By MARK CASHMAN

The Shute Shield finals are with us after a season of great highlights and even greater hurdles.

On Saturday Northern Suburbs will play Sydney Uni and minor premiers Gordon will take on Randwick in a big double headers at Pittwater Rugby Park.

On Sunday form team Eastern Suburbs will play Eastwood also at Pittwater.

Here’s what all the coaches had to say about the ins and outs of the first week of finals.

Saturday, October 17

NORTHERN SUBURBS (3) V SYDNEY UNI (4) at Pittwater Rugby Park

Sydney Uni coach Michael Hodge believes that they will take a far more disciplined Northern Suburbs side when the Shute Shield finals series kicks off on Saturday.

When these two teams met in Round 12 at Camperdown, referee Amy Perrett went to the pocket three times as Norths copped yellow cards and were bashed up well and truly at scrum time. 

That meant that Norths were short handed for 30 minutes of that October 3 clash and it’s something that is unlikely to happen this time around.

Both teams look very similar to the ones that ran out on October 3 with Uni going with the same Super Rugby standard front row and welcoming the return of Josh Kemeny to their back row after he sat out their last round win over the Two Blues.

“Whilst both teams are very similar on paper, we’re expecting a more disciplined Norths side from our round 12 clash,” Hodge said.

“We’ve been building nicely over the last three weeks and will need to be at our best as we take on the expansive and well-drilled Northern Suburbs. 

“They’ll be comfortable, playing out of Rat Park this season, and I dare say may have the crowd on their side. 

“We’ll certainly be trying to stamp our ascendancy up front, but it’ll be a much more free flowing match than the first time around.”

Norths, with North Sydney Oval out of bounds during the pandemic, have played out of Rat Park and have won all their games bar the one against Warringah last weekend.

Norths have brought German Haeffeli back into their front row for this game and Heinrich Brendel will again have a major presence in the back row.

Cam Clark is again missing from the Norths backline after his head knock in Round 12 and Kepu Lokotui will again step up.

But as Norths coach Earl Va’a has said the key to the game is making sure that they lock down their scrum and play some footy.

“We’re going to need to be disciplined and keep 15 on the field for the full 80 minutes,” coach Va’a said.

“That said we are going to have to compete well at scrum time. We want to deliver good ball to our backs on our feed and have a crack at disrupting their possession on their feed.

“That’s going to be story of this game for sure.

“Training has gone well this week and the players know that it’s do or die and everyone is fighting to stay alive for another week.”

NORTHERN SUBURBS (1-15): 

German Haeffeli, James Margan, Dewald Dekker, Dave Henaway, Declan Carroll, Brad Hemopo, Heinrich Brendel, Hugh Sinclair, Nick Duffy, Angus Sinclair, Reece Mau’u, Harry Burey, Nathan Russell, Kepu Lokotui, Max Burey.

SYDNEY UNI (1-15):

Tom Robertson, Declan Moore, Chris Talaki, Oliver Atkins, Ratu Rotuisolia, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Josh Kemeny, Rohan O’Regan, Theo Strang, Stu Dunbar, James Armstrong, Will McDonnell, Henry Clunies-Ross, Matthew Hood, Tim Clements.

GORDON (1) V RANDWICK (6) at Pittwater Rugby Park

There would have been some frank and earnest conversation this week at Latham Park as Randwick prepared to take on minor premiers Gordon in the first week of Shute Shield finals on Saturday.

The Galloping Greens leaked 81 points against Eastern Suburbs last weekend at Woollahra Oval and if you were framing a betting market for the first week of finals you would have them at triple figure odds to be alive after this weekend.

“There are no magic potions mate but you will see a different attitude towards the collision against Gordon,” Randwick coach Ben McCormack said.

“Last week we desperately chased tries when we were behind, which was why the score blew out. 

“We didn’t focus on stemming the bleeding first. I don’t think you’ll ever see a repeat of that from this group. 

“Gordon deserve to be heavy favourites – they’ve assembled a very talented group of players and have been delivering a well-designed game plan. 

“So we’ll need to take them away from their structured set plays and get them deep into some multiphase footy where they won’t be so comfortable.”

And to add what was unsaid by McCormack, make those first up tackles from minute one right through until minute 80.

The only changes that the Wicks have made to their starting XV is the return of Mitch Short at scrum half and Maurice Longbottom at fullback.

That will add experience and some speed and unpredictability at the back.

Gordon will be missing their hooker/backrower Mahe Vailanu who was blue carded in the game against Eastwood last weekend.

But there is depth at the Highlanders and they will have Wallaby Jack Dempsey in the run on side.

“Not having Mahe of course is a loss. He’s been close to if not our best over the course of the season,” Gordon coach Darren Coleman said.

 “But we’ve dealt with injuries and rotations all season. We have a deep squad. 

“Brendan Mitchell comes in who has been a big part of our last two years and expecting Jack Dempsey after his first start last week to assimilate better this week and show his class.

 “Being minor premiers carries some sort of favouritism but we are under no under illusions as to how good Randwick will be. 

“They have strike power right thru their backline, a lineout that is close to best in comp and a scrum that dominated us last start and not that long ago they were comp favourites.

“Our challenge will be matching their energy and desperation – a team trying to restore pride and play for their survival will be desperate.”

GORDON (1-15): 

Brandon Faavae-Eli, Robbie Abel, Charlie Abel, Jack Margin, Brendan Mitchell, Jack Dempsey/James Lough, Tom Silk, Jordy Goddard (c), Harrison Goddard, Rod Iona, Ahmu Tuimalealifano, Joey Walton, Tautalatasi Tasi, Oli Smeallie, Reece MacDonald.

RANDWICK (1-15):

Jake Turnbull, Dave Vea, George Hendry, Nathan Den Hoedt, Tom Nowlan, Tom Piroddi, Christian Poidevin, Jeral Skleton, Mitch Short, Ben Donaldson, Brooklyn Hardaker, Dave Horwitz, Triston Reilly, Locky Miller, Maurice Longbottom.

Sunday October 18

EASTERN SUBURBS (2) V EASTWOOD (5) at Pittwater Rugby Park

There are bigger names in the Eastern Suburbs Shute Shield side that launches its finals campaign against Eastwood on Sunday but none more vital to the Beasties than skipper and scrum half Jack Grant.

Rob Leota, Alex Newsome and Lalaki Foketi to name a few, but Grant has been the quiet achiever of the star-studded Easts side that has gone eight rounds of the premiership without a loss and coach Pauli Taumoepeau says he has found his groove.

“Jack has been great down the stretch leading into the finals,” Taumoepeau said.

“He’s developing as a leader and as our captain. I’ve seen him grown from strength to strength as he navigates his way through the season with the added leadership role.

“He’s certainly found his groove.”

When the Beasties’ rep players came back into the group at the end of Super Rugby AU, Taumoepeau called on his “regulars” to show the way to the “new boys”.

That is something that he has done well marshalling the big Easts pack and making sure that the ball is spread when the time is appropriate.

There will be no surprises from Easts on the weekend – they will try and command the middle of the field with their large bodied back row and then push the ball wide when they have earned the right to.

Taumoepeau says that last weekend’s huge win over Randwick will play no role in what transpires on Sunday.

“I don’t think a win or a loss last week will play any role in what happens this weekend,” he added.

“Eastwood are a well balanced side. They have big powerful ball carriers with enough strike to catch you should you start to defend too narrow. 

“They lead the league in most clean breaks and carries per game. 

“We have three weeks of sudden death football now which is very exciting and a great challenge for us as a group.”

Eastwood coach Ben Batger believes Easts should be heavily favoured to win this game but argues that finals footy is a vastly different beast.

“You’ve got to say that Easts are the form side of the competition and with a host a Super Rugby players and a long winning streak they are the competition favourites,” Batger said.

“The key to us winning is about doing the basics and taking opportunities. 

“Finals football isn’t about flashy moves or players it’s about working hard for each other, controlling what you can control and execution of basic football skills better than the opposition.

EASTERN SUBURBS (1-15):

Vunipola Fifita, Lindsey Stevens/Moli Sooaemalelagi, Archer Holz, Ryan McCauley, Jack Digby, Dean Oakman-Hunt, Charlie Gamble, Rob Leota, Jack Grant (c), Cohan Guerra, Henry Paterson, Lalaki Foketi, Alex Newsome, Richie Woolf, Dan Donato.

EASTWOOD (1-15):

Jed Gillespie, Ed Craig, Rhys Sheriff, Tim Anstee, Charles Granger, Ratu Tuisese, Tom Murphy, Pat Sio, Matt Gonzalez, Tane Edmed, Fabian Goodall, Enoka Muliufi, Devan Stoltz, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Chris Bell.

IMAGE: AJF PHOTOGRAPHY