Cessnock captain-coach Harry Siejka weighs up playing future

Siejka will keep mentoring the Coalfields club, contracted until the end of 2026, regardless of whether or not he wears the No.7 jersey again next season.

Brayden Musgrove, Luke Huth, Sam Clune, AJ Murray, Wyatt Shaw, Reed Hugo and Sam Apthorpe have already been locked in for Cessnock beyond 2023.

Siejka, a former NRL and English Super League player who turns 32 next year, says he and fellow experienced campaigners Josh Charles and Kori Barber returned after falling one short of last year's decider.

The Goannas have now reached the same stage of the competition, preparing to meet Souths in Saturday's preliminary final at Kurri Sportsground (2pm).

"Maybe myself and maybe Josh Charles [will retire]. To be honest, if we won it last year I probably wouldn't have played again, it just burnt me a little bit the way we finished," Siejka told the Newcastle Herald.

"I know Charlesy was the same and Kori. It was a bit of a driver of why we've come back to play again. If we win it this year I'd probably happily retire.

"When you look at us in the sheds after a game we're pretty battered and bruised, probably on the wrong side of 30 to be doing it.

"It's something I'll have to talk to the club about after the year and see how we finish this year. If you win it it's the best way you can go out, a few boys would like to finish on that."

It was an "emotional" Sunday for the Goannas, with club junior Barber tasting a minor-semi victory over The Entrance in his farewell at Cessnock Sportsground.

In terms of player retention, Siejka says "we probably started a lot earlier than we did last year because we wanted to get our main squad wrapped up pretty quick".

Meanwhile, there have been no charges issued by the Newcastle RL match-review committee following the weekend meaning Musgrove and Souths pair Jacob Afflick and Jack Welsh, who were all put on report, are available for Saturday's preliminary final.

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