by Paul Cook –

Last weekend’s weather affected round 12 has put a slightly false appearance on the competition ladder, and put some undue pressure on the six sides involved in the three postponed games to play catch-up on those teams who picked up a win in the rain.

Randwick have to back up from tomorrow’s derby with Eastern Suburbs with a game against Parramatta on Monday afternoon, while the Beasties travel to Manly – who face the Two Blues on Saturday – on Tuesday night. Southern Districts also have only three days to ice themselves from what should be a titanic tussle with Eastwood tomorrow before taking on West Harbour, who will travel down to Forshaw Park on Tuesday evening after visiting Gordon.

Those delayed matches also mean that the latest list of try-scorers and points-machines is waiting for the stagger to unwind, with a handful of players one game ahead of their nearest challengers. But who is ploughing ahead in the consumption of five-point meat pies, and who is dissecting the uprights with laser precision?

Photos: AJF Photography / Karen Watson Photography / Eastern Suburbs / Serge Gonzalez

Well, there still seems to be no stopping Sydney Uni’s Jake Gordon in terms of crossing the white line, the halfback extending his lead in recent weeks to head the rest of the field by two with 11 tries to his name. He’s the king of the brace, having scored four doubles as he got himself on the scoreboard in seven of the Students 12 matches.

Behind Gordon, you could throw a blanket over the chasers. Matt Teki (Souths), Archie King (Easts) and Michael McDougall (Eastwood) all share second spot with nine tries, Teki’s five-try haul off the bench at Penrith in round 10 overtaking Christian Kagiassis’ four try effort for Uni against Easts as the best individual effort of the season.

They are followed by another trio of lethal finishers on eight tries – Manly duo Richard Hooper and Josh Turner, joined by another Student in Matt Narracott. One behind them it’s another Marlin, Tom Chesters, who sits alongside Warringah’s Harry Jones and Eastwood flyer Jarome MacKenzie on seven, and it’s seven players who are sitting on the half-dozen – Dennis Pili-Gaitau (Manly), Cohen Masson (Eastwood), Irae Simone (Northern Suburbs), Luke Smart (Southern Districts), Liam Windon (West Harbour), David Lolohea (Parramatta) and Nick Kellaway (Randwick).

Photos: AJF Photography / Eastern Suburbs / Karen Watson Photography

In the hunt for the Roscoe Fay Trophy as the Shute Shield’s leading points scorer, it is Sydney Uni leading the way again with Angus Roberts out on his own on 146pts. Tucked in behind on 129pts is Easts’ flyhalf Archie King, backing up his impressive haul of tries with some accurate work off the boot, and then comes Souths free-scoring winger Matt Teki, that 27pt haul at the foot of the mountains against the Emus helping him into third spot on 128pts. The fact that wasn’t enough to earn him a starting spot a week later, is a pretty solid indication of the strength-in-depth down at the Rebels this year.

Randwick’s young playmaker Andrew Deegan is the next cab off the rank with 123pts, followed by West Harbour’s impressive no.10, Tyler Adams, on 120pts. And it’s the no.10 jersey all the way behind them too with Eastwood’s Jai Ayoub (109pts), Manly’s Sam Lane (107pts) and Warringah’s Hamish Angus (96pts) rounding out the rest of the likely challengers. You can read all about Angus’ exploits this season and that of his beloved Rats with this in-depth chat.

Here’s to another weekend (and midweek!) of sharp-shooting and tries galore!

Round 9 Most Tries:
3 – Liam Windon (West Harbour)

Round 9 Most Points:
15 – Liam Windon (West Harbour)

Round 10 Most Tries:
5 – Matt Teki (Southern Districts)

Round 10 Most Points:
27 – Matt Teki (Southern Districts)

Round 11 Most Tries:
3 – Josh Minhinnick (Parramatta)

Round 11 Most Points:
19 – Angus Roberts (Sydney University) & Sam Lane (Manly)

Round 12 Most Tries:
2 – Manessah Alaga (Warringah)

Round 12 Most Points:
10 – Manessah Alaga (Warringah)

Most Tries in a Single Game in 2016:
5 – Matt Teki for Southern Districts against Penrith in Round Ten

Most Points in a Single Game in 2016:
30 – Christian Kagiassis (Sydney University) against Eastern Suburbs – Round Four