Eastern Suburbs lead the Shute Shield competition with three rounds remaining after claiming their eighth win in nine matches, while Warringah have dropped to second following a disappointing performance against Randwick.

Elsewhere, Eastwood and Western Sydney blew chances to keep their finals hopes alive, while Sydney Uni did what they needed to do to stay within touch of the top six.

Eastern Suburbs 45-15 Hunter

Easts moved to top spot on the Shute Shield ladder following a dominant bonus point win over Hunter in a match played as a curtain raiser to the Wallabies v Georgia Test at Allianz Stadium. 

Jack Bowen scored an intercept try in the 8th minute to kick start the Beasties, who ran in four unanswered first half tries to lead 28-3 after 30 minutes. 

Hunter hit back with a try against the run of play to flyhalf Jack Evenden late in the first half. 

But the result was all but sealed 20 seconds in to the second half when Julian Heaven and Archie Gavin combined shortly after the restart to score their side’s fifth five pointer. 

Further tries to Jack Mossman and Fabian Goodall sealed a 45-15 win for the Beasties, who are now within reach of the club’s first minor premiership since 2000. 

Randwick 41-15 Warringah

The defending premiers sent a stern message to the Shute Shield competition with a dominant 41-15 win over Warringah, the form team of the 2024 season. 

Randwick’s wingers both scored doubles in the first half to give the home side a 22-8 lead at half time. 

Christian Yassmin’s tremendous catch from a perfectly weighted Andrew Deegan cross field kick and Triston Reilly’s try from a penalty goal that hit the post were both highlights of the first half. 

Randwick continued to dominate after the break and pushed further ahead when returning scrumhalf Mitch Short darted down the sideline to score. 

The Rats hit back when Harvey Elm chased down a kick from Coby Miln near Randwick’s line. 

But Warringah had few answers against the defending premiers. 

Randwick scored again after pushing Warringah off their own five metre scrum and sealed the win with a third try to Triston Reilly. 

Randwick now sit third on the ladder, two competition points below Warringah who drop to second. 

Manly 31-24 Western Sydney

A crucial mistake on the stroke of half time cost Western Sydney dearly in a 31-24 loss to Manly that all but ends the Two Blues’ finals hopes. 

At the end of a tight first half, Western Sydney fullback Kurt Heatherley, a former AFL player with Hawthorn, failed to kick the ball in to touch and handed Lalakai Foketi the easiest of tries after the half time siren had rung. 

Manly’s props had scored two of the Marlin’s three tries up until that point, while Two Blues flyhalf Abel Magalogo scored 17 first half points to keep his side in the match. 

Following Foketi’s gift five pointer at the end of the first half, the Marlins extended their lead with a second try to prop Maka Mafileo. 

Western Sydney scored a try against the run of play in the 60th minute through scrumhalf Rilloy Suesue to reduce the deficit to seven points. 

But couldn’t find a way through the Manly defence in the closing stages, with the try on half time the difference in the end. 

Northern Suburbs 25-22 Eastwood

Norths kicked a penalty goal in the 79th minute to claim a 25-24 win over Eastwood and end the Woodies’ slim hopes of playing finals footy this year. 

Both sides scored twice in a seesawing first half with a brilliant individual effort from Norths’ backrower Ed Timpson the highlight. 

Norths took the lead 12 minutes into the second half when Carrick McDonough stepped through four Eastwood defenders and somehow found a way to plant the ball down. 

But with their season on the line, Eastwood hit back, first with a barnstorming run by big No.8 Jimmy Hokafonu, then with a clever wrap around try scored by James McGregor. 

Norths hit back just minutes later though with McDonough scoring a second individual try, this time on counterattack, to reduce the deficit to just two points with seven minutes remaining. 

The Shoreman controlled possession in the closing stages, eventually earning a penalty inside Eastwood’s 22, which Jude Gibbs calmly slotted to seal an important with for last year’s grand finalists. 

Sydney Uni 41-0 West Harbour

Sydney Uni did everything they needed to do against West Harbour to keep their finals hopes alive, but after kicking off at 1:30pm, were forced to watch on as a series of tight results went against them on Saturday afternoon. 

Uni were brilliant and scored five first half tries, including a double to flanker Sam Allsopp, to lead 31-0 at the break. 

West Harbour tightened their defence in the second half, but Allsopp eventually crossed to claim his hat trick in the 65th minute. 

Henry Clunies-Ross then sealed a dominant victory with two late tries. 

Despite that, tight victories to Manly and Norths mean Uni are still 10 competition points outside of the top six. 

The Students will need to win their final three matches and hope sides above them on the ladder lose at least two of their next three games.

Next Saturday’s clash at Manly Oval is essentially an elimination game for Sydney Uni. 

Gordon 43-7 Southern Districts

Gordon ran over the top of Southern Districts in the second half to claim an important bonus point win on a windy afternoon at Forshaw. 

Little separated the two sides in the first half. Gordon opened the scoring with a pick and go try through Jay Fonakalifi before Souths responded in similar fashion. 

Off the restart, Gordon then regained possession and scored immediately through winger Ollie Arcus to claim the lead, before defending their line for the best part of 10 minutes to take a 10-7 lead to the break. 

Souths failed to take advantage of field position late in the first half and were made to pay in the second stanza. 

Gordon scored two tries early in the second half to take control of the contest, then flexed their muscle in the closing stages to claim a dominant bonus point win.