Saturday marks the start of the final month of the Shute Shield regular season and there doesn’t appear to be much separating the top eight sides who are all fighting for six playoff spots. 

A bonus point win is all that separates Hunter in first and Manly in fifth and below them, just six competition points seperate the Two Blues in sixth and Uni in eighth, with Gordon wedged in between them. 

Form and the health of each squad is going to be extremely important heading into the final month of the regular season. 

So we thought we’d take a look at who is hot and who is not ahead of another big round of Shute Shield action  this weekend.

Hunter: 1st – 9 wins, 49 pts

Recent Form (Rounds 10-14): Loss, Win, Win, Loss

Despite losing to last placed Souths on Saturday, other results meant Hunter reclaimed top spot on the ladder. The Wildfires are struggling for consistency though and have only won three of their past seven matches. 

Norths: 2nd – 10 wins, 48 pts

Recent Form (Rounds 10-14): Win, Win, Win, Loss

While Norths fell short against Randwick last weekend, the match was played with finals like intensity and the Shoremen were right in it until late in the game. Prior to Saturday, they also beat three rivals in the finals hunt. 

Randwick: 3rd – 9 wins, 48 pts

Recent Form (Rounds 10-14): Win, Win, Draw, Win

The Galloping Greens are red hot. They’ve lost just one of their last 9 matches, dating back to April. In the last month, they’ve also beaten Norths, Uni and Gordon and drew with Manly.

Eastwood: 4th – 8 wins, 45 pts

Recent Form (Rounds 10-14): Win, Loss, Win, Loss

Hot one week, not the next. It’s really hard to get a read on the Woodies at the moment. They’ve beaten Randwick, Hunter and Gordon, but then lost to Uni, the Two Blues and West Harbour last weekend. They really need a win against Souths’ at Forshaw on Saturday. 

Manly: 5th – 7 wins, 44 pts

Recent Form (Rounds 10-14): Loss, Loss, Draw, Loss

Manly haven’t won since round 9. In saying that, they’ve drawn one match against Randwick, then lost to Uni by just four points and to Hunter and Easts by just a point. But losing a string of tight matches isn’t a good sign heading into what will likely be one of the most competitive finals series we’ve seen in recent memory. 

Western Sydney: 6th – 7 wins, 43 pts

Recent Form (Rounds 10-14): Loss, Win, Win, Win

The Two Blues have lost just one of their last six matches and seem to be growing in confidence every week. They’ve lost star fullback Otu Mausia to the Tongan international side but have been brilliant in wins over Eastwood and Uni in the last month and weren’t far off against Norths. A win over Manly or Randwick in the next fortnight could see them on the verge of the playoffs. 

Gordon: 7th – 8 wins, 41 pts

Recent Form (Rounds 10-14): Loss, Loss, Loss, Win

Gordon desperately needed to win against Warringah on Saturday and nearly blew a 31-7 lead. While they held on to win 31-26, it was their first win since round nine. Prior to that, the Stags lost four straight games against sides above them on the ladder and have a tricky run towards the playoffs. 

Sydney Uni: 8th – 7 wins, 37 pts

Recent Form (Rounds 10-14): Win, Loss, Loss, Loss

Uni travel to Newcastle for a must win game against the competition leaders on the back of three straight losses. While they’ve come close against Norths and Western Sydney in recent weeks, they need to find a way to start winning quickly. 

West Harbour, Eastern Suburbs, Warringah, Souths

The Pirates, Beasties, Rats and Rebels won’t play finals footy this year but they will likely determine the makeup of the playoffs. 

All four sides seem to be playing their best footy of the season in recent weeks and it wouldn’t be surprising to see more upsets across the final month.