This article originally appeared in last weekend’s Rugby News finals program

We’ve hit finals time of the Shute Shield competition and the phone has been ringing hot with all the news and views from the greatest club competition in Australia. Here’s what we are hearing: 

AND THEN THERE were four – it’s grand final qualifier week, headlined by the massive double header at North Sydney Oval with Randwick, Eastwood, Manly and Northern Suburbs all on show.

Around The Traps reckons that there’s barely anything between any of the four sides on their day and it’s looming as the most open Shute Shield final series in years.

So where does the winning edge come from as we head towards the sharp end of the competition?

Well Randwick must be rated as the form side, Eastwood had that relentless Uni-at-their-peak  feel about them last weekend, Norths are just getting it done while the Marlins loom as the dangerous ugly duckling of the group.

It’s the little things that will win this premiership and I’m prepared to say that the quality of the Shoremen’s bench gives them a definite advantage.

Saxon Gillies, Charlie Jeavons-Fellows, Sam Kitchen, Jack Brewer and Api Kuitakeivuravura can make a huge difference.

The talent is there and the mindset is spot on so. As coach Zak Beer said a few weeks back on Stan Sport’s Clubland show, you don’t have reunions to celebrate minor premierships.

Great also to see good crowds heading to Rat Park last weekend for the first week of the colts finals series.

Having the home team playing was a factor but the most open comp in many years is attracting plenty of interest.

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WE’RE hearing from very good sources that the farewell to TG Millner may well continue on for another season in true Johnny Farnham style.

Many felt that the Woodies big win over Manly in the first round of the Shute Shield playoffs last weekend may well have been the last hurrah at TG Millner, but the whispers are getting louder that the move to the north west may be a little time off.

The Woods have five teams throughout their grade and colts ranks still in the mix for the grand finals and still use the club’s spiritual home as their training base.

It must be said that TG does look like it needs a good lick of paint, some weed and feed on the main oval and the services of a good handyman, but it is home.

They are yet to make too much progress on the new base in the north west and as we are hearing it may take a little longer than first anticipated before the move becomes real. 

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GOOD TO HAVE a chat on the hill on Saturday with NSW Waratahs coach Darren Coleman who was taking in all the action from the Northern Suburbs v Hunter Wildfires qualifying final.

You could say that he was multi-tasking, racking up a few credit points by taking his mum and family for an afternoon in the sun while seeing the work of brother ‘Bubba’ first hand.

‘Bubba’ has done a first class job at the Wildfires and they were very much in the game against minor premiers Norths until late.

Let’s hope that the Wildfires success in 2023 translates to a deeper run in the finals next season – they certainly seem like they are headed in that direction.

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THE FIRST OF THE Shute Shield coaching appointments fell into place this week with Warringah’s announcement that Josh Holmes will take the reins in 2024.

Some may say that Holmes’ appointment is something of a calculated risk after he rejuvenated the Rats’ colts program over the past couple of seasons.

But his wealth of experience and understanding of what makes the Rats club tick over 25 years from juniors, through the colts and on to grade means it’s a pretty safe gamble.

At last count that leaves the first grade jobs at Gordon and Eastern Suburbs still to be filled and we’re also hearing that change may be on the way at Sydney Uni and possibly the Two Blues.

Stay tuned!

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RUGBY WORLD CUP winner Andrew Blades told a funny story about the much-loved Robin Timmins at the Catchpole Medal dinner that had the gathering in fits of laughter.

He told the story of when NSW Rugby was based out at Concord Oval and several staff got wind that Timmins’ birthday was looming.

They toddled off to the local Vietnamese bakery around the corner and ordered a special cake for what was a special birthday.

The baker asked what sort of theme the rugby types wanted for the cake and it was decided that a cake in the shape of a pair of rugby boots would do the trick.

The big day arrived and Blades headed off to pick up the cake only to find that somehow the request for a “pair of boots” cake had been transformed into a “pair of boobs”.

Some adjustments were made on the fly and a good time was had by all.

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LOTS OF DEBATE on many of the social media streams about the strengths and weaknesses of the six-team semi-final season that the Shute Shield is operating under.

Many pundits felt that the teams that finished first and second after the end of the home and away rounds didn’t get any real advantage and that involving half your teams in the finals didn’t reward any sort of excellence.

The four-team finals series along with a good old five-team model were quite popular amongst the pundits but Around The Traps reckons that the six-team one has legs they just need to make sure that the Sunday game on the first week of the finals series next year has some meaning.