By Paul Cook
There’s two rounds to go of the regular season and the main protagonists are jockeying for position down the final stretch. With Eastwood only needing a bonus point win over Parramatta to be crowned Minor Premiers, the competition for 2nd spot on the ladder and a week off in the first round of the finals is now a four horse race with Randwick adrift in 6th.
]]>
By Paul Cook
Sydney University have put up their best defensive display of the season to hold out Manly 20-17 and make it eight wins in a row in the process. Played under the lights at Uni Oval No.1, the match was fiercely contested from kick-off to final whistle as both sides flexed their finals muscles with bruising physicality.
]]>
By Paul Cook
Eastern Suburbs have cemented their status as genuine title contenders with a 45-29 victory over Warringah at Woollahra Oval, lifting themselves up into that all important second spot on the ladder in the process. They certainly didn’t have it all their own way as the Rats fought fire with fire in a desperate attempt to maintain their own flickering interest in the finals series and with both sides promoting attack over defence, it was merely a question of who had the greater firepower. With an hour on the clock, it was Warringah who had crept into a 1pt lead, however, Easts responded, putting the pedal to the metal and running in 17 unanswered points to seal the deal and claim their tenth victory in the last eleven matches.
]]>
Reigning champions Sydney University have risen to 5th spot on the Shute Shield ladder after defeating Gordon 42-27 at Chatswood Oval to claim their seventh straight victory. However, despite putting six tries on their hosts, their performance was far from polished and a plucky Highlander outfit made them work right up to the final whistle for the win. Crossing for four tries and a bonus point themselves, Gordon certainly kept Uni honest and but for some poor execution and decision making in the 1st half, they may have pushed the Students even closer but Uni had just enough about them to see the game out and take another step towards finals footy.
]]>
By Paul Cook
West Harbour pulled off the shock of Round Nineteen, putting in their best performance of the season to down Randwick 43-18 at a stunned Coogee Oval. The Pirates had only four victories to their name prior to the match but one of those was over the Wicks at Concord back in May and they played like a team confident of repeating that earlier success. Repeat it they did and then some, running in six tries to two against a beleaguered and unusually stilted home side with returning Waratah Rory Sidey causing havoc and striding through for a hat-trick of tries. The Wicks sped out to a 10-0 lead but never looked totally convincing and having spurned a few pointscoring opportunities in the 1st half, the Pirates were devastating in the second, putting their more favoured opponents to the sword and finally looking like the West Harbour we’d been expecting to see all year.
]]>