By MARK CASHMAN

The 2022 Shute Shield season will kick off with a huge western Sydney derby between the Two Blues and West Harbour at Eric Tweedale Stadium on Saturday, April 2.

The Two Blues had hoped to officially open “The Eric” with their game against Eastern Suburbs earlier this year but the pandemic pulled the shutters down on the competition before that could happen.

Since then there has been major movements at Granville with the appointment of Sailosi Tagicakibau as their first grade coach, the hiring of a new general manager in Christian Burden and a major recruitment drive on and off the field.

The battle for the west is just one of a handful of intriguing encounters on the first day of the 2022 Shute Shield season.