With Super Rugby Pacific heading into their eight team play-offs series this weekend the question was asked of Around The Traps how many teams will battle it out in the Shute Shield post season.

Well the magic number is six and it is the same system that was used for many years until a few things were tipped on their head by the pandemic and the booting out of Penrith.

That means that in the first week of finals Position 1 will play Position Six, Position Two takes on Position Five, then Position Three will take on Position Four.

The three winners will move on to the second week of the finals with the highest ranked loser joining them.

The highest ranked winner then plays lowest ranked loser. Second highest ranked team plays remaining side. The two winners from those scrimmages are then on to the big dance.

There are dangers with any sort of system but don’t mention a six-team finals series to anyone near Forshaw after Souths finished second one year and got nutted after week one after team One and Two were beaten.

Around The Traps is also hearing that a series of games are being scheduled for the Australia A side that may well cut across the back end of the Shute Shield.
The games may even be played somewhere in Europe in August so any number of Shute Shielders may well be involved.

Stay tuned!

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The ShuteCast team had a lovely afternoon out last weekend with Andrew Swain down from Brisbane for his work at Stan Sport and the Nine network.

Our fearless leader and northern beaches real estate royalty Anthony Bergelin thought it would be a good idea if we all met up at the Gordon v Manly game at Chatswood Oval and so it was.

A few beers were had at the home of the Highlanders with the Marlins putting on quite a performance against the team that was top of the ladder heading into the weekend.

Around The Traps quipped to Swain (a Brisbane Brothers man through and through) early in the afternoon that it was lovely to watch on from at a game where there wasn’t that “emotional investment”.

Not so for Bergelin who was up and down in his bench seat at the halfway line grandstand from minute one right through until minute 80.

You might even suggest that a noise complaint may have been made lodged if not for the fact that the grandstand there at Chatswood Oval backed on to the North Shore railway line.

Can’t wait for the next catch up!

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No Shute Shield this weekend but the stars of tomorrow get the chance to strut their stuff with that grand institution that is the NSW State Championship staged all over the state.

Many of the current Waratahs squad cut their teeth in this great weekend of footy that relies on mums and dads and oodles of willing volunteers.

The Under 12s will be played at Camden Rugby Park, Camden (Camden Rugby Club), the Under 13s at Waratahs Fields, Orange (Orange City Rugby) while the Under 14s will be played at Apex Oval, Dubbo (Dubbo Roos).

The Under 15s will be at St Lukes Ovals, Concord (West Harbour Juniors), the Under 16s for boys and girls at Stuart Park, Port Macquarie (Mid North Coast Junior Rugby) while the Under 18s (both boys and girls) at The Eric (Two Blues Rugby).

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The Australian Under 20s side has really hit the ground running and they prepare for the junior world championships in South Africa later this month and the Shute Shield has certainly played a part.

Jack Barrett (Randwick), Jack Bowen, Ollie McCrea, Teddy Wilson (all Eastern Suburbs) and Henry O’Donnell (Northern Suburbs) have all made the cut to head to the Rainbow Nation under the guidance of Nathan Grey.

Wilson was named skipper last week but the wider squad will get some game time when they take on an Australian Barbarians section at Daceyville next Wednesday at 7.30pm.

The Babaas will be led by Sam Croke and there is a smattering of players that Shute Shield regulars will be familiar with.

The squad:
Aiden King (Eastwood)
Alex Gibbon (Richmond Range) – Vice Captain
Alex Niedzwiecki (Sunnybank)
Baguio Johnson-Tiumalu (Wests / QRU Academy)
Ben Crerar (Manly)
Brady Dawson (Northern Suburbs)
Brendan Jimenez (Queanbeyan Whites)
Connor Rous (Gungarhlin)
Davea Teoteo (Queanbeyan Whites)
David Vea (Randwick)
Dylan Rowe (Sunnybank)
Ed McGrath (Grafton Redmen)
Fiu Gibson (Wests Canberra)
Jack Hardy (Gungarhlan)
John Vinson (Toowoombah Rangers)
Julian Zissis (Southern Districts)
Luke Kimber (USC)
Matt Martin (Ourimbah)
Ollie Hannon (Gordon Colts)
Oskar Enasio (Warringah)
Paki Touria (Sunnybank)
Puni Aupnui (Sunnybank)
Saiyasi Ikanidrodro (Two Blues)
Sam Croke (Randwick) – Captain
Shammah Tiumalu (Gungarlin)
Willem Johnstone (Souths / QRU Academy)
Witika Rees-Hatu (Warringah)

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Around The Traps is intrigued about what sort of effect that the demise this week of London Irish in the English Premiership will have on the Shute Shield.

We have already seen what happened when Wasps and the Worcester Warriors went bust with many of the wider squad players keen for some game time and heading south.

There is a pretty hefty share of Aussies at the Exiles, including head coach Les Kiss and scrum half Nick Phipps, and they would be across the quality of the Shute Shield.

Props and locks seem to be popular positions that coaches are after so stay tuned there will be some movement south.

But whatever happens they will have to be quick because players need to play four games to qualify for finals.

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It used to be a domain that was ruled by the outside backs but the nature of the way that the Shute Shield is being played this years has seen the “fatties” head up the top try scorers at the halfway point of the competition.

Wildfires hooker and prop Andrew Tuala, Eastwood backrower Michael Icely and Thomas Maka, the Gordon hooker head up the list with eight.

It’s not until we hit fifth place that the “girls” get a mention with Brandon Quinn putting his name forward on seven along with Manly Marlins backrower Zac Barnabas.

Next comes Seb Cameron (Norths), Sitiveni Moceidreke (Two Blues), Rilloy Seuseu (Two Blues) and Dan Ala (Eastwood) on six.
Ben Marr (Warringah) completes the top 10 with five tries, topped off with that cracking effort that the out of form Rats produced last weekend at ‘The Eric’.

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While we were researching the numbers Around The Traps found it interesting that Manly head up the club championship table closely followed by Randwick, Gordon, Sydney Uni and Eastwood.

The Marlins are on 1473 points with the Wicks not far behind on 1430. Gordon are on 1380 with Uni on 1342 and the Woods at 1284.

As we have seen in past seasons the nature of the competition changes with the finish of Super Rugby Pacific and a raft of players coming back to add bulk and class.

Uni of course will get quite a few back and they will benefit from that but I’m hearing that Kemu Valetini will be a huge in the for the Marlins in the coming weeks.

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You might have seen some vision earlier this week on Stan Sport’s Clubland show but it was great that West Harbour staged an All Abilities game during the afternoon of their tussle with Northern Suburbs last weekend.

It showed that Rugby is a game for all and what a great post try celebration after what was a well constructed section of play.

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You will see this come out over the next week or so but Rugby News has compiled a list of the 50 most influential players in the Shute Shield.
Influencers 50 through to 41 are there and more will be revealed in coming days – it’s well worth a read no matter what club you support!