By SAM RYAN

The 2020 Shute Shield season has been like no other.

We welcomed back Newcastle and Penrith into a 13-team competition, kicked off in mid-July after the longest pre-season on record and will crown a champion on the final day in October, when most of us are used to being on a beach or watching horses lose by a nose in Melbourne.

But despite all that, the rugby has been nothing short of brilliant and with three weeks remaining, we’re left with six teams who would all fancy their chances of celebrating at Leichhardt Oval on October 31.

Gordon have been the form team all season, dropping just one match to Norths in a brutal local derby in Round 10.

But behind the Stags, just six competition points and just one loss separates the next five challengers as we headed into Week One of the finals.

In short, it’s anyone’s title at this point and you won’t have to look far to find a punter convinced that their side will and should win the premiership in two weeks time.