Click here to see all 12 Shute Shield side's road to the playoffs

The race to the Shute Shield playoffs is going to be extremely tight.

Just four competition points seperate Norths at the top of the ladder and Manly in fourth. Below the Marlins, just five competition points seperate Eastwood in fifth and Western Sydney in eighth.

With the top six teams qualifying for the playoffs, here are a few matches to keep and eye on in the final weeks of the regular season.

As a reminder, the first week of the finals is structured as follows: 1 v 6, 2 v 5, 3 v 4 with the lowest two ranked losers eliminated ahead of the semi finals.

Round 13: Eastwood v Gordon

Saturday’s clash between the Woodies and Stags at TG Millner could define both side’s seasons. It’s a big call, but both Eastwood and Gordon are coming off disappointing performances and both finish the season with three consecutive matches against sides in the finals race.

A win on Saturday will go a long way to securing more August rugby for one of the two teams mentioned above.

Round 14: Norths v Randwick