By Mark Cashman

Yes it’s that time of the Shute Shield season when everyone starts looking at the competition table, the draw and calculating how many wins they will need to make the finals.

As we head into Round 14 this weekend, by this column’s calculations, there are six teams still in the running for the final three spots in the six-team playoff series.

We have assumed here that Eastern Suburbs (59 points), Warringah (55 points) and Gordon (50 points) have already done enough to make the cut.

There’s a nine points gap to the fourth placed teams (Sydney Uni and Eastwood) so that leaves six teams in the running for those final three spots.

The six teams still in the mix by our calculations are Sydney Uni (41), Eastwood (41), Randwick (36), Northern Suburbs (35), the Two Blues (33), Hunter Wildfires (32) and even Manly (31).

So which team’s draw has them best placed.

First up you’d have to say that Uni will be tested taking on Gordon, Rats and the Beasties in the final weeks but have the luxury of five point break on the peloton.

On the other hand Norths have Wests (17) and winless Souths (11) in their fixtures, but as we all know lower placed teams can grow an extra leg late in the season.

Winning and winning well with bonus points (Norths only have five bonus points so far in 2026) will be a vital part of their next five rounds.

Randwick face a few testing weeks starting with the journey to Newcastle to take on the Wildfires continuing at ‘The Eric’ against the Two Blues and then Warringah at home.

Early season wins will help the Woods in the run to the finals as their schedule includes the Two Blues away, Warringah at Rat Park and Easts then Sydney Uni away.

The Wildfires have hit a few speed bumps in recents rounds with losses to Warringah, Easts and Sydney Uni but three of their run home are at home.

The Two Blues do run into Eastwood, Easts and Randwick on the way to the finals but a critical game will be the final round against the Wildfires in “Newy”.

The Marlins have got themselves back in the race with some good performance in recent weeks but every team they play isn above them on the table.

Here are all the details of the run home:

SYDNEY UNI (41 points): Gordon A, Souths H, Warringah A, Easts A, Eastwood H.

EASTWOOD (41 points): Two Blues A, Warringah A, Easts H, Souths H, Sydney Uni A.

RANDWICK (36 points): Wildfires A, Wests A, Manly H, Two Blues A, Warringah H.

NORTHS (35 points): Wests A, Gordon H, Wildfires A, Manly H, Souths A.

WS TWO BLUES (33 points): Eastwood H, Easts H, Souths A, Randwick H, Wildfires A.

HUNTER WILDFIRES (32 points): Randwick H, Manly A, Norths H, Wests A, Two Blues H.

MANLY (31 points): Easts A, Wildfires H, Randwick A, Norths A, Gordon H.

So with five rounds to be played who’s going to make the cut?

I’d suggest Uni, Randwick and Norths will join the top three with the accumulation of bonus points critical to how things pan out.

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I mentioned earlier this week that the top end of the Shute Shield table had become something of an “arms race”.

Players have been filtering in from the four Aussie professional franchises and overseas clubs to get a bit of game time to add to the highlights reel.

This column heard one northern hemisphere star had been hawked around to three clubs in the playoffs race, had meeting with all three, trained with two and when time came to make the call went to a fourth club.

Seems the cost of accomodation in Sydney is a major factor in the thinking of any of the incoming stars.

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There is always some process in the way that these things happen but there is disquiet in the Shute Shield community about the appointment of the new Waratahs coach.

A number of aspiring coaches – and fans for that matter – are yet to hear who is “in the loop” for the position which was vacated suddenly by Dan McKellar in June.

Ben Batger (Easts) and Josh Holmes (Warringah) have said they would love to go through and learn from the process, while Zak Beer (Norths) guided the NSW A side earlier this year.

And John Manenti’s CV has a good look about it having been in the system with the national Sevens programs.

The job has been advertised with applications closing on July 24.

Meanwhile earlier this week McKellar dropped on his Linkedin profile that he was “excited to be looking for new opportunities”.

“I am open minded around what is next for me,” he wrote.

“If you think someone with 15 years of experience in High Performance, Leadership, Managing people and Professional Coaching could help you or your organisation please reach out.

“I am here to help.”

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If you’re in the Shire and hanging out to watch a bit of free rugby on Saturday well all roads lead to Forshaw Rugby Park.

Souths are having their annual Back to Port Hacking day and it will see eight games of rugby in the precinct, kicking off with fourth grade at 9am.

Once the Shute Shield game v Warringah is called, local subbies club the Sea Lice will play their grade and colts fixtures.

From there it’s on to the Wallabies Test against Italy on the big screen in the clubhouse as the day pushes towards 8pm.

I’m told there will be live music, Rebel Wagyu burgers and all the comfort food you need on a cold Saturday night.

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The ABC television coverage of the Shute Shield was a rich part of my teenage years with the dulcet tones of Norman May and the cutting analysis of Trevor Allan all part of the Saturday post junior footy formula.

Watching those very good Randwick sides of the early 1970s playing at Coogee Oval when it ran east-west you couldn’t help but marvel at the skill and talent on show.

The diminutive Alan Sing at scrum half and the rock that was John Berne steering them around the field from flyhalf or inside centre was a joy to watch.

We said farewell to Berne earlier this week after he passed away due to complications after a long battle with dementia.

He was a vital part of the premiership sides of 1973 and 1974 and so widely regarded that he was deemed the best and fairest of the first grade side that was stacked with talent in 1973.

Berne would go open to make his Wallabies debut on the 1975-76 Wallabies tour of the UK against Scotland at Murrayfield.

At the peak of his footy powers he was lured across to rugby league for Souths and would play professionally for nine years with stints at Cronulla and the Roosters.

But Coogee Oval was always home for Berne and his sons Shaun – the current Shute Shield coach – and Mick also played first grade at the Wicks.

“The Berne’s are one of the great Wicks families and John’s loss hits hard right across our community,” the club said in a statement

“Despite his many sporting achievements, he was a humble family man, who people just gravitated towards socially to enjoy his warmth, humour and love of life.”

Dementia is often described as “the long goodbye” and is a buggar of a thing having lost my wife Toni to the neurological disorder CJD at the end of last year.

I’m sure the club will gain strength from the battle that one of their own waged.