We’re now just four Saturday’s away from the opening round of the 2023 Shute Shield season and we thought we’d take a look at where each team is heading over the opening month. 

To get a better look at each side’s start to the season, we’ve ranked all club’s based on their final position in 2022, with Sydney Uni ranked 1 and Southern Districts ranked 12. 

The team with the lowest total score, has the hardest start to the season based on last year’s results. 

While this doesn’t take into account home and away matches or 2023 form, it does give a decent indication of how important the opening rounds will be for each side. 

Rankings: 

1) Sydney Uni 

2) Gordon 

3*) Eastwood 

3*) Northern Suburbs 

5*) Manly 

5*) Randwick

7*) Eastern Suburbs

7*) Warringah

9) Hunter

10) Western Sydney

11) West Harbour

12) Southern Districts

Rounds 1-4: Toughest to easiest draws based on 2022 results

Western Sydney: West Harbour (A), Gordon (H), Eastwood (A), Sydney Uni (H) – 17 points

The Two Blues were good in their trial against the Tahs last Saturday and they’ll need to be in a seriously tough opening month. After a local derby at the new Concord Oval, Western Sydney face three teams from last year’s top three on the trot. 

Warringah: Randwick (H), Sydney Uni (H), Gordon (A), Southern Districts (A) – 20 points

Warringah play Randwick and Sydney Uni in the opening fortnight but fortunately both those games are at Rat Park.

They then travel to play Gordon before crossing Sydney to face Souths in a difficult start to the year.

Hunter: Manly (H), Randwick (H), Sydney Uni (A), West Harbour (H) – 22 points

Hunter also benefit from two home games first up but they’ll meet two teams from last year’s finals. They then travel to play Sydney Uni before hosting West Harbour. Bubba Coleman’s men will need to start well. 

Manly: Hunter (A), Eastwood (A), Eastern Suburbs (H), Northern Suburbs (H) – 22 points

On the other side of the spectrum, Manly are away until round three and will want to beat either Hunter or Eastwood on the road before tough clashes at home against Easts and Norths. 

Northern Suburbs: Sydney Uni (H), Southern Districts (H), Randwick (A), Manly (A) – 23 points

Norths open their season against the defending premiers at home. They’ll then want to beat Souths a week later ahead of tough road trips to Randwick and Manly. 

Southern Districts: Gordon (H), Northern Suburbs (A), West Harbour (A), Warringah (H) – 23 points

If Souths want to move up the ladder this season, they’ll need to start well and fortunately they’ve got some winnable games in the opening month. While their opening two rounds are tough against Gordon and Norths, they then face West Harbour before hosting a Warringah side coming off a long drive south. 

Eastern Suburbs: Eastwood (H), West Harbour (H), Manly (A), Randwick (A) – 24 points

The Beasties face Eastwood and West Harbour first up at home and if they can start the year well, they could take form into away clashes against Manly and the local derby against Randwick

Eastwood: Eastern Suburbs (A), Manly (H), Western Sydney (H), Gordon (A) – 24 points

The result from Eastwood’s opening round clash against Easts seems like it could be a flip of a coin. After that, they get back to back games at home, where the Woodies are always tough to beat, before travelling to play Gordon

Randwick: Warringah (A), Hunter (A), Northern Suburbs (H), Eastern Suburbs (H) – 26 points

Randwick’s draw looks far tougher than the numbers suggest. Road trips to play the Rats and Hunter won’t be easy. They then host Norths before the local derby against Easts.

Sydney Uni: Northern Suburbs (A), Warringah (A), Hunter (H), Western Sydney (A) – 29 points

If Uni can beat Norths in the opening round, the defending premiers will like their chances of finishing the opening month towards the top end of the ladder. 

Gordon: Southern Districts (A), Western Sydney (A), Warringah (H), Eastwood (H) – 32 points

Similar to Randwick, Gordon’s draw looks tougher than the numbers suggest.

If the Stags start the year as slow as they did in 2022 and drop a game against either Souths or the Two Blues, then they’ll need to beat Warringah or Eastwood at home to finish the opening month in the top half of the ladder. 

West Harbour: Western Sydney (H), Eastern Suburbs (A), Southern Districts (H), Hunter (A) – 38 points

West Harbour have an ideal opportunity to build confidence early in the year. Clashes against the Two Blues, Souths and Hunter are all matches they’d think they can win.