The Maitland Pickers are looking to field as many as nine teams this season with plans to proceed with a team in the new Newcastle Rugby League Women's competition and additional junior and an open-age team. Pickers president John Gorman said it was an exciting time for the club which posted a healthy profit for the first time in a number of years. While Gorman would not disclose the profit figure, he said it reflected on the club's on-field success winning back-to-back Newcastle RL premierships and a third President's Cup. Gorman was re-elected president at the club's annual general meeting on Sunday and will be joined on the executive committee by DJ Dilworth senior vice-president, Max Dorn vice-president, Jane O'Rourke secretary, Michael Burns assistant secretary and Stephen Boorer in the key role of treasurer and registrar. "It was the biggest turn out for an AGM for a number of years. We turned a good profit for last year for the first time in a long while. It's looking really, really, good for us," he said. Looking to on field for 2024, the Pickers are looking to field two under-19s teams, three under-17 teams (two boys and one girls), a women's senior team, an open-age team as well as first and reserve grade. "Sunday's meeting to discuss the women's team was very successful. We got 12 girls and some partners and parents interested. It was a positive meeting and certainly gives us something to work with. "The competition won't kick off until after the Tarsha Gale competition in late April, early May, so we have plenty of time. "The competition at the top end has changed with the NRLW and Harvey Norman Women's comps to run at the same time, where last year they ran into each other. They are probably going to be pulling more local girls than ever. "We're confident we can field a side, we just have to employ the right coach now as we don't want to be half-hearted about it. We need to do it properly and build a pathways as well. "We are talking with our junior clubs which have 15 and 17-year-old girls about creating a pathway for them and work them to get them to lead into the Pickers as we have done with the under-17 boys." Gorman said there would be a large focus on youth and pathways development at the club and keeping players involved as they move up in age. "We've brought back the open grade because of the influx of numbers. Open grade is likely to start in B-grade with a fairly young squad. "There will be a two-tier under-19 competition featuring all the teams from the Central Coast and the existing Newcastle RL clubs. I think we will be looking at running a team both tiers."