By Mark Cashman

The Woodies certainly made a statement with their big win over the Hunter Wildfires at TG Millner last weekend.

Things really seem to be coming together for Ben Batger and his Shute Shield group after a first half of the season that saw them up and down like a yo-yo.

They are a big side, have a serviceable set piece and there is genuine strike power in their backline headed by Daniel Ala and Pama Fou who has been playing in Italy in recent times.

Throw in Michael Icely at the back of the scrum and centre Komiti Tuilagi as well as fullback Jack Metcalf and they look very dangerous.

Tane Edmed is back from the Waratahs too and has stripped away that “skinny kid” look that he had the last time that he was with the Woods for an extended period.

His kicking game has gone to another level and with the “good weight” that he has put on he is a lot more confident in the contact areas.

If the Woods continue on this trajectory they will be a major force in a competition that is just so so close.

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Refereeing is pretty hectic at the best of times but appointments of whistleblowers from other competitions can sometimes turn to custard.

Many at the Sydney Uni v Manly Marlins game felt that the Queensland whistleblower kept getting in the way in the channel between No.9 and No.10 – and some in the crowd voiced this opinion vociferously.

It was the same for both sides and probably didn’t drastically effect the way that the game panned out but when the Shute Shield is so tight if may not be doing anyone any favours.

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Randwick are another side that has clicked into gear in recent weeks and the form of fullback Ben Dowling is impressing many.

The try that Dowling laid on last weekend against Gordon at Coogee Oval had to be seen to be believed.

He got the ball in the backfield, scanned what was in front of him, kicked and regathered before laying on a pass from the Coogee turf for a score that helped seal a famous victory.

Dowling will play a key role as the race to the Shute Shield finals pans out!

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It’s a ritual on cold winter nights on the northern beaches that seems to be bearing some fruit.

Warringah Colts are breezing along at the top of the colts club championship as we head into Round 12 with their firsts and thirds undefeated and the seconds in third spot.

After each training session the next generation Rats gather to do 53 push ups – that’s to remind them that in 53 years that club has never taken out the Eric Spilsted Cup for the colts club championship.

“Our mentality is about us all doing well,” said head coach Josh Holmes.

“The mindset at the start of the season was that if we are the best in every grade, we are going to go a long way – and let’s win the Club Championship.”

As you read this the Rats are on 520 points with Eastwood Colts next in line on 478 and Easts a bit further back on 399.

Apparently, they don’t mind an ‘alcopop’ or two to celebrate either.

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The early season form of Gordon and the Hunter Wildfires has been rewarded with the leading vote getters in the Catchpole Medal revealed.

At the halfway point in the Shute Shield the Highlanders have five players amongst the vote getters closely followed by the four that the Wildfires have attracted.

The Highlanders group includes Ben Pollack, Jack McGregor, James Lough, John Akauola and Tristan Fuli.

The Hunter group includes Andrew Tuala, Connor Winchester, Donny Freeman and Nick Murray.

All the Shute Shield coaches vote for the eventual medal getter with them voting on the best players that played their side each week.

It can be a bit of administrative nightmare with the coaches workload each week but well worth the effort and done this way takes the refs out of the limelight which can only be as good thing.

The full list released by the Sydney Rugby Union includes: Andrew Tuala – Hunter, Archie Gavin – Easts, Archie Hosking – Southern Districts, Ben Pollack – Gordon, Connor Winchester – Hunter, Donny Freeman – Hunter, Hunter Hanniford – West Harbour, Jack McGregor – Gordon, James Lough – Gordon, John Akauola – Gordon, Jude Gibbs – Norths, Michael Icely – Eastwood, Nick Murray – Hunter, Otu Mausia – Western Sydney, Paddy Tagg – Sydney Uni, Prez Tufega – West Harbour, Tristan Fuli – Gordon, Zac Barnabas – Manly.

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Around The Traps has contacts all around the Rugby world and he even has some insiders at Rugby WA now.

My eldest brother Michael has been living in the west for a couple of decades – he sometimes even asks me how things are going “over east” – and been a lifter in their judicial system over there for some time.

He cut his teeth here in Sydney on the judicial scene under the tutelage of the now deceased Terry Willis and once had a ringside seat to Michael Cheika expressing his distaste for a decision that involved a rival during one Shute Shield finals series.

The paper bin on the way out of that meeting room copped a pretty good kick in the guts, he once told me.

M.A. Cashman was made a life member of Rugby WA last week so well done bro!

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The National Rugby Championship was meant to provide a pathway between club footy and Super Rugby but it was always a bit of hard sell at the back end of the season when semi-professional players of the Shute Shield were looking to cool their jets at the beach.

That said there were many happy memories and the competition pushed through a number of players and coaches to Super Rugby and Test footy in its time.

One of the sides pulled together at that time a decade ago was the North Harbour Rays – a selection from great Shute Shield rivals, Gordon and Northern Suburbs as well as Manly and Warringah.

They morphed into the Sydney Rays at one stage and Simon Cron got them into the final in one season.

Next years it will be 10 years since the Rays played their first match and a reunion is in the works.

Stay tuned!