For every rugby league club there’s good years, great years, and downright grim years.
A few years on from a handful of wooden spoons, the Maitland Pickers are knee deep in the good times.
“This side has a thirst for success, and our club has a thirst for success,” said first grade coach Matt Lantry at a training session before the side travelled to Sydney to defend the Presidents Cup today.
And it was a successful defence again, locking away the 2023 title with a 32-10 victory over St Marys Saints in Parramatta.
The cup was established in 2020, giving semi-professional regional and city teams another competition to contest.
It’s only ever been won by the Pickers, and ahead of the grand final they were hell bent on keeping it that way.
Maitland qualified after securing the Newcastle Rugby League premiership, backing up last year’s local title.
“Rugby league is healthy in Maitland and I think it’s a little healthier because of how well the Maitland Pickers are doing,” Lantry said.
“When this club’s going well it gives it a real positive feel around our community.”
Humble foundations
Behind the brag-worthy record the club is rooted — literally — in humble origins.
Their original moniker, the Maitland Pumpkin Pickers, is from the early days of the club, where players would pack produce onto the train to Newcastle to sell at the markets after a game.
When you scratch the surface of the club, a list of legends emerges.
Australian representative lock Greg Bird kicked off his career the way several do in Maitland — play for the Pickers, get picked by the Knights, before being poached by other clubs.
“You see people that grew up around the corner from your house going on to have the sort of successes in sport that you probably didn’t realise you could have coming from Maitland,” he said.
“You don’t think you’re getting all the way to the top when you’re playing for the love of the game.
“You never forget where you came from.”
Pathways galore
If you roam the B Block corridor at Maitland’s All Saints College (ASC) and look closely you’ll find photographs of the eighth Rugby League Immortal, Andrew Johns.
Many of the town’s big names have come through ASC.
Some were coached by Shane ‘the whippet’ Whereat, a former NRL Eels and Roosters sprinter, now PE teacher.
The school’s link to the Pickers is a commitment led by Whereat and Lantry to nurture the next generation.
“It’s great for our students to be associated with that, to build exposure for our rugby league program where we can draw kids here who not only just want a pathway in the game but also want that holistic education,” Lantry said.
“We encourage them to do all those things they strive for, not just on the training paddock but off it as well.
“We try to instil respect and integrity as part of that.”
Being able to treat footy seriously, alongside study, is a dream for Pickers under 19s halfback Ashton Farrell.
“Every kid’s dream is to play in the NRL, but I’ll take it as it comes,” he said.
“I want to go overseas and play eventually, do a bit of travelling overseas. But at the moment, I’m pretty happy at Maitland.”
It’s not just league having a moment in town. The local union side, the Maitland Blacks, broke a two-decade-long premiership drought this year.
“The coaching and all the support and good tips keeps you on track with class and stuff,” said Lucas Hickling, who plays in the Blacks’ junior side.
“I think everyone loves footy and Maitland has a lot of support. You can talk to anyone about it.”
Love for the team brings them back
Pickers’ halfback Brock Lamb and second row Lincoln Smith first played footy together at ASC.
Lamb played for the Newcastle Knights and the Sydney Roosters NRL sides after school before heading to the London Broncos in the UK Super League.
“It’s been so good to get the band back together, play together,” Smith said.
“It just shows how close our relationship is, and not just with me and Linc,” Lamb said.
“I think the best thing with us is we can give each other a lot of sh*t because we’ve known each other for so long. It actually motivates us and gets us going.”
This year two regional teams, Thirroul and Dubbo, pulled out of the semi finals, handing a grand final appearance to Maitland and St Marys.
The three-peat, and being the only team with their name on the silverware, is nothing compared to being able to keep playing the game they love together.
“It’s been a good bunch of blokes. We’ve had a bit of fun, and we’ve strived to continue the great legacy that players of Maitland have set before,” said skipper Alex Langbridge.
The only thing standing in the way of yet another successful defence in 2024 could be administrative.
There’s talk the Presidents Cup is under review by NSW Rugby League.
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