By Angus Hayman

Kings may sit just outside the top of the ladder, but with Newington and Riverview still to play, Hugh Perrett’s side is determined to ensure the premiership race is not a private battle between the competition’s two frontrunners.

Riverview and Newington currently sit equal at the top, but Kings remain within reach to make the final month of the season just complicated enough to disturb the obvious two-horse sprint. 

With fixtures against both title contenders still ahead, Perrett’s men have a direct opportunity to reshape the competition narrative entirely.

If they can strike twice, the race for the premiership could suddenly become a three-way fight.

The path is difficult, but it is there.

“We are quietly confident going into this game and feel as if we have a little bit of momentum and a lot to prove,” Perrett told Rugby News.

“We can still share the premiership. We aren’t thrilled about having to share it, but we can be thankful we are still in the hunt while having some average performances so far.”

That honesty has been a feature of Perrett’s assessment of his side throughout the season. Kings have produced statement wins, but also suffered lapses that have kept them from sitting alongside the competition’s elite.

Even last round’s 45-14 win over Scots did not escape scrutiny.

“To be honest, we weren’t great and still put 40 on them,” he said.

“Parts of our game were really good, but I think we find ourselves in the position we’re in, as we aren’t producing our best consistently.”

That inconsistency will be tested immediately against Newington, particularly given what happened the last time the two sides met.

On their home turf, Kings produced what Perrett labelled their worst performance of the season, with Newington running through and around them in a comprehensive victory that exposed defensive and execution issues.

But in the review that followed, Kings found reason for optimism in the numbers.

“We had 13 red-zone entries in that game and turned it into only three scores, where Newington had only eight entries but turned it into seven separate scores,” Perrett said.

That statistic has since become a focal point of their preparation: efficiency. Kings know they cannot afford to dominate territory without converting pressure into points, particularly against a side as clinical as Newington.

The urgency is heightened by Newington’s recent form. Their remarkable comeback against Shore last round underlined their resilience, but their last three wins have come by a combined margin of just nine points, each decided by a single score.

For Kings, that suggests opportunity. The challenge is ensuring they are precise enough to take it.

Their preparation over the school holiday break was designed to sharpen that edge. The squad spent five days together for an inschool camp before finishing with a scrimmage against Knox, a hit-out Perrett described as crucial for the run home.

“It was the perfect hit out before coming back into these last four rounds,” he said.

Those four rounds now define Kings’ season. Scots have already been dealt with, but Newington and Riverview remain the two teams they must beat if they are to force their way into the title conversation.

For Newington, the equation is simpler. They are trying to preserve a two-horse race with Riverview and keep the final fixture of the year against Riverview a winner takes all occasion. For Kings, the goal is disruption.

There is nothing to protect, only something to chase. Even if they knock off both ladder leaders in consecutive weeks they will still need one other team to also pip a ladder leader but Perrett won’t be worrying about other fixtures. 

“We like to think all about our next game and that’s it,” Perrett said. “We can hope these last four games are some of our best.”

The margins are tight, but so too is the gap between Kings and the teams above them. One result could change the complexion of the competition entirely.

A win over Newington would avenge their heaviest defeat of the season and immediately drag Kings back into contention. Back it up against Riverview, and suddenly the premiership picture becomes far less predictable.

It is unlikely. But it is possible.

And this Kings side is not interested in anything less.

“This group is still really passionate about representing the school and winning games in the school jumper, so there is still plenty of motivation and we certainly aren’t going to roll over.”