mid-week catch-up win against The Entrance on the Central Coast, the Pickers lacked their usual menace and line-speed in defence in the first half.

But once they clicked, they turned in one of their best team performances with smothering defence, punishing runs by the forwards and slick passing in the backs.

It was rewarded with Eckford's hat-trick, a double to Matt Soper-Lawler and tries to fellow backs Will Nieuwenhuis and Luke Knight as well as four-pointers to forwards Faitotoa Faitotoa and Sam Anderson.

While Eckford earned man-of-the-match honours, Sam Aderson was again a powerhouse continuing a rich vein of form and Chad O'Donnell was sublime working with Knight who started at halfback and fullback Dan Langbridge who had a licence to roam in attack.

O'Donnell's kicking was also a highlight with the five-eighth kicking seven of nine conversions with three or four from out wide or near the sideline.

"Collectively across the board it was hard to find a poor player. They are all contributing in some capacity," Lantry said.

"In the end, after the midweek game, today was about getting the job done, but I think everyone did their bit or more."

Lantry had particular praise for Anderson who he said was currently in the best form of the five years he had coached him.

"Sam has been one of the most consistent performers over that period, but he is having his best year this year," he said.

"He is working extremely hard off the field. I feel like his leadership has gone to another level. He has been really, really impressive this season.

"He straightens up our attack with good leg speed, he complements Jimmy (Taylor) and Butts (Jayden Butterfield) really well in the middle.

"It's no secret when he did come on the tide turned a little bit, he got us going forward and made the most of the opportunities.:

Lantry said the forwards were working well together.

"We've got a good theme going at the moment. We've asked Jimmy and Butts to play a slightly different role for us over the past five or six weeks with one of those boys starting from the bench," he said.

"We're now even have Ando to start from the bench, Tice (Daniel Ticehurst) came back to start from the bench, Toa (Faitotoa Faitotoa) to start.

"We are giving everyone different opportunities in different environments and you can't get that if we're not working collectively as a team and in particular collectively as a group of middle forwards.

"I'm really impressed with how those guys have adjusted to what we have needed over the last few weeks.

"We now we head into the bye we get a chance to reassess and prepare to go again."

Outside of Anderson, Ticehurst was probably the pick of the forwards on Saturday.

"It's been probably the most consistent five weeks in a row we've seen from Tice," Lantry said.

"He was a bit up and down last year when he got here. This year he has really knuckled down, simplified his game and is getting the results.

"Probably credit goes to Darren Taylor, who has worked with Dan to find some key things in his game that really work for him and making sure he does those little things consistently every week.

"It's a credit Dan and Daz to find that level of consistency in his performance that he is bringing every week."

Lantry was also pleased again with the form of new utility Connor O'Beirne off the interchange bench after his pivotal role midweek at halfback when Lamb was injured against The Entrance.

"I was impressed with Connor O'Beirne, it was only his second game. He played six during the week, he played in the middle today and was strong," he said.

"One thing we probably lacked is that genuine individual who has real versatility and can play multiple positions and that's what we needed him for. Just to give us some depth across the club in all areas."

The Hawks showed plenty of heart and will be encouraged by their team's performance in the first half and a late never-say-die try as well as the form of fullback Joel Griffiths as well some big efforts by the forwards in particular Quincy Ross and Henry Penn.

Young dummy-half Floyd Tighe and halfback Adrian Davis were in everything and centre Timanu Alexander is all class.

Jarred Williams, Beau-Josh Lyons and Tyson Hodge got the Hawks tries.

In reserve grade, Maitland ran out 50-10 winners against the Hawks with Jayden Wright scoring a double in a nine tries to two triumph.

It was the second match in four days between the two teams, with Maitland winning a catch-up game on Tuesday night 24-14.

In the Under-19s, Maitland ran out 24-4 winners against the Hawks. The Pickers youngsters were narrow 18-16 losers against The Entrance on Tuesday night.

The Pickers jumped to second on the Oporto Women's Premiership ladder with a 20-10 win against Raymond Terrace.

It was the Pickers' second win a row after a 34-0 win against South Newcastle last Saturday.

Terri-Lee Van Wyk scored a double and Robyn Draper and Jorja Holden also crossed for tries.

The unbeaten Lakes United head the competition.

The Pickers A-grade team had the King's Birthday weekend off. They play Waratah Mayfield at King Edward Park on Friday, June 18.

The Pickers first grade, Under-19s and women's team all have byes next weekend. The reserve grade team plays Kurri Kurri at Kurri Kurri Sportsground on Saturday, June 15.