Tooheys New Shute Shield - Round 21 Scores
Sydney University 33 d Eastern Suburbs 13 at University Oval No.1
Warringah 37 d Northern Suburbs 30 at North Sydney Oval
Southern Districts 32 d West Harbour 16 at Concord Oval
Eastwood 95 d Parramatta 10 at T.G. Millner Field
Randwick 24 d Gordon 8 at Chatswood Oval
Manly 33 d Penrith 17 at Manly Oval

Sydney University v Eastern Suburbs at University Oval No.1
Sydney University will finish the regular season in fourth or fifth position after defeating Eastern Suburbs 33-13 at University Oval No.1.

An unanswered 27-point run which started in the closing stages of the first half turned the match in favour of the defending champions who will chase their tenth-straight victory against Penrith in the final round.

The Students were on the board first through an early Dan Kelly penalty and finished a see-sawing opening quarter of the match with another three-pointer for a 6-0 lead.

However it was the visitors who scored the first try through a typically-mercurial effort by Gavin Debartolo who kicked ahead twice before touching down just inside the dead-ball line.

Brendan McKibbin failed with the sideline conversion attempt but kicked a penalty shortly after to send Easts to an 8-6 lead.

Sydney University then took a hold on the match in the all-important minutes before and after half-time with Lachie Mitchell scoring in the 39th minute followed by Peter Betham just three minutes after the break.

Dan Kelly missed both conversions but kicked his third penalty to open up an 11-point advantage heading into the final quarter of the match.

Easts continued to have opportunities but too often found themselves on the back foot. A determined 35m break from Tom Carter eventuated in a try to his NSW teammate Dave Dennis in the 66th minute. Kelly added the extras from near the right touchline for a 26-8 lead.

Six minutes from full-time Nathan Trist crossed for the Students' bonus point try after hitting a hole at full pace on first phase ball.

Anton Lavin crossed for his 17th try of the season in the dying stages after some good lead-up work from Patrick Smith and Damon Anderson however it was mere consolation for the visitors who have slipped to fourth on the ladder.

Easts still have a chance of finishing in the top two however will need to score a bonus point win over Northern Suburbs in round 22 and hope Souths and Manly fail to earn a competition point.

The Students on the other hand are likely to finish the season in fifth position unless Northern Suburbs score an upset over the Beasts next weekend.

Sydney University 33 (Lachie Mitchell, Peter Betham, Dave Dennis, Nathan Trist tries; Dan Kelly 3 pens, 2 cons) d Eastern Suburbs 13 (Gavin Debartolo, Anton Lavin tries; Brendan McKibbin pen) at Chatswood Oval. HT: Sydney University 11-8. Referee: Steve Walsh

Northern Suburbs v Warringah at North Sydney Oval
Warringah are out of the 2010 finals race despite defeating Northern Suburbs 37-30 at North Sydney Oval.

The Rats were hoping for a Gordon victory to have any hope of slipping into the top six however Randwick's win means next weekend's clash with West Harbour will be Warringah's final outing of the year.

The visitors took a narrow lead into the break which remained a tough contest throughout with both teams scoring four tries.

HSBC Waratahs scrumhalf Josh Holmes crossed twice for the Rats while Brett Sheehan's good day with the boot effectively decided the outcome with 17 points from four conversions and three penalties.

Warringah 37 (Josh Holmes 2, Dylan Smouha, Ed Doyle tries; Brett Sheehan 4 cons, 3 pens) d Northern Suburbs 30 (AJ Gilbert, Carlos Blanco, James Price, Cam Crawford tries; James Lew 2 cons, pen, Chris Burnett pen) at North Sydney Oval. HT: Warringah 17-13. Referee: Stuart Dickinson.

West Harbour v Southern Districts at Concord Oval
Southern Districts still has the opportunity to finish in the top two after securing a 32-16 victory over West Harbour at Concord Oval.

A low-scoring first half gave way to a Rebels onslaught in the second with the visitors scoring four tries to one to secure the bonus point win.

The result means the Rebels can earn a rest in the first week of the finals if they can account for minor premiers Eastwood in the last round of the regular season.

Southern Districts 32 (Ita Vaea, Brackin Karauria-Henry, Sisa Waqa tries; Penalty try; Kurt Morath 3 cons, 2 pens) d West Harbour 16 (Sione Tau try; Henry Seavula 3 pens, con) at Concord Oval. HT: West Harbour 6-3. Referee: Nathan Pearce.

Eastwood v Parramatta at T.G. Millner Field
Eastwood has wrapped up the 2010 ES Marks Shield with one round remaining after thrashing Parramatta 95-10 at T.G. Millner Field.

James Stannard scored four tries, while John Grant and Pat Shanahan each collected hat-tricks in the 17-try romp. Ben Batger and Tim Bennetts also scored doubles with Batger adding 10 conversions for a 30-point haul.

The result moves Eastwood six points clear of Southern Districts and Manly ahead of their final round clash with the Rebels.

Eastwood 95 (James Stannard 4, John Grant 3, Pat Shanahan 3, Tim Bennetts 2, Ben Batger 2, Damien Fitzpatrick tries; Ben Batger 10 cons) d Parramatta 10 (Brendan Lane, Jesse Leota tries) at T.G. Millner Field. HT: Eastwood 38-10. Referee: James Scholtens.

Gordon v Randwick at Chatswood Oval
Randwick will finish the 2010 regular season in sixth position after defeating Gordon 24-8 at Chatswood Oval.

The visitors scored the only try of the first half to take a 7-3 lead to the break then ran in two more in the second stanza to keep Gordon camped in tenth place on the ladder.

The Galloping Greens now face Manly in the final round of the regular season and will meet either the Marlins, Beasts or Rebels in an Elimination Semi-Final.

Randwick 24 (Ben Mowen, Tom Tombleson, Toby Browne tries; Bevu Tuqiri 3 cons, pen) d Gordon 8 (Greg Wade try; Dave Harvey pen) at Chatswood Oval. HT: Randwick 7-3. Referee: Andrew Lees.

Manly v Penrith at Manly Oval
Manly has moved into third position after ending a four-game losing streak with a 33-17 victory over Penrith at Manly Oval.

The Marlins crossed four times, twice through No.8 Tevita Metuisela, and were also awarded a penalty try in the bonus point win. Chris Yarrington is becoming more at ease in the top grade, adding four conversions to his fourth try in the past three weeks for a personal tally of 13 points.

The result sets up the opportunity for Manly to move into the top two if they can take down Randwick next weekend and Eastwood defeats Southern Districts.

Manly 33 (Tevita Metuisela 2, Chris Yarrington, Michael Hooper tries; Penalty try; Chris Yarrington 4 cons) d Penrith 17 (Tavalea Takai 2, Gavin Duncan tries; Gavin Duncan con) at Manly Oval. HT: Manly 19-5. Referee: Daniel Cheever.

Eastwood 40 d Randwick 14 at Coogee Oval
Southern Districts 53 d Northern Suburbs 26 at Forshaw Rugby Park
West Harbour 37 d Parramatta 36 at Granville Park
Gordon 26 d Penrith 21 at Nepean Rugby Park
Eastern Suburbs 45 d Warringah 29 at Woollahra Oval
Sydney University 20 d Manly 17 University Oval No.1

Randwick v Eastwood at Coogee Oval (3:10pm, ABC TV)
Eastwood continued its quest for the minor premiership with a comprehensive 40-14 victory over Randwick at Coogee Oval.

The Woodies jumped out of the blocks with two penalties and a converted try to James Foote inside the first seven minutes to hold a 13-0 lead after just seven minutes.

That was followed by another try to HSBC Waratahs hooker Damien Fitzpatrick in the 15th minute and a third penalty to Ben Batger in the 23rd minute which took the scoreline out to 21-0.

Brent Kelly hit back for the home side with a converted try in the 30th minute however Randwick couldn’t take advantage of more opportunities in the run-in to half-time and failed to eat into Eastwood’s 14-point lead.

That margin extended less than one minute into the second half when John Grant crossed in the left corner after Sione Piukala picked off an intercept.

Keiran Longbottom was shown a yellow card for slowing down the ball however Randwick were unable take any points when Eastwood were down to 14-men. And when Grant shrugged off three tacklers to score his second try under the posts, Eastwood had not only earned a bonus point but had opened up a match-winning lead.

Dave Rimmer put the nail in the coffin with a runaway intercept try before Patrick Phibbs picked up a consolation try in the final minute.

Eastwood now hold a six-point lead at the top of the competition ladder however Manly could close that margin when they meet Sydney University later tonight. Randwick are still not guaranteed of a playoff position, however a victory against Gordon next week would lock in a semi-final berth.

Eastwood 40 (John Grant 2, James Foote, Damien Fitzpatrick, Dave Rimmer tries; Ben Batger 3 cons, 3 pens) d Randwick 14 (Brent Kelly, Patrick Phibbs tries; Danny Kroll con, Bevu Tuqiri con) at Coogee Oval. HT: Eastwood 21-7. Referee: Angus Gardner.

Southern Districts v Northern Suburbs at Forshaw Rugby Park
Southern Districts showed glimpses of the form which took them to the competition lead earlier this year with a 53-26 victory over Northern Suburbs at Forshaw Rugby Park.

The Rebels led 13-12 at the break before a flurry of points from the Shoremen to start the second half saw the visitors open up a 26-13 advantage.

However from that point it was one-way traffic for the Rebels who scored 40 straight points to score their most impressive win in more than two months.

Southern Districts 53 (Nicky Price 2, Hamish Paterson, Radike Samo, Dewet Roos, Brackin Karauria-Henry, Ita Vaea tries; Kurt Morath 6 cons, 2 pens) d Northern Suburbs 26 (James Lew, Ben Borg tries; Chris Burnett 4 pens, James Lew 2 cons) at Forshaw Rugby Park. HT: Southern Districts 13-12. Referee: Andrew Lees.

Parramatta v West Harbour at Granville Park
Parramatta has scored its second best result of the year despite going down to West Harbour 36-37 at Granville Park.

The Two Blues led 19-10 at the break however the Pirates stormed home in the second forty to score their second win in as many weeks.

The match was in the balance going down the stretch, however a West Harbour penalty goal three minutes from full-time opened up an unassailable eight-point lead. The Two Blues scored a converted try in the dying stages however time was against them.

Parramatta scored five tries to West Harbour’s six to earn their first four-try bonus point of the year, with along with the bonus point for going down by one-point raised their season points tally by 50%.

West Harbour 37 (Rory Sidey 2, Henry Seavula, Ben Volavola, Shannin Proctor, Sione Tau tries; Ben Volavola 2 cons, pen) d Parramatta 36 (John Fonua 2, Brendan Lane, Lua Vailoaloa, Andrew Cox tries; Pierre Hola 4 cons, pen) at Granville Park. HT: Parramatta 19-10. Referee: James Leckie.

Penrith v Gordon at Nepean Rugby Park
Gordon has moved to a five-point advantage over Penrith on the competition ladder after accounting for the Emus 26-21 at Nepean Rugby Park.

The home side led 14-7 at the break and the lead could have been bigger had they not knocked on over the line. However the Highlanders ran in three tries to one in the second half to score a bonus point win.

Penrith earned a bonus point in the defeat and still have a mathematical chance of finishing the year as high as ninth.

Gordon 26 (Chris Alcock, Greg Wade, Bryan Perry, Dave Harvey tries; Dave Harvey 3 cons) d Penrith 21 (Winney Paulo, Chris Aho, Stan Tuionuku tries; Gavin Duncan 3 cons) at Nepean Rugby Park. HT: Penrith 14-7. Referee: Steve Hardy.

Eastern Suburbs v Warringah at Woollahra Oval
Eastern Suburbs has moved into second place on the Tooheys New Shute Shield ladder with a 45-29 victory over Warringah at Woollahra Oval.

The Beasts scored six tries to four, with Matt To’omua and Afusipa Taumoepeau each notching doubles. Easts are now on 73 competition points alongside Southern Districts, one ahead of Manly who have a game in hand against Sydney University tonight.

The loss for Warringah means their finals hopes have been dealt another blow sitting eight points behind sixth-placed Randwick, however both their remaining matches are against teams below them on the ladder so the Rats are still hanging onto hope.

Eastern Suburbs 45 (Matt To’omua 2, Afusipa Taumoepeau 2, Phil Mathers, Anton Lavin tries; Brendan McKibbin 6 cons, pen) d Warringah 29 (Josh Holmes, Brett Sheehan, Dylan Smouha, Ed Doyle tries; Sam Harris 3 cons, pen) at Woollahra Oval. HT: Eastern Suburbs 21-17. Referee: Steve Walsh

The Students trailed 10-12 at the break but edged out the Marlins who have slumped to their fourth consecutive loss and now sit in fourth position on the table.

Manly scored three tries to two, however the loss of pointscoring machine Adam D'Arcy - who is currently trialling with Ulster - is starting to cost the former competition leaders who have dropped from first to fourth since the fullback heading to Northern Ireland.

An indifferent display with the boot - which also cost Manly last week against Eastern Suburbs - saw the visitors drop out of the top two on the Tooheys New Shute Shield table.

However the Marlins still hold the complimentary statistic that from their seven losses in 2010, they have never been defeated by more than four points.

Should Uni and Manly hold their table positions over the next fortnight, they could meet again in the first week of the finals series.

Sydney University 20 (Dave McDuling, Greg Jeloudev tries; Dan Kelly 2 cons, pen, drop) d Manly 17 (Chris Yarrington 2, Will Brame tries; Chris Yarrington con) at University Oval No.1. HT: Manly 12-10. Referee: Stuart Dickinson.

Tooheys New Shute Shield - Round 19 Scores
Eastern Suburbs 24 d Manly 20 at Manly Oval
Northern Suburbs 48 d Parramatta 20 at North Sydney Oval
West Harbour 43 d Randwick 18 at Coogee Oval
Eastwood 58 d Penrith 22 at Nepean Rugby Park
Warringah 12 drew with Southern Districts 12 at Pittwater Rugby Park
Sunday - Sydney University 42 d Gordon 27 at Chatswood Oval

The result extends the Students' late season charge to seven straight bonus point wins, and they have won ten out of twelve matches since the end of the Super 14 season.

Continuing that charge will be a huge challenge against second-placed Manly next weekend, with the Marlins striving to arrest a run of three straight losses.

Sydney University 42 (Dave McDuling 2, Nick Phipps, Nathan Trist, Lachie Mitchell, Julian Huxley tries; Dan Kelly 3 cons, 2 pens) d Gordon 27 (Nathan Nicol, Jared Barry, Dave Harvey, Tobius Gukibau tries; Dave Harvey 2 cons, pen) at Chatswood Oval. Referee: James Leckie

Manly v Eastern Suburbs at Manly Oval
Eastern Suburbs sounded their premiership intentions in a major way at Manly Oval by defeating Manly 24-20 and move to within a win of the top two.

It was the Marlins third straight loss and sees the Marlins slip back into second place.

The home side dominated possession and territory for the opening seven minutes and looked like scoring first before turning over the ball on the Easts goalline. Quick hands saw Damon Anderson take the ball to halfway and from the ensuing ruck Brendan McKibbin grubbered down the blindside and regathered to score.

Manly evened up the match in the 14th minute when speedster Chris Yarrington followed through a kick which McKibbin juggled into the hands of the Marlins wing who touched down under the posts.

Both sides tried to use the ball throughout the middle stages of the first half however the defence was equal to the high standing of the teams. Penalties were traded by McKibbin and Joe Metuisela to take the score to 10-all going into the final plays of the half.

But just when it looked like the game would be deadlocked at the break, Huia Edmonds worked a great one-two at the front of a lineout with Ed Brenac and sprinted 15m down the sideline to score in the corner. McKibbin converted brilliantly from touch to send the Beasties to the sheds with a 17-10 advantage.

The visitors kept the momentum going by drawing first blood in the second half through Anton Lavin, with the Easts wing retrieving a perfectly-weighted kick behind the line from Ben Ward and touching down for his 15th try of the year. McKibbin's conversion extended the lead to 24-10 with 30 minutes remaining.

Both sides wasted good opportunities through turnovers, however Manly was back in the game when Tevita Metuisela scored in the right corner in the 34th minute. Yarrington missed the chance to convert from out wide which left Easts with a handy nine-point buffer as the clock wound down.

Three minutes later Lui Siale broke from inside his own half down the right edge, and when the ball was shifted left Luke Johnson crossed for Manly's third try. Again, Yarrington missed the sideline conversion attempt to keep the score at 24-20.

Manly continued to throw everything at Easts in the final stages however the visitors stood up to the challenge to score their ninth victory in the last ten rounds and move into third place on the competition ladder.

Eastern Suburbs 24 (Brendan McKibbin, Huia Edmonds, Anton Lavin tries; Brendan McKibbin 3 cons, pen) d Manly 20 (Chris Yarrington, Tevita Metuisela, Luke Johnson tries; Joe Metuisela con, pen) at Manly Oval. HT: Eastern Suburbs 17-10. Referee: Andrew Lees.

Northern Suburbs v Parramatta at North Sydney Oval
Northern Suburbs remain in eighth place on the table after scoring a 48-20 victory over Parramatta at North Sydney Oval.

The Shoremen earned a bonus point inside the first 40 minutes then went on with the job in the second half against a Two Blues outfit which continues to show more grit each week.

Matt Lamont, James Lew and Cam Crawford each scored doubles in the eight tries to three win.

Northern Suburbs 48 (Matt Lamont 2, James Lew 2, Cam Crawford 2, Lawrence Hunting, Gordon Whitehead tries; Chris Burnett 4 cons) d Parramatta 20 (Ryan Aniseko, Pierre Hola, Brendan Lane tries; Pierre Hola con, pen) at North Sydney Oval. HT: Northern Suburbs 29-10. Referee: Steve Hardy.

Randwick v West Harbour at Coogee Oval
West Harbour has pulled off the upset of the round with a 43-18 victory over Randwick at Coogee Oval.

HSBC Waratahs centre Rory Sidey grabbed a hat-trick for the Pirates who scored six tries to two to romp to their first win since round nine.

Randwick trailed by two points at the break, and despite a double to Tom Tombleson the home side was well and truly outclassed in the second forty.

Sydney University now has the opportunity to move ahead of Randwick into fifth place should they overcome Gordon tomorrow at Chatswood Oval.

West Harbour 43 (Rory Sidey 3, Campese Ma'afu, Sione Tau, Tito Mua tries; Ben Volavola 5 cons, pen) d Randwick 18 (Tom Tombleson 2 tries; Danny Kroll 2 pens, con) at Coogee Oval. HT: West Harbour 12-10. Referee: Steve Walsh.

Penrith v Eastwood at Nepean Rugby Park
Eastwood is back on top of the Tooheys New Shute Shield ladder after scoring a 58-22 victory over Penrith at Nepean Rugby Park.

The Emus' strong home form in 2010 was again playing a major role in the first half with the Woodies having to work hard for a 20-15 lead at the break. However the visitors moved into top gear in the second half to get their premiership campaign back on track following last week's loss to Sydney Uni.

Sione Piukala crossed twice for Eastwood while John Grant is now the competition's leading tryscorer after a hat-trick lifted him to 16 for the season.

Eastwood 58 (John Grant 3, Sione Piukala 2, Mark Frost, James Foote, Ben Batger tries; Ben Batger 6 cons, 2 pens) d Penrith 22 (Luke Cross, Dave Alo, Stan Tuionuku tries; Gavin Duncan 2 cons, pen) at Nepean Rugby Park. HT: Eastwood 20-15. Referee: Angus Gardner.

Warringah v Southern Districts at Pittwater Rugby Park
Southern Districts have slipped to fourth place after only managing a 12-all draw with Warringah at Pittwater Rugby Park.

It was the Rats' third draw of the season and puts them in a tenuous position as far as the finals series is concerned. With three matches to go, Warringah now sit nine points behind Randwick and eight points behind Sydney Uni who have a game in hand.

Souths' chances of finishing in the top two are starting to fall away with the Rebels equal with Easts on 68 competition points, however they now sit behind the Beasties on the ladder having won one less match.

Warringah 12 (Ed Doyle, Hamish Angus tries; Sam Harris con) drew with Southern Districts 12 (Radike Samo, Josh Gamgee tries; Kurt Morath con) at Pittwater Rugby Park. HT: 7-all. Referee: Stuart Dickinson.

Sunday 22 August - Gordon v Sydney University at Chatswood Oval

Tooheys New Shute Shield - Round 18 Scores
Sydney University 38 d Eastwood 24 at T.G. Millner Field
Randwick 33 d Northern Suburbs 30 at North Sydney Oval
West Harbour 26 drew with Penrith 26 at Concord Oval
Gordon 22 d Manly 20 at Chatswood Oval
Warringah 90 d Parramatta 14 at Pittwater Rugby Park
Eastern Suburbs 38 d Southern Districts 26 at Forshaw Rugby Park

Eastwood v Sydney University at T.G. Millner Field
The second half injection of Berrick Barnes proved crucial in Sydney University's 38-24 victory over Eastwood at T.G. Millner Field.

While the Students went into half-time with a one-point lead, Eastwood pulled out an eight-point advantage early in the second stanza before Barnes's composure and superb goal-kicking helped drive Uni to their sixth bonus point win in as many games.

Sydney Uni were camped in the Eastwood 22 for the opening ten minutes after Tim Bennetts was shown a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Tom Carter, however the closest they came to scoring with the one-man advantage was when Lachie Turner held Nathan Trist up over the line.

Dan Kelly piloted penalties in the 14th and 16th minutes, however from the following restart came one of the most opportunistic tries of the season. Sydney Uni let the deep kick-off bounce into the in-goal area where Lachie Turner steamed through and touched down just before the dead ball line.

From that point the match continued to swing from end to end with defence proving stronger than both sides' ambitious attack. Kelly nailed another penalty to open up a four-point advantage however Ben Batger kicked one of his own to ensure the home side trailed by just one at half-time, 9-8.

Eastwood had the first territorial advantage of the second stanza and James Foote made short work of it with a drop goal to put the Woodies in front for the first time. He then kicked a long range penalty to push the home side further ahead, 14-8.

The University forwards continued to ask questions of the Eastwood defence with Luke Burgess playing a leading role in driving his pack around the park. However despite a couple of periods of dominance from the defending champions, the competition leaders remained equal to the task and forced their way downfield for Batger to kick Eastwood to a 17-9 lead in the 57th minute.

Two minutes later Berrick Barnes brought the margin back inside a converted try with a penalty and shortly after found himself chasing through a Nathan Charles kick to touch down in the corner for Uni's first try. After consulting the touch judge James Leckie awarded the try without consulting the TMO, however replays showed Barnes' foot on the touchline before scoring.

Barnes then converted from the sideline to push Uni out to a 19-17 lead.

The strong Eastwood crowd's disappointment only got worse two minutes later when a flat ball from Jerry Yanuyanutawa put Nathan Trist across for Uni's second try. Barnes again converted from the sideline for a 26-17 advantage with 14 minutes remaining.

Paddy Ryan was shown the second yellow card of the match in the 70th minute when he was penalised for his second high tackle of the half. However despite being down a man Uni were able to put the game out of reach with Tom Carter crossing for the Students' third try.

Barnes was leading the orchestra as the Students continued to pile on the points late in the game with the HSBC Waratahs playmaker playing a crucial role in Peter Betham scoring the bonus point try.

A flurry of points in the final quarter of the match ended with Eastwood crossing through Tom Alexander however it was far too little, too late for the home side who drop to second on the competition ladder.

Sydney University remain in sixth despite the bonus point win, but with the top three teams going down the Students have moved closed the gap on their other premiership aspirants on.

Sydney University 38 (Berrick Barnes, Nathan Trist, Tom Carter, Peter Betham tries; Berrick Barnes 3 cons, pen, Dan Kelly 3 pens) d Eastwood 24 (Lachie Turner, Tom Alexander tries; Ben Batger 2 pens, con, James Foote pen, drop) at T.G. Millner Field. HT: Sydney University 9-8. Referee: James Leckie.

Northern Suburbs v Randwick at North Sydney Oval
Randwick produced a confidence-boosting second half comeback to record a 33-30 victory over Northern Suburbs at North Sydney Oval.

The visitors scored four tries to nil in the second forty to turn a 17-point deficit into a bonus point victory. The result keeps Randwick ahead of Sydney University on the competition ladder in fifth place.

Randwick has now recorded back-to-back wins four times this year and will be striving to earn three straight victories for the first time in 2010 when they host West Harbour next weekend.

Randwick 33 (Sekope Kepu, Dave Vizer, Josh Valentine, Nick Cummins, Seilala Lam tries; Danny Kroll 4 cons) d Northern Suburbs 30 (AJ Gilbert, Steve Evans, James Lew tries; Chris Burnett 3 cons, 3 pens) at North Sydney Oval. HT: Northern Suburbs 24-7. Referee: Angus Gardner.

West Harbour v Penrith at Concord Oval
Penrith have again proved they are one of the most-improved sides of the competition after holding West Harbour to a 26-all draw at Concord Oval.

It was the second draw of the year for both teams and ensures a bottleneck from eighth to eleventh on the competition ladder with just three points separating four teams.

The Pirates have now failed to record a win from their last nine starts, however this result is all the more disappointing given they went into half-time with a 21-7 lead.

The Emus then outscored their hosts by three tries to one in the second forty, with Penrith having now lost just one of their last five matches.

West Harbour 26 (Campese Ma'afu, Tom Hikila, Sione Tau, Tito Mua tries; David Fong 3 cons) drew with Penrith 26 (Chris Aho, Winnie Paulo, Luke Cross, Dave Alo tries; Gavin Duncan 3 cons) at Concord Oval. HT: West Harbour 21-7. Referee: Stuart Dickinson.

Gordon v Manly at Chatswood Oval
Gordon has pulled off the upset of the weekend with a 22-20 victory over Manly at Chatswood Oval.

Ironically, despite dropping back-to-back matches for the first time this season, Manly has returned to the top of the competition table after earning two bonus points in the two-point loss.

The Marlins scored two tries to one in the first half to hold a 10-7 lead at the break, however the Highlanders showed a lot more resilience than they have for much of 2010.

Gordon and Manly traded two tries apiece in the second half, however goal-kicking proved the difference in the end with the visitors failing to land a conversion.

The Highlanders have also moved back ahead of Penrith on points difference and could now finish the season as high as eighth.

How Manly fare over the next fortnight will be interesting with star fullback and the competition's leading pointscorer Adam D'Arcy heading to Ireland for a trial with Ulster.

Gordon 22 (Jared Barry, Paulie Tuala, Jason Peseta tries; Dave Harvey 2 cons, pen) d Manly 20 (Lui Siale 2, Adam D'Arcy, Dylan Sigg tries) at Chatswood Oval. HT: Manly 10-7. Referee: Nathan Pearce.

Warringah v Parramatta at Pittwater Rugby Park
Warringah have kept their slim semi-final hopes alive with a 90-14 victory over Parramatta at Pittwater Rugby Park.

The Rats scored 14 tries to two, with Josh Holmes scoring four, Pat McCabe notching a hat-trick and Dave Feltscheer crossing for a double.

The result keeps Warringah within striking distance of Randwick and Sydney University however their 2010 fate rests with their next two matches against Souths and Easts.

Warringah 90 (Josh Holmes 4, Pat McCabe 3, Dave Feltscheer 2, Luke Holmes, John Kennedy, Dylan Smouha, Sam Harris, Joelin Rapana tries; Sam Harris 10 cons) d Parramatta 14 (William Tuitupou, Jesse Leota tries; Tom Woods con, Pierre Hola con) at Pittwater Rugby Park. HT: Warringah 45-0. Referee: Andrew Lees.

Southern Districts v Eastern Suburbs at Forshaw Rugby Park
Eastern Suburbs are back within a bonus point win of the top two after today's 38-26 victory over Southern Districts at Forshaw Rugby Park.

The match was in the balance at half-time with the home-side holding a slender two-point advantage, however the Beasties scored four tries to one in the second half with Anton Lavin completing a hat-trick.

The result has closed up the top four on the competition ladder with Easts now just seven points adrift of competition leaders Manly.

Eastern Suburbs 38 (Anton Lavin 3, Pat Dellit, Damon Anderson, Will Brock tries; Brendan McKibbin 4 cons) d Southern Districts 26 (Ita Vaea, Ben Schreiber tries; Kurt Morath 4 pens, 2 cons) at Forshaw Rugby Park. HT: Southern Districts 16-14. Referee: Steve Hardy.



Eastwood 19 d Manly 15 at Manly Oval
Penrith 45 d Northern Suburbs 36 at Nepean Rugby Park
Sydney University 50 d West Harbour 5 at University Oval No.1
Eastern Suburbs 45 d Gordon 26 at Woollahra Oval
Randwick 30 d Warringah 26 at Coogee Oval
Southern Districts 51 d Parramatta 23 at Granville Park

Manly v Eastwood at Manly Oval
A perfect defensive effort in the second half earned Eastwood a 19-15 victory over Manly at Manly Oval and saw the visitors move ahead of their hosts on the competition ladder.

The Woodies scored three tries to two in a match which was still in the balance well after the full-time bell. The result was a 47-point turnaround from their meeting in round six when the Marlins were comprehensive 53-10 victors.

A strong southerly wind saw all but seven of the match's 34 points scored at the northern end of Manly Oval, and it was the hosts who made use of it in the first half.

A quick lineout inside Eastwood's 22 went awry when Andrew Smith intercepted a pass to gain possession for Manly in prime position. The attack continued through the phases into the hands of Adam D'Arcy who crossed for the first try of the match.

D'Arcy converted from the sideline and was in the thick of things again just two minutes later when he delivered the final pass to Lui Siale who touched down in the same spot to open up a 12-point lead.

Eastwood were next on the board when John Grant sprinted 30m to take a James Stannard box kick on the full and run another 30m to score in the left corner. Ben Batger added the extras to bring the score back to 12-7.

D'Arcy kicked the only other points of the opening forty with a penalty shortly before half-time which took the home side to an eight-point advantage at the break.

The first try of the second half came in spectacular fashion with James Hilgendorf receiving a quick lineout and kicking the ball to the opposite wing while being belted by the Manly defence. The ball bounced perfectly for captain Hugh Perrett who stepped inside D'Arcy and scored in the left corner to close the margin to three.

Eastwood started to hit the accelerator and after going close from a 60m run by Locky McCaffrey, their next good opportunity was capitalised on by Lachie Turner who broke through the defence after a great interchange of passing from Tim Bennetts, Sione Piukala and Batger. The try took Eastwood in front for the first time in the match with Batger's conversion opening up a four-point lead.

Eastwood missed opportunities to add more points which left Manly in touch and the anticipation of an exciting finish.

The Marlins looked as though they had stolen victory in the shadows of full-time, however the television match official ruled Eddie Aholelei to have grounded the ball short of the line. Advantage was being played and the ensuing penalty allowed Manly one last chance to attack before the ball was lost forward giving Eastwood the win.

The bonus point the Marlins achieved by finishing within seven points sees Manly on equal competition points with Eastwood, however the Woodies extra victory in 2010 sees them atop the Tooheys New Shute Shield ladder with five matches remaining.

Eastwood 19 (John Grant, Hugh Perrett, Lachie Turner tries; Ben Batger 2 cons) d Manly 15 (Adam D'Arcy, Lui Siale tries; Adam D'Arcy con, pen) at Manly Oval. HT: Manly 15-7. Referee: Stuart Dickinson.

Penrith v Northern Suburbs at Nepean Rugby Park
Penrith has moved into tenth place on the Tooheys New Shute Shield ladder with a 45-36 victory over Northern Suburbs at Nepean Rugby Park.

The Emus jumped out to a 28-10 lead at half-time and despite the Shoremen launching a second half comeback, the home side went on with the job to record their fifth win of the season.

The Penrith forward pack stood up scoring five of the Emus' six tries with backrowers Winnie Paulo and Vili Napa'a each bagging doubles.

Penrith 45 (Winnie Paulo 2, Vili Napa'a 2, Dave Coventry, Aaron Mattin tries; Gavin Duncan 6 cons, pen) d Northern Suburbs 36 (Chris Moore 3, Ben Matwijow, Cam Crawford tries; Chris Burnett 3 cons, Cam Crawford con, pen) at Nepean Rugby Park. HT: Penrith 28-10. Referee: James Leckie.

Sydney University v West Harbour at University Oval No.1
Sydney University continues to build towards their assault on a possible sixth-straight premiership with a 50-5 victory over West Harbour at University Oval No.1.

The Students led 26-5 at the break and continued to pile on the points in the second half against a West Harbour outfit which has now gone eight matches without a win.

Nathan Trist and Greg Jeloudev each scored two tries for the home team while Dan Kelly added 15 points with the boot in a victory which sees the Sir Roden Cutler Shield remain on campus.

Sydney University 50 (Nathan Trist 2, Greg Jeloudev 2, Lachie Mitchell, Tom Carter tries; Dan Kelly 3 cons, 3 pens) d West Harbour 5 (Maquire Tatola try) at University Oval No.1. HT: Sydney University 26-5. Referee: Stephen Hill (QLD).

Eastern Suburbs v Gordon at Woollahra Oval
Eastern Suburbs has stormed home in the second half to record a 45-26 victory over Gordon which keeps the Beasts safely in fourth place on the competition ladder.

The Highlanders led the home side 21-17 at the break courtesy of three first half tries, however Easts were far more clinical after the break scoring four tries to one.

The bonus point win sees Easts remain the top pointscoring team in the competition, now averaging more than 40 points per game. Matt To'omua and Pat Dellit each scored doubles while Brendan McKibbin was impressive with the boot, converting all tries and adding a penalty for a personal tally of 15 points.

While Gordon earned a bonus point in the defeat, it was not enough to stop them falling behind Penrith and into second last place on the table.

Eastern Suburbs 45 (Matt To'omua 2, Pat Dellit 2, Will Brock, Anton Lavin tries; Brendan McKibbin 6 cons, pen) d Gordon 36 (Dave Harvey 2, Dion Berryman, Paulie Tuala tries; Dave Harvey 3 cons) at Woollahra Oval. HT: Gordon 21-17. Referee: Angus Gardner.

Randwick v Warringah at Coogee Oval
In one of the most important matches of the round, Randwick have run out 30-26 victors over Warringah at Coogee Oval.

The scoreline was not a true indication of the match, with each side scoring just two tries in what turned out to be a penalty shootout between Danny Kroll and Sam Harris.

There was points aplenty in the first half with Randwick going to the sheds with a 27-20 advantage, and while Warringah marginally outscored their opponents in the second half they could not gain the victory they so desperately needed.

While the result was enough to keep Randwick ahead of Sydney University on the competition ladder, it was far more important for the Rats who have now dropped ten points outside the top six.

Randwick 30 (Nick Cummins, Danny Kroll tries; Danny Kroll 6 pens, con) d Warringah 26 (Paul McGugan, Pat McCabe tries; Sam Harris 4 pens, 2 cons) at Coogee Oval. HT: Randwick 27-20. Referee: Daniel Cheever.

Parramatta v Southern Districts at Granville Park
After a run of outs, Southern Districts have now recorded back to back victories with today's 51-23 victory over Parramatta at Granville Park.

Sisa Waqa scored two of the Rebels' six tries while new flyhalf and Tongan international Kurt Morath had a perfect day with the boot kicking six conversions and three penalties for a personal haul of 21.

The result keeps Souths within three points of the competition lead and the Rebels are now mathematically assured of qualifying for the 2010 Tooheys New Shute Shield semi-finals.

Southern Districts 51 (Sisa Waqa 2, Nick Seymour, Hamish Paterson, Brackin Karauria-Henry tries; Penalty try; Kurt Morath 6 cons, 3 pens) d Parramatta 23 (Andrew Cox, Pierre Hola, Iliasa Toroca tries; Pierre Hola 2 pens, con) at Granville Park. HT: Southern Districts 20-11. Referee: Nathan Pearce.