LUKE Cunningham always had a two-year plan in mind when he and Michael Howell took the reins of the Maitland Blacks .
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To have what was shaping as a promising 2021 cut short due to the COVID-19 lockdown, has only added fuel to the fire.
The Blacks were in fourth spot, eight clear of Nelson Bay, with three rounds remaining when the Hunter Rugby Union competition was suspended and eventually cancelled.
"I felt that in the past couple of weeks of the season, we really started to string some good footy together," Cunningham said. "You could see that the players had more confidence in what they were doing.
"With the new personnel and the young cattle we had, I always knew we were going to get better as the year went on.
"Merewether were running out their semi-final team but the other two top teams (Wanderers and Hamilton) had a fair chunk of cattle to drop out once the Wildfires guys didn't qualify. I was really confident that we could give the top three teams a run."
It wasn't to be and Cunningham has started working towards 2022.
"It was always the plan to stay on board," Cunningham said. "Hopefully we can pick up where we left off. Like we did for this season, we will get together a month before Christmas, then kick off seriously in January.
"They have all put in a lot of effort and to not have any real result, I think it is important that they have time away from footy. Then they come back refreshed."
Tireless Sam Callow, who joined the Blacks from Sydney club Easts and was last week named joint winner of the Anderson Medal, has committed and mid-season arrivals Caileb Gerrard and Devante Manu are also staying on board.
"Sam is only in his mid-20s and is definitely someone we will look to build around," Cunningham said. "He has played at a higher level as well. Having his experience and his footy brain, especially at lineout time, was invaluable.
"With where he has played and the level he has played at, he will help us on the recruitment side of things as well.
"With the talent we have got with some of the younger guys who got some first grade this season. We have the framework of another really competitive team.
"Caileb works for one of our sponsors. They brought him up for sponsors day and he was blown away by the feeling and atmosphere at the club, and within two weeks he was at training.
"Devante, because of work commitments, was finding it hard to commit to training and the commute to Sydney with the Wildfires.
"We will look to strengthen a couple of spots where we were light on. We need a couple of specialist second-rowers to beef up the scrum."
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James Gardiner
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
