Southern Districts looked on track to win their first Shute Shield premiership last year after they beat a star studded Randwick side in the opening week of the finals, but an error riddled performance against eventual premiers Norths ended the Rebels season one week early. Matt Barr has retained the majority of last year's squad for his 2017 campaign and has recruited some exciting talent that could help end the premiership drought at Forshaw Park. Last year: Preliminary final (2nd) 13 wins, 68 pts. Ins/outs: Ins: Paul Asquith (Melbourne Rebels), Jamason Faanana-Schultz (Queensland), Jamie Verran (New Zealand). Out: Dewet Roos (Brumbies), Waldo Wessels (Parramatta), Sean Doyle (sabbatical), Mitch Walton (Navy). Overview with Matt Barr: "We had another strong season at Souths, it was the highest any first grade side has ever finished and we were only one win off being minor premiers so there were a lot of positives but we were certainly disappointed with how the season ended.