Newcastle Rugby League: Maitland Pickers claim minor premiership, club championship double for second straight season

The Pickers were officially named Newcastle Rugby League's minor premiers in first grade on the weekend and claimed the club championship following the last round of the regular season.

Maitland completed the same double last year, awarded by Newcastle RL having been on top of the charts for both counts when the 2021 campaign was cut short by COVID around 12 months ago.

And during a coronavirus-impacted 2020, the Pickers entered a side in NSW Rugby League's President's Cup and went onto clinch minor-major titles in the one-off competition.

Lantry, who has been at the helm throughout that period having joined Maitland after Wests' grand final win in 2019, reckons "this year is definitely the most significant of the three".

"We've been the hunted now going into our second year," Lantry said.

"We were the hunted last year after our 2020 success and this year has been even tougher in that aspect because every team has come to get us.

"We've had to be somewhere towards the higher end of performance to get away with wins.

"So I think this year is definitely the most significant of the three because of what we've had to endure through the course of the year.

"Plus, for the first time in three years we've had our fair share of injuries."

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Maitland have lost just four times in 43 appearances from the start of 2020 to the current stage of 2022. They have posted 37 wins, including the President's Cup decider almost two years ago, and two draws.

The Pickers' record this year reads 15 wins, one draw and two losses from 18 rounds. They opened the campaign with eight straight triumphs, picked up just three points from their next four outings and then finished off by tasting victory six times in a row.

Lantry hopes the most recent three results, success against fellow top-five sides Souths (34-4), Macquarie (18-10) and Cessnock (12-8), holds them in good stead for the finals series.

The Pickers have this weekend off before hosting the winner of Saturday's qualifying semi between Central and Macquarie.

Lantry expects Daniel Langbridge (turf toe) and Peter Wilson (hamstring) to return for the major semi at home on August 27.

"We'll be at full strength in a fortnight," Lantry said.

Brock Lamb (173) finished top point scorer.

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