Nrl Heavyweights Lend Pickers Support

Newcastle Herald

Monday July 23, 2007

EDITED BY MICHAEL PARRIS

KNIGHTS coach Brian Smith and back-rower Cory Paterson joined Robert and Brett Finch among the guest speakers at a Save The Pumpkin Pickers fund-raising function on Wednesday night.

A full house of about 250, including Maitland legends and premiership winners Brian Burke, Frank Threlfo and Merv Wright, packed into Maitland Leagues Club for the show organised by the Pickers Old Boys committee.

Robert Finch, now the NRL referees coach, was at the helm when the Pickers last won the Newcastle competition in 1983.

Funds raised will go towards the Pickers' push to rejoin the Real NRL in the next two years.

? Former Knight Sean Rudder was a keen spectator at the Melbourne-Newcastle game last week.

Rudder caught up with former teammates from both sides, including Storm boys Anthony Quinn and Clint Newton and Knights Steve Simpson, Kurt Gidley and Danny Buderus.

He flew to Japan two days later to start a one-year contract with Tokyo rugby union club Ricoh.