The race for the Catchpole Medal, awarded to the Shute Shield’s best player each season, is heating up.

18 players have jumped ahead of the rest after 11 rounds and will battle for the competition’s top award in the weeks ahead. 

Gordon have five players in the top 18, while Hunter have four. West Harbour have two, while Easts, Souths, Norths, Eastwood, Western Sydney, Sydney Uni and Manly have one each. 

Players from Gordon and Hunter will be taking points from one another, which may make it more difficult for those players to finish on top of the leaderboard at the end of the regular season. 

Randwick, who sit fourth on the Shute Shield ladder and just three competition points below Norths in top spot, don’t have any players in the top 18. 

Here is a look at the top contenders with seven matches remaining:

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 Barnabus – Manly