Fresh from celebrating the club’s decorated past the Maitland Pickers have looked to forge their future by re-signing half a dozen players for next season.
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The Pickers announced their top 20 players of all time on Saturday night and among them was current campaigner PJ Ellis, who has agreed to kick on with Maitland for 2016 alongside a host of up-and-coming talent.
The former NRL player, 2011 Pickers premiership winning skipper and two-time Maitland captain-coach will continue to guide the club’s younger charges around the park in what will be his seventh season wearing black and white.
Ellis, who turns 40 next year, will be joined by at least five Pickers under-18 graduates who have all debuted in first grade this season.
Recent halves pairing Ngangarra Barker and Callen Edwards have signed with the Pickers again and will play alongside outside backs Tyler la Prince and Bailey Jenkins once more.
Rounding out that initial list of contracts is Brodie McKinney, who scored a try on debut for Maitland on Sunday in their 32-14 loss to title holders Western Suburbs at Harker Oval.
The Pickers, with 12 players under the age of 22, led by 10 points in the early stages, but were eventually run down by the favourites.
Maitland coach Trevor Ott, who has also re-signed for next season after rejoining the club midway through this year, said he was pleased to have an experienced campaigner to steer his fresh-faced aspirants in the right direction.
“To have a bloke in the Pickers Top 20 going around again is great for the younger guys,” Ott said.
“PJ has really enjoyed the challenge moving to the middle of the park and relished the opportunity to just play rather than coach.
“He hasn’t played the last couple of weeks because of injury [shoulder] and will probably miss the last one as well, but he has played a few full games and has been one of the better performers at times during the year.
“And having those younger guys on board is very exciting for the club because they are a much better football team now compared to when I first arrived.”
The Pickers don’t play this weekend but return on August 29 with their final match of the season against Macquarie at Maitland Sportsground.
Kurri Kurri also end their 2015 campaign the following Saturday with a Coalfields clash against the Goannas at Cessnock Sportsground.
The wooden spoon will be decided between those games with just one point separating the Bulldogs (6) and the Pickers (7) on the competition ladder.
Rounding out the Real NRL fixtures that weekend will be South Newcastle and Central Newcastle fighting for the fifth and final play-off spot against minor premiership aspirants Lakes United and Western Suburbs respectively.
Key signatures for 2016
PJ Ellis
Ngangarra Barker
Callen Edwards
Tyler la Prince
Bailey Jenkins
Brodie McKinney
