MAITLAND coach Matt Lantry has welcomed the signing of former NRL player Ethan Parry as Newcastle Rugby League's two-time defending premiers look for coverage in the outside backs.
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Parry, a Tamworth product who played two games for Parramatta in 2019, has yet to train with the Pickers but is poised to join them ahead of this year's three-peat bid.
Normally a winger or centre, the latest addition to Maitland's squad arrives with normal right-edge combination Gary Anderson and James Bradley part of NSW Cup calculations for the Knights.
The Pickers pair have undertaken a pre-season over the summer and the statewide competition kicks off next week.
Whether or not either Anderson or Bradley are selected for the Knights against Canberra at McDonald Jones Stadium on March 7 remains to be seen, however, Lantry was erring on the side of caution for the 2024 campaign.
"We needed some outside-back coverage because we could lose half our right edge at any one particular point with James Bradley and Gary Anderson both in at the Knights [NSW Cup]," Lantry told the Newcastle Herald.
"Ethan becomes an important part of the puzzle and it keeps competition for spots within our club healthy."
"We'll wait and see who gets picked round one," Lantry said.
"Potentially while the top squad [Knights NRL] is healthy you might lose one out of three, but once injuries start to hit and Origin rolls around you might risk losing them all.
"If everyone is fully fit [for us] I might have some decisions to make down the track ... but Ethan has got to come in and prove himself because he's been out of the game [major competitions] for a couple of years."
Lantry says Parry, who turns 25 next month and scored a try on NRL debut, was "looking for an opportunity to get back into it" and despite "misdemeanours off the field" he remains "young enough to have a crack".
Pickers fullback Daniel Langbridge will likely miss two Newcastle RL matches when representing the Australian mixed open team at this year's touch football World Cup in England in July.
Lantry feels like the versatility of utility Luke Knight, who can play anywhere from "one to seven", will be like "gold" during that period.
Maitland tackle the Northern Hawks at No.2 Sportsground on April 13 as part of Newcastle RL's season-opening Magic Round, with tickets for the general public having officially gone on sale on Tuesday.
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.
