The backend of Warringah’s season is a perfect anecdote to show just how tight the 2022 Shute Shield competition was. With one round remaining, the Rats were sitting third on the back of two impressive wins over Manly and Southern Districts.

A week later, they were ambushed by an 11th placed West Harbour side and dropped to sixth on the ladder. From there, they were knocked out of the competition by Gordon, who snuck into the finals and eventually made the grand final after winning six of their final eight regular season games.

Mike Ruthven’s side looked set for a finals assault but had their season cut short prematurely. The coach seems confident though that the pain from his side’s disappointing end to the season will drive them towards success next season.

Overview with Mike Ruthven:

“It was a good year with a disappointing end, I think that’s a fair way to sum it up,” coach Mike Ruthven told Rugby News. 

“It was a funny old season where the competition was as competitive as it’s ever been. We’d put ourselves in a strong position heading into the final round but then we weren’t able to get the result we needed against West Harbour to finish in third spot and give ourselves two bites of the cherry in the finals.

“We had to do it the hard way and ended up coming up against a really good Gordon side who were playing with a lot of confidence and momentum and they continued that all the way to the grand final. 

“For us, there were a lot of positives to take out of the season but everyone was really disappointed with how the last two weeks panned out. 

“I think we’ve got a really well balanced group at the moment. We’ve still got a sprinkling of guys who played through that successful three year period and won a premiership. Then we’ve got younger guys like Sateki Latu, Conor Hickey and Ben Woollett before he got signed overseas, who have pushed into first grade after coming through our colts program. Rhett Butler is another good example, as is Wes Thomas. 

“They’ve done their time in colts and our lower grades and now they’re all starting to play like really solid, consistent first graders and they’re having a really positive impact on the club and the team. 

“Our colts program has continued to go from strength to strength and credit deserves to go to Josh (Holmes), Boyd (Killingworth) and the extended group that have managed to turn the program around in a short space of time. 

“Our depth and the talent coming through our colts program is incredible and I think the grade program will continue to benefit from that in the years to come. We’ve got 26 colts who will transition into grade next year and I think there a number of guys coming out of that first grade colts side from this year that will push for a spot in our top grades if they continue to work hard.”

What needs to happen at the club between now and round one next year? 

“We just need to continue to work hard. I think there is a really good foundation there in terms of how we want to play our footy. Retention of the current playing group is a huge focus because we want to build on that good consistency and have some continuity within the group. 

“We’ll look to get the large majority of the playing group back and then we’ll  look at a few areas that we might need to fill from elsewhere.

“We then need to turn up at preseason with a strong mindset to work hard so that we get to round one fit, firing and ready to play good rugby.”

Which of your players do you expect to go on to bigger things from next season?

“It was great to see Sateki Latu perform so well this year and then pick up an EDS (Elite Development Squad) contract with the Waratahs for next year. That’s a great reward for him. 

“Conor Hickey also had an incredible year and earned the Shute Shield Rookie of the Year award. He’s a guy that would really thrive if he got an opportunity at the next level. 

“I thought Wes Thomas’ game went to a new level this year. He’s a different footballer now and he’s working really hard on his craft. He’s so impactful around the field and it’d be great to see him get an opportunity. 

“Esera Chee-Kam also got a little taste playing in the Waratahs trial against the Brumbies a few weeks ago. He’s another really talented guy who works really hard and wouldn’t look out of place in a professional environment.”

What can we expect in 2023 from your club and the competition? 

“We certainly weren’t happy with how we finished up this year so the expectation for us is that we go deeper into the finals next year.

“We’ve got some transition in the coaching staff. Cam Treloar is moving on to take on the head coach role at West Harbour and we’re really excited for him. We’re also really excited to replace Cam with Scott Fardy and we’re looking forward to seeing what he will bring to the group with all his experience. 

“We want to continue to develop our game and build a better level of consistency so that we’re in a position to go further into the finals. 

“In terms of the competition, I think it’ll be equally if not more competitive than it was this year. The standard that was set this season was really exciting and I think every club will want to improve on that in 2023.”