With the Hospital Cup taking a break this weekend for the Wallabies’ clash against the British & Irish Lions, the pause in play presents a perfect opportunity to assess the form teams going into the last month of competition.

Easts, Wests and Brothers look to have locked in their spots in the top four, but the race for the final place is wide open, with Bond, Souths, GPS and UQ all still in contention.

With just three rounds remaining, Rugby News is checking out how each team has performed over the past five rounds.

Last Five Results

1st) Easts: 2 wins, 2 losses, 1 bye

Still on top of the ladder and well-placed for a home semi-final, but Easts haven’t looked quite as sharp in recent weeks. They were upset by UQ in Round 14, and outclassed by Wests in round 11. A huge clash with Brothers looms next.

2nd) Wests: 5 wins

The Bulldogs are the form team in the competition and have now won nine on the trot. With the best for-and-against in the comp and plenty of momentum, Wests are eyeing off the minor premiership and more.

3rd) Brothers: 3 wins, 2 losses

Brothers strung together three wins through June before being brought back to earth by Wests and Bond. They’re still a serious premiership threat but they will need to get things back in order straight away, ahead of next week’s blockbuster clash against Easts.

4th) Bond: 3 wins, 1 loss, 1 bye

Bond have found their groove at the right time and moved back into the top four with important victories against UQ, Souths and Brothers in recent weeks. With a favourable draw ahead – Sunnybank, GPS and Norths – the Bull Sharks now control their own destiny.

5th) Souths: 1 win, 4 losses

After a strong first half of the season, Souths have stumbled. They’ve lost four straight, albeit narrowly against Bond and Norths, and have slipped out of the four as a result. The bye may have come at a good time – they’ll need a big response against UQ next week.

6th) GPS: 2 wins, 2 losses, 1 bye

GPS’ season looked done a few weeks ago, but wins over Sunnybank and Norths have kept their finals hopes alive. With matches against Wests and Easts still to come, a finals appearance seems out of reach

7th) Norths: 2 wins, 3 losses

Norths remain with only a mathematical chance of making finals after wins against Souths and Sunnybank, but a disappointing showing against GPS last weekend was a missed opportunity. With only Wests and Bond still to come, finals probably aren’t happening. 

8th) UQ: 2 wins, 2 losses, 1 bye

UQ have been up and down all year but showed their potential with a statement victory over Easts in Round 14. A bye last weekend means they now need to win their remaining three matches – probably with bonus points – and hope results go their way if they are to qualify for the finals. Unlikely, but not impossible. 

9th) Sunnybank: 4 losses, 1 bye

It’s been a tough stretch for Sunnybank, who have now dropped four straight and conceded 201 points in that time. While finals are no longer a possibility, they could play the role of spoiler, with games against Bond, Easts and UQ to come.