Will your team play finals footy this August? There’s a lot still up in the air with two rounds remaining in the Shute Shield regular season.

Just nine competition points seperate Eastwood in fourth and Western Sydney in 10th and a number of teams in the hunt for a finals berth face each other in the final rounds.

Here is each teams road to the 2022 Shute Shield finals.

1st) Northern Suburbs – 60 points: Western Sydney (H), Eastern Suburbs (H)

After winning five or their past six matches, Norths look set to finish in the top two and host either third or fourth in the opening week of the playoffs at North Sydney Oval. 

If the Shoremen can beat Western Sydney this weekend, Zak Beer might be tempted to rest players in the final round against Easts to freshen up before the playoffs.  

2nd) Sydney Uni – 57 points: West Harbour (H), Manly (A)

Like Norths, Uni should also secure a spot in the top two and a home semi final with a win in one of their remaining two matches. 

If they can beat West Harbour on Saturday, they’ll also likely rest players in the final round. 

3rd) Manly – 52 points: Gordon (A), Sydney Uni (H)

After leading the competition at the halfway point of the season, Manly have now lost four of their past five matches and likely given up a home semi final in week one in the process. 

If they can win their final two matches, they’ll need Uni to drop their remaining games to move into second spot. 

They could also potentially drop out of the top four and face an elimination semi final in the opening week of the finals if they can’t beat Gordon or Uni in the final rounds. 

4th) Eastwood – 47 points: Randwick (A), Western Sydney (A)

Here’s where it gets really interesting. Seven teams are battling for the final five playoff spots and just nine competition points separates fourth from 10th. 

Eastwood will play finals if they can win one of their final two matches but potentially will need to beat both Randwick and Western Sydney, two sides playing for their seasons, to book a spot in the top four and a second chance in the playoffs. 

5th) Warringah – 45 points: Southern Districts (H), West Harbour (A)

The Rats big win over Manly couldn’t have come at a better time. Warringah play the bottom two teams in the final two rounds, and while both Souths and West Harbour will put up a fight, you’d think the Rats should be able to win one of those two games and secure a finals berth. 

Two wins could also see them leapfrog Eastwood into the top four. 

6th) Randwick – 44 points: Eastwood (H), Southern Districts (H)

Randwick still have work to do and will need to beat both Eastwood and Southern Districts to guarantee a spot in the finals. 

Saturday’s clash against Eastwood at home is crucial. If they can’t beat the Woodies, they’ll face a do or die clash against a Southern Districts side with nothing to lose in the final round. 

7th) Gordon – 43 points: Manly (H), Hunter (H)

Gordon were belted by Easts last week and dropped their first match since round 10. Now they’ll need to beat Manly or Hunter to secure their finals berth. 

The Highlanders could finish anywhere from 5th to 8th or potentially miss the playoffs wit two losses. 

8th) Hunter – 42 points: Eastern Suburbs (A), Gordon (A)

Hunter control their own fate as they chase a maiden finals berth but face two tough clashes against Easts and Gordon in the final two rounds. One win may be enough to sneak into 7th or 8th, but two wins will guarantee finals footy. 

If Bubba Coleman’s team do play finals, they’ll well and truly deserve it. 

9th) Eastern Suburbs – 42 points: Hunter (H), Northern Suburbs (A)

If Easts sneak into the finals and play like they did against Gordon last week, Simon Kneebone will have timed his run to perfection. 

If they lose to Hunter this weekend and miss the finals, there will be a lot of questions to be asked. 

Easts may face an understrength Norths outfit in the final round, if Zak Beer’s side lock in their spot in the top two this weekend. 

10th) Western Sydney – 38 points: Northern Suburbs (A), Eastwood (H)

Western Sydney have been the big improvers of the 2022 season but still face a monumental task to return to the playoffs. 

The Two Blues will need to win their final two matches against Norths and Eastwood. It’s not impossible but it certainly won’t be easy. 

11th) West Harbour – 24 points: Sydney Uni (A), Warrringah (H)

Can West Harbour continue to spoil the finals plans of the teams above them on the ladder? Based on the Pirates’ form in recent weeks, I wouldn’t put it past them. 

Jack Debrezceni’s return has sparked a big turnaround for West Harbour, who will also be eager to send off retiring coach Joe Barakat a winner. 

12th) Southern Districts – 21 points: Warringah (A), Randwick (A)

Souths’ season hasn’t gone to plan but they have shown signs of improvement in recent weeks. The Rebels won’t be easy beats in the final two rounds and will already be preparing for their ‘grand final’ against Randwick at Coogee Oval in the final round.  

There’s nothing a success starved Southern Districts’ fan would love more then to ruin the finals hopes of their rival.