Pickers coach Matt Lantry reckons Maitland should do what they can to secure the services of captain Alex Langbridge for a "long time".
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The 28-year-old completed a clean sweep at NSW Rugby League's grand final day - named player of the year and man of the match before holding aloft the President's Cup trophy.
He has verbally agreed to terms, along with brother Daniel, halfback Brock Lamb and five-eighth Chad O'Donnell, with the Pickers for next year.
"He [Langbridge] is a legend," Lantry said.
"He's someone Maitland should lock up for a long time, because not only is he a great player he's a great person and that's what we want around this footy club."
With O'Donnell sidelined because of a knee injury, Langbridge's sibling Daniel helped fill the void in the halves. Lamb also stepped up, providing the last touch for two second-half tries and slotting a defining field goal late in the piece. The forwards, including Sam Anderson, shone too in the middle third.
However, the Maitland hooker not only provided his usual pin-point delivery from the ruck and steered his team around the park, on at least three occasions Langbridge produced try-saving tackles.
One in particular, around the 31st minute, he had no right to make.
Shortly after opening the scoring and 6-0 in front, the Pickers were defending their own line following a mistake from the kick-off. Langbridge made his way across to meet Wolves substitute Duwanye Mariner next to the posts and somehow managed to get his body underneath the big man to prevent the ball from being grounded.
"That was very close. I don't know how he didn't get it down. I'm only a little fellow," Langbridge said.
In a tight encounter, those moments matter.
"That's the difference, just those little one percenters. Whether you're half a step early or half a step late. Whether you score or don't score," he said.
Langbridge has now claimed minor-major premierships in back-to-back seasons, but with different clubs in different competitions.
The 2019 Rebels representative player of the year was with Wests 12 months ago enjoying Newcastle Rugby League success, signing at Maitland after the decider.
The coronavirus crisis saw the Pickers join the one-off President's Cup in 2020, dropping just one game in the statewide campaign.
"It's very nice. I had no doubts about coming to Maitland with Matty coming here and the coaching staff he brought. We were always going to be competitive."
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Josh Callinan
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
