We’re halfway through the 2024 Shute Shield regular season and Warringah and Easts, two sides that missed the finals last year, both sit in the top three.

With no rugby over the June long weekend, we thought we’d check in with each of the 12 coaches to find out how they are travelling after nine rounds and what they are expecting in the months ahead.

First us, Easts, Gordon and Warringah.

Eastern Suburbs with Ben Batger – 3rd (6 wins, 3 losses)

How would you describe your first half of the season? 

“I’d say we’ve had a solid start to the year, I’d probably give it a B if I had to grade us,” Batger told Rugby News.

“Most people would be happy sitting third after the tough year the club had last year but we are trying to develop a new set of standards and behaviours and we haven’t got there yet.”

What do you need to improve on in the weeks ahead? 

“We need to be more clinical. We have had chances to win every game but unfortunately we’ve shot ourselves in the foot at times.

“Whether it be a needless penalty, a lazy tackle or pushing a pass. We’ve put ourselves under too much pressure with unforced errors. Sometimes we get away with it but others times you don’t and if we don’t eradicate that part of our game we won’t be a top four side. 

Who is the most influential player in the competition and why? 

“I’d like to think a couple of our boys are prett hand. Guys like Teddy Wilson and Jack Bowen are hugely influential.

“Then looking around at the rest of the comp, I think Coby Miln at Warringah, Harry Burey at Norths and Ben Houston at Randwick are very important to their teams.

Which two teams will play in the grand final and why? 

“We plan on being one of them. So Easts and then I don’t really care who we play to be honest,” Batger responded.

“Warringah are currently the benchmark and rightly so but I also think Randwick, Norths and Gordon are going to be very hard to beat.”

Gordon with Harry Fehily – 4th (6 wins, 3 losses)

How would you describe your first half of the season? 

“The first half of the season has been like a preseason in some ways, there have been plenty of learnings for some of our younger guys,” first year coach Fehily told Rugby News.

“We’ve had 17 first grade debutants so far this season and we’re really pleased with how those guys have coped in the top grade. But the real stuff starts now.”

What do you need to improve on in the weeks ahead? 

“We’d like to to settle the team in the coming weeks, with guys returning from injury and coming back from professional footy,” the coach said.

“We’ll focus on our combinations and cohesion from now on.”

Who is the most influential player in the competition and why? 

“The Suesue brothers at the Two Blues. They make that team tick.”

Which two teams will play in the grand final and why? 

“It’s the Rats to lose at this stage,” Fehily said.

“With the run they have home it’s hard to see how they can lose a game. I think Randwick will also come good and be in the mix as well.”

Warringah with Josh Holmes – 1st (7 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss)

How would you describe your first half of the season? 

“Our first half of the season has been good. We’ve had six out of nine games on the road and that’s always tough because every week in the Shute Shield is a tough game,” Holmes said.

What do you need to improve on in the weeks ahead? 

“We definitely know the next nine matches are going to be a big challenge and the season will only get harder.

“We have been good in patches at times but then have switched off and made life hard for ourselves so becoming more consistent for 80 minutes is a big focus for us.”

Who is the most influential player in the competition and why? 

“I think Jack Bowen is having a good season and has been pretty influential in Easts being one of the tops teams this year. He has a good balance between his running and kicking game.”

Which two teams will play in the grand final and why? 

“We obviously want to be there,” Holmes said.

“I think the two teams who are the most consistent in the next couple of months, that can close out their tight games and manage their squad, they’ll be in the grand final.”