By MARK CASHMAN

We’re into the sixth 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: 

As we hit the halfway mark in what has been a highly unusual SHUTE SHIELD competition its appropriate that we have a close look at how the competition table looks ands where it will head in the next couple of months.

At the moment Randwick are on the top of the pile with 23 points, closely followed by Sydney Uni (21), Gordon (20), Southern Districts (20), Northern Suburbs (19) and Eastwood (19).

There is then a nine-point break to Warringah on 10 points with Manly (9) and Eastern Suburbs (8) not far behind the leading chaser.

The ladder then tails off with the Hunter Wildfires on three points and Penrith, West Harbour and the Western Sydney Two Blues yet to open their accounts.

You could suggest that the top six is done and dusted but if you dig aa bit deeper there is much more to the picture.

With 13 teams in this year’s Shute Shield every team has to take a bye which this season doesn’t award any competition points.

So far from the top eight clubs Gordon, Norths, Souths and Easts have not taken the bye which means that Randwick, Uni, Warringah and Manly will watch on one weekend before the playoff teams are determined.

Some teams in the upper reaches have had what could be considered a softer draw with Randwick and Norths yet to meet the likes of Sydney Uni, Gordon or Eastwood.

And the teams that conceded big points in the early weeks are coming on in leaps and bounds and will be real spoilers in the later weeks – prime example being the Hunter Wildfires.

In the end the morale to the story is that this show is far from over. Stay tuned rugby fans!

SUNDAY MORNING FOOTNOTE: Easts 24 Norths 14, Sydney Uni 36 Eastwood 26, Warringah 49 Penrith 17, Randwick 34 Souths 5, Wests 22 Manly 19, Gordon 50 Hunter Wildfires 7.

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The WESTERN SYDNEY TWO BLUES have kicked off a campaign to get Development Officers back on the ground in their part of Sydney.

The Two Blues have started up a GO FUND ME PAGE to try and pull together $300,000 in the next period of time so the great wealth of footy talent in western Sydney can get some sort of help to stay in the game.

The program is named after and endorsed by oldest living Wallaby and Two Blues club patron ERIC TWEEDALE.

“We are seeking your support to assist in saving the game in the region by building and facilitating development programs and opportunities throughout schools and junior rugby clubs across Western Sydney,” a spokesperson said.

It has just got underway and all deductions go through a sports foundation and tax deductable.

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We’ve spoken about the great content being produced by the clubs all around the Shute Shield with Warringah and Manly out there with great internal newsletters each week of the season but NORTHERN SUBURBS have tapped some gold with their SHOREMEN’S SERIES of interviews.

Norths’ GM JACK BUREY spoke to ADAM ASHLEY-COOPER about his time at the club and his rise through the ranks to the Wallabies, his 119 Tests, four Rugby World Cups and what life after footy is shaping up like.

‘SWOOP’ tells the long version of his Test debut off the bench, the half-eaten meat pie and what really made his father the proudest. It’s all open honest conversation and worth a listen.

Away from the rugby and a looming contract in the MLR, AAC along with MATT GITEAU and DREW MITCHELL are marketing a range of nice reds called BACKLINE WINES. I’m yet to sample but the order is in!

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Former WARATAH and WALLABY BERNARD FOLEY as many know is sitting out the pandemic on the north coast of NSW and putting something back into the game as a consultant at the BOWRAVILLE GOANNAS.

The term consultant I must admit is a bit of stretch but ‘NARD’ attends training on Wednesday nights, hands a few tips and then tips down a few schooners at the local post training.

On Saturday he was the celebrity waterway when the Goannas took on the THUNDER KNIGHTS on the mid north coast.

A bit further north MACK MASON was a vital part of the backline at flyhalf for the ROMA ECHIDNAS as they disposed of the TOOWOOMBA BEARS 21-19 at the weekend.

As the Echidnas Facebook page reported: “The direction from Mack Mason certainly helped the boys be in the right spot at the right time and his experience certainly helped towards the end in keeping everyone in the game.”

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The RUGBA LEAGUE in my humble opinion have got a lot of things right in the past period of time but I just can’t get my head around the four week suspension of Gold Coast Titan KEVIN PROCTOR for biting earlier this week.

I know a few rugby judiciary types and they reckon that if a similar thing happened in our game it would be a rest of the season job, at least – and that’s with the extenuating circumstances thrown in.

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The Covid-19 pandemic has brought many things to the Shute Shield this year and it looks like that the WARRINGAH RATS will benefit from the presence of former Wallaby prop PEK COWAN for the rest of the season.

Cowan has a contract in Japan with the Blue Sharks and is keen to keep some miles in his legs and his presence at Rat Park will be quite handy for a side that hasn’t been really got it going yet.

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Lots of speculation out there about the NORTHERN BEACHES DERBY being moved to Brookvale Oval so there could be more people there in person to see how all the drama unfolded.

Well the MARLINS have knocked all that speculation on the head by announcing in their MARLIN FILLETS newsletter this week that the speculation is just that – speculation.

The game will be played at Manly Oval with the Marlins hoping to get a few more in their crowd cap by that stage of this pandemic.

IMAGE: AJF PHOTOGRAPHY