Maitland survived a second-half fightback to hang on against a determined Lakes United outfit, 24-20, in the Denton Engineering Cup at the weekend.

And, Pickers’ skipper Sam Anderson paid credit to their opponents following the clash at Cahill Oval.

“Lakes are always tough here and I knew in that second half they would come out really hard… and they certainly did that,” he said.

“They didn’t go away and they gave us a real scare there.

“You have to give them credit; they are a good club overall with a lot of talented blokes.”

The Newcastle Rugby League (NEWRL) reigning premiers got out of the blocks early and took an 18-4 lead into the main break with tries to Dan Langbridge, Jye Bieman King and Ethan Parry, while the Seagulls snuck a try in right on half-time with Tayhler Paora busting the left edge.

Three minutes after the break, Langbridge turned Trentham Peterson inside out to put Bieman King over and make it 22-4 in what would normally have been the cue in previous seasons for the Seagulls to throw in the towel and be on the end of a large scoreline.

But, not this time.

Lakes dug in and was able to rally with three second-half tries to Sione Mata’utia and Ryan Potts, while Maitland grabbed what proved to be the match-winner through Ethan Parry, making it a double for the afternoon and giving the Pickers a four-point victory.

The showdown could be construed as a reasonable marker for where both teams sit in the competition.

The Pickers, with a large contingent of stars missing, managed to find a way to win regardless.

Meanwhile, Lakes United is possibly the most improved side in the premiership and have shaken the “easybeats” tag they carried last season.

IN OTHER MATCHES

SOUTHS d KURRI 22-12

Souths showed their class against a tough Kurri outfit, with two set plays resulting in tries in the first half, giving the visitors a 16-6 lead at the interval. The Bulldogs scored early in the second through a nicely-placed grubber to make it 16-12. However, with nine minutes remaining, the Lions’ Mitch Black sealed it with a try off the back of a late offload to make it 22-12. Despite the closeness of the scoreline, the Lions seemed to maintain control of the match in another clinical performance against a Bulldogs outfit whose effort remained good but lacked execution on the day.

WESTERN SUBURBS d MACQUARIE 38-0

One-way traffic in this one despite a slow start. It took Wests a while to get right on top, but when they did, the pedal was to the floor. The Scorpions held the home side to 6-0 until 30 seconds before half-time when Will Mehan broke away to put Tyrone Nean through, with Steve Widders converting for a 12-0 lead. The second period belonged to the Rosellas, whose high effort, better field position and greater time in possession put the Scorpions away with a rousing performance that is timely given their upcoming appointment at Maitland Sportsground this weekend.

CENTRAL NEWCASTLE d NORTHERN HAWKS 24-22

In a see-sawing affair at Tomaree, it was the Butcher Boys who got the cash on the day, with Cahleb Faulkner maintaining his status as the competition’s leading tryscorer, grabbing two as well as setting one up for captain Cameron Anderson. The Hawks were probably the better side for the opening 20 minutes, but Central maintained their composure and fought their way back to trail 14-10 at halftime. Once again, Matty Koellner and Harry Reid were standouts for the Butcher Boys, who were also buoyed by the inclusion of Chad O’Donnell and ran out 24-22 winners. It’s a game the Hawks will feel they should have won and, for Central, it’s another wheel in the spoke of success that is defining their season, as they now sit comfortably in third position.

• Saturday’s scheduled clash between The Entrance and Cessnock was postponed due to weather with a date to be announced soon 

For more sports stories:

• Historic AFL debut for University of Newcastle
• Jets farewell big names as stars depart
• Council adopts revised Tomaree Sports Complex Masterplan

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