BY MARK CASHMAN

SYDNEY UNI V EASTWOOD at Sydney Uni Sports Ground

One thing is certain as the Shute Shield ups the tempo to finals mode this coming weekend and that’s that the bench will play a key role.

That was certainly underlined as Sydney Uni continued on their way with a 43-40 win over Eastwood in a game that just about had it all.

This was the final game of the home and away rounds and the Woodies needed to get their hands on at least two points to make their way through to the playoffs.

Earlier Norths had given them the formula needed following their big bonus point win over Southern Districts earlier in the afternoon.

And at certain stages of this game the Woodies looked like they would not only get those two points but also walk away from the final round with a significant scalp.

At the very least Easts would have shuffled nervously in their seats as the Woods went about their work with a directness that will be needed next weekend.

The Woods got off to a flyer and helped by some bullocking efforts from Xavier Degei (a hat-trick of tries) and Max Stewart they were leading well, 29-19 at the break.

Flyhalf Brad Roderick-Evans had directed them well around the field and they were making the most of their field position and possession that the “fatties” had delivered.

But fresh legs and fresh minds would come into play with Folau Faingaa and Tevita Ahokovi pivotal in the way that the game played out.

Not that the Woods turned up their toes at any stage and truth be know they were leading with time just about up.

But when the big play was needed the Students were able to get their hands on the ball and work their way down the right edge for James Mangelsdorf to score the match winner.

The home side would have learnt a lot from this one and I’m sure on Volunteers Day ‘Rounders’ would have looked on with a smile on his face.

SOUTHERN DISTRICTS V NORTHERN SUBURBS at Forshaw Rugby Park

In the end it was all for nothing but Northern Suburbs really put on a show in putting away Southern Districts 71-24 on Saturday.

On a day where Souths were celebrating their Waratahs representatives and bidding their coach Scott Fava farewell Norths racked up 11 tries to four in a dominant display.

Leading into the match all the talk was about the formula that Norths had to achieve to make the Shute Shield finals and the big in for the home side in Kane Douglas.

That formula being win with a bonus point at Forshaw and watch on and hope that Eastwood would only grab at best the single point against Sydney Uni.

Well Norths did their part in the equation but the Woodies grabbed two points in their loss to Uni and grabbed sixth spot and the right to plays finals.

In the end the Shoremen scored 11 tries and had acquired their bonus point by midway through the first half in a vibrant display on a sticky field.

They led 38-7 at the break and the midfield combinations of Josh Barr and skipper Nathan Russell gave oodles of room to winger Liam Donnell and Callum Sirker.

Souths would come back into the game in the second half with tries to Thomas Gibbs, Tsuyoshi Jennings and Isaac Kneepkens but in and around that Norths were completely dominant.

It is the first time that Norths have missed the playoffs since 2015 and for the red and black pedants out there they would have finished fifth judged solely on wins and losses.

“Them’s the rules” as they say and they will have some time to reflect on their situation as the season plays out through the finals.

Bonus points have been hard to come by in 2026 and in the end that proved to be their undoing.

MANLY V GORDON at Manly Oval

Departing Manly head coach Sam Lane could be forgiven for thinking where was this sort of performance when it was needed most.

The Marlins bowed out of the Shute Shield for 2026 with a pretty sizeable scalp after their 29-26 win over Gordon on a soggy afternoon at the Village Green.

They got out of the blocks well and were able to take their chances when it mattered most in this game.

The home side were 22-0 up at the break after three quite nice tries in the first 40 minutes.

From there the Highlanders lurched their way back into the game with tries from skipper Milan Basson, hooker Siketi Tevao and Harrison Goddard.

But for once this season Manly held their nerve and managed to ice the game with a nice close range try to Daveo Teoteo.

Gordon would get within three points with a try Cole Spinks which they elected not to convert to have the time for one final crack.

But the Marlins defence held and they would end the season on a high note.

The elephant in the room for Gordon though is how they dig a hole for themselves early in games.

There has been a pattern of this sort of behaviour and just reckon that sort of game plan isn’t going to cut it in the playoffs.

Most finals are won by teams that control games from the front and I’m pretty sure the Uni, Warringah and Easts of this world aren’t going to let them back in the back door.

Better performers for the Marlins were Billy Dickens, Cadeyrn Neville, centre Jordan Holgate, Ben Di Staso and Ollie Horne.

Gordon skipper Basson was their best but there will be some serious shakedown from this performance from their coach Dave Telfer.

It was a shaky way to perform with the playoffs only a week away.

EASTERN SUBURBS V WEST HARBOUR at Woollahra Oval

Remain calm all you Woollahra types normal service has been restored!

The Beasties ran in six tries to two against West Harbour and in the process got their winning streak at home back on its feet and secured a whole range of silverware.

The 40-10 win made sure of the minor premiership, the club championship and their reserve grade and third grade sides also grabbed minor premierships.

Their fourth grade side finished second while all their colts teams are sitting at the upper reaches of their comp tables as we switch to playoff mode.

There wasn’t the huge crowds that Ladies Day attracted the week before but the Beasties went about their work with an efficiency that would have impressed coach Ben Batger.

If the idea of this game against the Pirates was to show that nothing was broken about the Easts’ 2026 model well everyone that saw this one came away thinking that.

They were direct in attack when needed, searched the edges constantly, used their rolling maul from line out well and defended stoutly.

West did make it a contest early and did lead midway through the first half but the longer things went on the better Easts were.

All the usual suspects were doing their thing for the Pirates at that stage with Pete Samu, Matt Whelan, Albert Alcock and Jack Debrezceni all standing out.

The second half was a different matter with Easts taking the high ground and being rewarded fore their endeavour.

An interesting name on the Beasties scoresheet was Justice Taumoepeau, the son of Pauli a former Easts coach.

It’s Taumoepeau’s first season out of school (St Joseph’s College) and he was in the recking for the national Under 20s side until an injury ruled him out of their world championship in Georgia.

He plays above his age as he has done all the way through his junior and schools career and it seems he jus being handled well at the Beasties.

The Beasties game is perfectly suited to the surface at Woollahra and they will benefit from playing finals there, as they should.

RANDWICK V WARRINGAH at Coogee Oval

There was little fanfare about the inclusion of Joshua Uluibau in the Warringah pack for their game on Saturday but they may well have found a pretty handy jigsaw piece.

Uluibau is a 20-year-old hooker who is part of the Fijian Drua development squad that is being mentored by Nemani Nadolo.

He came into the Rats Shute Shield squad this week in the wake of the neck injury sustained by regular starter Wes Thomas.

And Uluibau didn’t look out of place as Warringah secured second sport on the ladder with a 33-22 win over Randwick.

His scrum work was good and more importantly his synergy with the Rats line out targets – Sam Thomson, Luke Reimer and Keelan Whitman – looks crisp and accurate.

The idea of this game was to parcel second spot on the ladder without giving too much away to the Galloping Greens.

They achieved that and also I think played their No.10 Byron Smith into form and gave Tyson Davis a chance to work himself into the finals picture.

It was “we score, you score” for much of the first 40 minutes but the visitors went to the break 21-10 ahead but minutes after the resumption the home side had made a game of it at 21-17.

But tries to Smith and Zac Barnabas would ultimately give the Rats the upper hand.

On the Wicks front Gage Phillips scored a hat-trick of tries and there were some good touches from James Hendren and Andrew Kellaway.

The Houston brothers Angus and Xavier had a good work rate around the field and Declan Leaney lifted the pack when he came on in the second half.

The Wicks head to Rat Park now in a game where they need to win to stay alive.

It is sure to be an interesting clash of styles if the weekend’s fixture was anything to go by.

HUNTER WILDFIRES V WS TWO BLUES at Passmore Oval

The WS Two Blues were able to give their head coach Travis Church the perfect send on Saturday with a 34-33 win over the Hunter Wildfires.

After two seasons at the Two Blues Church is off to Portugal for a head coaching role and it’s fair to say that he has left “The Eric” in a better place.

Shute Shield finals action was obviously the ultimate goal but what we have seen the Two Blues develop into is a club that turns up and always has a red hot crack.

At the same time playing some very well developed expansive rugby that perfectly suited Church’s playing resources.

Saturday’s game against the Wildfires was a perfect example of that with the talents of players like Christian Papa, Latrell Ah Kiong, Rod Iona and the Seuseu brothers all combining for the right result.

For those that don’t know Passmore Oval is the home of the Hamilton Hawks, the perennial premiers of the local Newcastle club competition.

That’s the local club of Scott ‘Bubba’ Coleman so his Wildfires would have been up for this one.

The home side actually led 21-10 at the break and 26-15 midway through the second half thanks to the efforts of Logan Love, Connor Winchester and some good attack work from their No.8 Phil Talaileva.

In the final minutes the Wildfires were ahead 33-31 after a try from Phil Bradford but that set up some heroics from Reece Seuseu, and he delivered.