By MARK CASHMAN

We’re into the 13th round 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:

Spare a thought for the Shute Shield competition manager KERRY BRADY who will be locked in a room at TG Millner Field on Saturday night figuring out all the options and venues for the start of the finals series which will start on October 17.

The top six has been known for a week now but the positions from two through to six were far from settled – and one of the matches (Eastern Suburbs v Randwick at Woollahra) had a huge bearing on that did not finish until well past 6pm.

Pittwater Rugby Park will host the first round of finals on the Saturday and the Sunday and there will be a double header at Rat Park on the Saturday.

The weekend’s action will look like this:

SATURDAY (at Pittwater Rugby Park):

Northern Suburbs (3) v Sydney Uni (4) at 1.55pm

Gordon (1) v Randwick (6) at 4pm

SUNDAY (at Pittwater Rugby Park):

Eastern Suburbs (2) v Eastwood (5) at 3pm

Kerry was locked away sorting out the grounds and the scheduling and did not emerge till well past 8.30pm.

It seems we are well down the track for the grand final to be played at Leichhardt Oval on October 31 and because of TV commitments the game may well be played at the normal 3pm timeslot rather than the hoped for 7pm.

Discussions are being had at the moment about the capacity allowed at the ground which is great for viewing and right on the action – should be a great afternoon.

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The Battle of the East is one of the great derbies of the Shute Shield competition and you’ve got to applaud the efforts of both clubs to make this game a big thing.

Kick off will be 5pm and the game will be streamed live on 7PLUS and it will be called by the great GORDON BRAY and ANDREW SWAIN.

Lots of stake for both clubs and where they finish in the top six so it deserves a Covid-19 capacity crowd and lots of eyeballs on the tele.

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Lots of good people at all the clubs around the Shute Shield but at Sydney Uni Steve Rowntree is considered one of the best.

The last home game of every year is now Rounders Day to honour the memory of the great man and the work of the volunteers do each year to make the who thing work like clockwork.

    His wife Heather and their grandchildren were there on Saturday to see a pretty complete performance against Northern Suburbs and were able to present Uni skipper Rohan O’Regan with the John Thornett Cup after the game. 

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JAMES BRODIE has been a vital part of the Manly Marlins for much of the past decade as their more than capable strength and conditioning guru.

‘J Train’ has a thriving and innovative training business on the northern beaches and has a number of high profile clients including Nick ‘Honey Badger’ Cummins working out at his Brookvale base.

But you couldn’t wipe the smile from his face last weekend when he helped out the Marlins fourth grade side on a playing front and scored a try against Southern Districts.

The Marlins fours were short on numbers because of the injury toll throughout the club and they called on not only Brodie but former Wallaby JULIAN HUXLEY and a number of other olds and bolds.

Huxley was the one that gave the final pass to the ‘Train’ for his meat pie, something that he won’t let him forget.

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Good to see SOUTHERN DISTRICTS honouring their junior clubs with the jersey they wore for the last home game of the season against Manly last weekend at Forshaw.

The candy stripes were busy enough as it is but adding in the colours of their junior clubs made the jersey either a fashion nightmare or a collectors item.

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While we are at Forshaw Rugby Park it was great to see WARREN ROBILLIARD honoured for his many years of service at first Port Haking and now Southern Districts.

‘Wazza’ has clocked up a total of 34 years service to the club and done everything from first grade coach, general manager for four seasons to match day photographer and now as match day manager.

He’s the type of bloke that makes clubs tick over and there is no ego in there about who needs to do what.

Keep at it ‘Wazza’.

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Lots of great memories aired about former Waratahs and Gordon coach CHRIS HAWKINS in the wake of his passing last week.

A number of his players aired their recollections about life under Hawkins at the Highlanders and at the Tahs, all describing how he got the best out of them in his own way.

He won three premierships in his time at Gordon and must always be remembered as the boss of the Waratahs as they embarked on the journey that has been pro rugby.

Chris could rub people up the wrong way at times but he was always there for the betterment of the game. Vale Chris Hawkins.

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We told you some weeks back about the background to that Tik Tok video from the Western Sydney Two Blues colts players singing a Fijian hymn.

It went around the world and the Two Blues are using in a social media push to get more numbers through their colts system.

Great idea and uses a great video perfectly.

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Interesting that there were a number of undefeated premiers throughout the stubbies ranks with Drummoyne going through their Kentwell Cup season without a loss.

In division two Hunters Hill also went through with a clean sheet and in division three the Newport Breakers also achieved that honour.

IMAGE: AJF PHOTOGRAPHY