BY MARK CASHMAN; PHOTO ANDREW QUINN

NORTHERN SUBURBS V GORDON at North Sydney Oval

Rugby News spoke about the “arms race” at the top end of the Shute Shield competition a few weeks back and it was there for all to see on Saturday at North Sydney Oval.

There for all to see as Gordon won their sixth straight Baxter-Mortlock trophy in a show of strength and endeavour that impressed many.

In the end the Highlanders won the lower north shore derby against Northern Suburbs 41-14 with one player head and shoulders above the rest.

That man was Trevor Hosea, all 204cm and 120kg odd kilograms who scored two tries, caused chaos for Norths at line out time and was a pest at the breakdown.

Hosea, who is only 26, has been plying his trade in Japan at the Honda Heat and decided to cut short his time there for personal and family reasons.

The Heat gave him a release for the game against Sydney Uni but he showed his true value against Norths.

He is a former Australian Schools and Australia Under 20 rep and had 33 Super Rugby games for the Melbourne Rebels between 2018 and 2023 before his off shore adventure.

They’re looking for bigger bodies a bit further up the pathway and he looks capable of putting on some more good size and it must be said that the skills are already there.

His second try just before referee Matt Kellahan called time saw him gambolling down the sideline to score in the Bob Stand corner.

Gordon dominated this one for much of the afternoon but the score was probably not a true reflection of the contest.

Norths found getting any sort of continuity with field position and possession hard to get and the Gordon attack led by Harry Snook and Lachie Albert was a notch above.

They jumped out to a 19-0 lead in the first half before Josh Barr scored one under the famous Moreton Bay fig.

Gordon would kick a penalty goal before the break but it was Norths who came hard in the early stages of the second stanza.

That saw James Margan roll one over from a line out close to the line but that was snuffed out by the yellow card to Tom Everard.

Coping with Everard’s loss stretched Norths to the limit and it saw Oli Arcus score and Hosea get his double.

His second was a high stepping affair down the right edge and it was celebrated robustly by all the Highlanders.

And while we’re talking about incomings Harrison Goddard, the premiership scrumhalf in 2020, came on for a cameo and that is sure to give the Highlanders some depth as the season rolls on.

There are some serious weapons at Chatswood as the finals loom.

MANLY V HUNTER WILDFIRES at Manly Oval

It’s not quite like that comeback that they wrote about the Bible but Manly are within a shout of a spot in the Shute Shield playoffs with three rounds to work their way through.

Mind you it’s a pretty big shout but just under a month ago the Marlins a lot of people felt that they were pretty much dead and buried.

After all there were a string of losses early in the season and the announcement that emerging head coach Sam Lane was stepping down.

But as I have been told numerous times in a long and fruitful life tough times can sometimes be the making of you.

The Marlins (37) are now on the same points as Norths and while wins on the trot and some kind results elsewhere are needed nothing is impossible.

The 42-28 win over the Wildfires on Saturday would have given those in the Village Green some reason for optimism but anything is possible in this topsy turvy thingy we call the Shute Shield.

The teams were all locked up a 21-a-piece at the break and Joe Dillon got them off to the perfect start with a nicely worked try not long after oranges.

The home team then jumped out to a handy lead with Cadeyrn Neville crashing over from close after some good lead up work.

Replacement scrumhalf Ruan Du Plooy then sealed the deal with a try that swept down the left edge and after an interchange of passes managed too get over the line.

Before that the Wildfires did inject some tension into the scoreboard with a long range try that saw Eyda Haisila score next to the posts.

The Marlins it must be said played some pretty entertaining footy on the day and it’s a shame that Lane will not take them further next year.

There were some green shoots for the Wildfires though but the grind back and forth from Newcastle does take its toll and that was evident late in this game.

WS TWO BLUES V EASTERN SUBURBS at Holroyd Sports Ground

It took a try to former Aussie sevens star Michael Icely in the shadows of fulltime for Eastern Suburbs to continue their merry way to the Shute Shield playoffs.

The try to Icely and conversion from Kemu Valetini nudged the Beasties to a 33-31 victory over the Two Blues in a game that ebbed and flowed all afternoon.

Truth be told you’d be feeling a bit shitty with the scoreline if you were from the home team.

Not that there was any refereeing clangers or the such like but on the balance of what I saw the Two Blues were there better side.

That’s the way that things go sometimes but it points to strength and depth of the Shute Shield competition that the team that is running ninth can extend the competition table toppers in this manner.

I really liked the way that the Two Blues went about things – they seemed more concentrated on the process of things rather than the result and for 70 plus minutes that worked.

They jumped out to a 14-0 in. The opening minutes with tries to Braden Stewart and fullback Magalogo.

Easts would hit back to tie things up at the halftime break and many from there felt that the Beasties would power away.

But that was far from the case and the lead pinged around for much of the second half until Icely’s try and the winning conversion from Valetini.

Good to see skipper Rod Iona back on the field and he will play a key role for the Two Blues in the closing weeks of the competition.

WARRINGAH V EASTWOOD at Pittwater Rugby Park

Fast start and a fast finish – that’s probably the best way to sum Warringah’s 38-17 win over finals contender Eastwood on Saturday.

The Rats got out of the blocks early and had notched up three tries bye the time the props on the field has been getting their second wind.

Hooker Wes Thomas scored two off those tries hunting out wide while scrumhalf Ben Fuhiniu got the third with the returning Byron Smith accurate off the tee.

It was Smith’s first game in just over a month and in that time Rats coach and his selection committee have experimented with a number off option including switching skipper Ben Marr to the front line and bringing in Sebastian Zaridze.

Smith made a difference not only with his kicking game but around the field and he will be a factor over coming weeks as things get a bit more serious.

The Woodies did get themselves back into the game after falling behind 21-0 and just before the break were within five points.

They did score what must be a try of the year contender with Tom Goddard kicking through, Dylan Nelson cocking up the regather only for Goddard to pick up and hand off to Angus Griffin to barge over.

That was all part of a 17-point surge that saw the Woods get within range only for the home side to gather their thoughts and push on to first a bonus point and then victory.

The Barnabas brothers were good during that time with Jake getting the reward of a try while No.8 Luke Reimer was relentless over the ball.

Down on the beaches a lot of people wonder why Thomas cannot get a look in further up the pathways but these past couple of seasons his scrum and line out work have stepped up.

At different times this game had a finals feel about it so if that’s the case the first weeks of playoffs is sure to deliver.

SYDNEY UNI V SOUTHERN DISTRICTS at Sydney Uni Football Ground

I must admit that I hadn’t heard too much about Sydney Uni winger Benjy Joseland coming into the 2026 Shute Shield season but he sure has made a few sit up and take notice.

Joseland scored another hat-trick of tries in Uni’s 54-33 win over Southern Districts and now sits well clear of the chasing field in the try scoring ladder with 19.

His trio on Saturday sees him four clear of Gordon flyer Oli Arcus (15) and Easts’ Ollie Dawkins (13) with Zac Barnabas (11) next in line.

The Students got out the blocks early with tries to Joseland and Tom Morrison and within 15 minutes had secured a bonus at point by scoring four tries.

But Souths were not going to lie down as another heavy loss loomed.

They punched their way over with two converted tries to Adam Arkley and singles to Tom Gibbs and Isikeli Fukofuka.

That made the score 33-28 at the break and after not being within bull’s roar the visitors were right in it.

But the class that Uni have in their playing group came through with the likes of Joey Fowler and centre Boston Fakafanua showing through.

A lot of the attention in the post month has been Jack Bowen at Easts not getting a Waratahs contract next year but Fowler has just kept his head down and played his footy.

His touches on the weekend were good and gave oodles of space for those outside him.

Uni now face what is being called the toughest fornight in Australian club rugby taking on first Warringah and then the Beasties away.

They are playing good footy and have the personnel to adapt and adjust their game to suit – it will be fascinating to watch.

WEST HARBOUR v RANDWICK at Concord Oval

Randwick continued their surge towards a Shute Shield playoff spot with a 33-19 bonus point win over West Harbour on Saturday.

The victory gives the Wicks some wriggle room for the remaining three rounds of the minor premiership as they sit in fifth spot on 46 points equal with Eastwood.

Chasing them on the table are Norths (37), Manly (37) and the Two Blues (36).

New Wallabies coach Les Kiss secreted himself in the stand for the game obviously keen to see how Wests No.8 Pete Samu and Randwick fullback Andrew Kellaway handled themselves.

Not sure if he shouted himself one of the ham and salad rolls from Mick Ellem’s excellent offerings in the canteen but ‘Kissy’ would have left the ground with a bit to chew on.

Samu scored a heady try in the second half and was a good target towards the back of the line out while Kellaway had some good involvements and gave the final pass for a try in the first half

Wests started the game brightly with a good try from close to the Randwick line but the advantage was pretty much all to the visitor from then on.

The home team’s cause wasn’t helped by the yellow card to lock Aiden Wearne and from that point on Randwick pounced scoring three tries while he was off the field.

The Pirates did get into the game late on the back of Samu’s try and at the death lock Jack Bennett strolled over from the middle of a line out to give the final scoreline.