A local derby, a rematch of last year’s preliminary final and a clash between two teams with a bitter taste in their mouths after ending 2017 prematurely.

All that and more in round three Shute Shield action this weekend.

Gordon v Penrith

Gordon produced their second poor performance in as many weeks and were beaten comfortably by Easts last weekend, but coach Mark Philp is confident his side is on the right track.

“Our new defensive system is still a work in progress. To say its frustrating is an understatement but I think when it clicks, we’ll be very competitive.

“We’ve got a lot of new faces in a very young team and I think it’s just taking a little longer than we would have liked initially.”

Although it’s only round three, Saturday’s clash against Penrith is almost a must win for the Highlanders and Philp said his side won’t be taking the Emus lightly.

“They’re a very physical team and I think they would have targeted this match as one they think they can win. Obviously we’re wary but we’re confident that if we play to our potential, we’ll get the win.”

Penrith were also disappointing against Sydney Uni last weekend and are eager to bounce back against Gordon.

“We certainly had our moments against Uni and played some good rugby, but at this level those moments need to be prolonged and productive,” Emus coach Chip Carroll said.

“Gordon pose an equally challenging assignment though, simply because they’re obviously in a similar rebuilding phase to us and they’ll be desperate to avoid being beaten.”

Northern Suburbs v Eastwood

After opening the season with wins against last year’s premiers and minor premiers, Shannon Fraser seems to be fairly pleased with his decision to cross the bridge and join Northern Suburbs.

“Irrespective of the results, I’ve been generally pleased with our application in the effort areas of the game. We’ve still got a long way to go, but the early signs are encouraging,” he said.

Waratahs lock Nick Palmer hasn’t been named after earning a recall to the Waratahs side to play on Friday night, but both he and Will Miller could end up back at North Sydney Oval if they don’t play many minutes off the bench against the Lions.

Both inclusions could have a big impact ahead of Saturday’s rematch of last year’s preliminary final.

“Eastwood are coming off a good win and they’ll bring plenty of emotion and energy,” Fraser added.

“We know that to get on top of them, we’ll need to stop their powerful ball carriers from gaining momentum.”

Eastwood claimed their first win of the season against Parramatta last week but are still a work in progress according to assistant coach Ben Batger, something the club isn’t too worried about.

“We’ve started the season a little slow and we’re probably not where we want to be but it’s a long year and you certainly don’t want to be playing your best football now.

Jackson Bird will start at flyhalf in place of Jai Ayoub for the second straight week, while backrower George Kent also returns to the starting side ahead of Saturday clash against arguably the form side of the competition.

“Norths seem to play their style of rugby really well. They are hard on the ball from 1-15 and are really well disciplined at sticking to their game plan and structure,” Batger said.

“You have to be willing to compete for 80 minutes and I think the battle at the breakdown will probably determine who wins and who loses.”

Southern Districts v Manly

Southern Districts produced a “mixed performance” last weekend according to Marr Barr in a disappointing 33-26 loss to West Harbour at Concord Oval.

“When we held on to the ball and got into our shape, we converted into points, but we struggled to get out of our own half and turned over far too much ball, particularly in and around West Harbour’s 22,” Barr told Rugby News.

“You can’t provide that much ball to a team that carries so well across the park and expect to win.”

The Rebels welcome back winger Luke Smart and centre Will Latu for Saturday’s clash, while Barr has shifted recruit Christian Kagiassis to flyhalf to replace unavailable Australian U20s playmaker Bayley Kuenzle.

“Christian came to Souths looking for opportunities to play and develop his game closer in. He’s spent time during preseason and in round one at No.10 and looked really comfortable so I’m confident he’ll organise the team well and relish the opportunity.”

Manly also fell short in round two, losing to Norths 25-21 in a seesawing battle at Manly Oval.

“They just seized a couple of key moments in the game,” Marlins coach Billy Melrose said.

“It’s about being disciplined under extreme pressure and that is something we are always trying to work on.”

Melrose has made one change to his side, with English lock Sam Shires set to start and add more size to the big Marlins forward pack.

“Souths have been a top team for a number of years now. It’s always a strong physical contest and we’ll need to be at our best.”

Warringah v Parramatta

The defending premiers claimed their first win of the season last weekend, with a comprehensive and clinical victory over Randwick.

“We reduced our error rate significantly on round one and that was pleasing,” Warringah coach Darren Coleman said.

“We were a lot more physical and consistent in defence and we were able to set a platform off that, cause errors and then attack on turnover ball.”

Coleman has made a number of changes to his side as he looks to build combinations early in the season, with Rory O’Connor, Jack Tomkins and Max Girdler all returning to the Rats starting pack and Sailosi Tagicakibau set to start at No.12.

While Coleman said he was wary of Parramatta’s unpredictable nature, Two Blues assistant coach Riley Carter said he’s more worried about his side’s start to the match, after being blown away early in the opening two rounds.

“For Parramatta to be where we need to be in this competition, we need to be the benchmark for physicality and we’ve missed the mark in the first two weeks,” he said.

Despite that, Carter is confident his side can turn things around after a slow start to the season.

“We have a very strong group that all want to be a part of turning the club around and I’m looking forward to seeing how we respond to the challenge this weekend.”

“We’ve worked hard this week around the contact zone and the breakdown and they’re areas we’ll need to be strong at against the defending premiers.”

Sydney Uni v West Harbour 

Sydney Uni are sitting pretty at the top of the Shute Shield ladder after two bonus point victories over Parramatta and Penrith to start the year.

The Students face their first big test of the season when they face a West Harbour side that they’ve struggled against in recent times.

“The Pirates are a strong team and they’re extremely well coached,” New Uni coach Rob Taylor told Rugby News.

“They’ve beat us more than we’ve beat them over the last few years while I’ve been at the club.”

The Students are expected to be without Tolu Latu and Brad Wilkin for Saturday’s clash and while they’ll still start as favourites, Taylor knows his side will have their work cut out for them.

“We’re expecting it all. They’ve got a good running game and a good kicking game. Our ability to adapt and be precise will be important in attack and defence.”

After a disappointing opening round loss to Easts, West Harbour ambushed Southern Districts in their first home game of the season and will take plenty of confidence into Saturday’s clash against Sydney Uni.

Todd Louden has made just one change to his side with Kawa Leauma replacing Paula Kaho at lock.

New flyhalf Sam Malcolm continues to impress in his first Shute Shield season and added 13 points with the boot against the Rebels.

Randwick v Eastern Suburbs

When Owen Finegan was playing for Randwick back in the 90s, the Galloping Greens rivalry with Easts was just about as fierce as they come, something the former Wallaby certainly hasn’t forgotten.

“It’s the first thing that every player, fan or member looks for when the draw comes out each year. There is plenty of tradition between the two clubs,” Finegan said democratically.

After a strong opening round win over Gordon, Randwick were no match for Warringah at Rat Park in round two and leaked 46 points in an uncharacteristic performance.

“We just made far too many unforced errors and missed 33 tackles. Any side is going to hurt you when you play like that, let alone the defending premiers.”

“Easts have really good depth this year, they’ve got a solid set piece and Mack Mason is steering the team really well at the moment,” Finegan added.

Easts haven’t beaten Randwick since 2013 and although the Beasties appear to be one of the form teams at this point of the season, coach Pauli Taumoepeau was quick to claim underdog status heading into Saturday’s derby.

“We’ve lost our last nine matches to Randwick so I’m not sure if we can take the favourite tag. It has absolutely no bearing on how we prepare for the game though and it certainly hasn’t been mentioned.”

While Taumoepeau has been impressed with his side so far this year, he still thinks they have a long way to go.

“I think we still lack that killer instinct in the back end of games a little, we’re still a little weak in our execution in those “championship minutes.”

“On the positive side though, I’ve learnt that the boys certainly aren’t afraid to do the dirty work.”

Photo: JB Photography