As the Cessnock Goannas gear up to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their 1977 grand final win against Maitland, the Coalfields rivalry is alive and well.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Saturday’s Coalfields classic at Coronation Oval kicks off for the first time with Ladies League Tag and the evenly matched Cessnock and Maitland teams are both chasing their second win of the season to stay in touch with the top five.
The Goannas had their first win of the season last week, defeating Macquarie 14-10. Maitland’s sole win of the season also came against Macquarie.
It promises to be a moving day at Coronation Oval, which is the annual Harry Hofman Memorial Day between Maitland and Cessnock.
A tribute will be held before the start of the reserves game at 1.30pm for Pickers reserve player Hofman, who died suddenly in October 2014, from a ruptured spleen.
It’s also Pickers Old Boy Day and 17 members of the 1977, 1983 and 2010 Maitland grand final sides will present jumpers to the current Maitland team.
For the record, the Goannas won the 1997 grand final, but the Pickers prevailed to be premiers in 1983 and 2010.
The Ladies League Tag game kicks off the day at 11am.
