We’ve officially hit the halfway mark of the 2025 Hospital Cup regular season, and as expected, the ladder is starting to take shape – though plenty remains to be decided.

As teams prepare for the run home – and the return of Super Rugby players in the weeks ahead – we’ve checked in with representatives from all nine clubs in the competition to get a sense of how things are tracking and what lies ahead. First us, Brothers, Jeeps, UQ and Wests

Brothers with Ben McCormack – 2nd (7 wins, 1 loss)

How would you describe your first half of the season?

“It’s been largely scrappy but promising,” McCormack said.

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

“Execution and not beating ourselves.”

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

“Jeffery Toomaga-Allen from Norths. They are a 20-point better team when he plays for them.”

Which four teams will play finals and why?

Brothers, Easts, Wests, Bond.

GPS with Sio Kite – 6th (3 wins, 5 losses)

How would you describe your first half of the season?

“Uneven. We’ve had some good weeks but there’s still a lot for us to learn from,” Kite said.

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

“Consistency and the willingness to stay in the fight.”

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

“Tyler Campbell (Bond). When he’s on and in the mood, he can win games on his back.”

Which four teams will play finals and why?

“Brothers, Easts, Norths and GPS. Brothers have quality and experience. Easts are back to playing a brutal, uncompromising style that suits their DNA.

“Norths have magic happening at Shaw Rd with a wonderful backline that teams should not sleep on. And we back ourselves – we’ve been uneven but, on our day, I back our style against the best.”

UQ with Elton Berrange – 9th (3 wins, 5 losses)

How would you describe your first half of the season?

“It’s been inconsistent,” Berrange said.

“We’ve had our fair share of injuries, but that is all part and parcel in a typical Hospital Cup season.”

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

“Executing our basics and sticking to our game plan each week. We’ve seen glimpses of what we can do in the first half of the season and if we can put more and more moments together, we’ll have some success.”

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

“Eli Pilz. He’s got the best forward pack in the comp in front of him and his decision-making is excellent. He’s super competitive and controls the tempo very well for Easts.”

Which four teams will play finals and why?

“Easts, Brothers, Wests and Uni. The second half of the season sees players from professional competitions come back into it, and the teams that can integrate those players into their groups are typically successful in the back end of the season.

“We’ll need to be much, much better to make the four, but we certainly believe we’re in the fight.”

Wests with Elwee Prinsloo – 3rd (4 wins, 4 losses)

How would you describe your first half of the season?

“It’s been a slow start results-wise but we knew it would take a bit of time to bring a new group together,” the Wests coach said.

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

“Our discipline in defence is key. We like to have a crack at the ruck and our urgency is good, but we need to manage pitches and the referee better in terms of tackling height to prevent piggy-backing teams into our 50. We would also like to tidy up a few areas around set piece.”

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

“Probably Pilzy (Eli Pilz) from Easts at the moment. He is a master at playing the Easts game and they are clearly doing it very well. His leadership is also key to their group.”

Which four teams will play finals this year and why?

“Easts, Brothers and not sure about the other two. It could be anyone at this stage.”