Shute Shield: Round 10 Wrap Up
Warringah upstage Manly in another classic derby
A 75th minute conversion from near the sideline by Hamish Angus was enough to hand Warringah their first win at Manly Oval since 2007. In another classic derby, Manly took the lead midway through the second half after a James Hitlerbrand try and three first half penalty goals, but Warringah continue to fight and hit back through an impressive driving maul. Angus’ conversion put the Rats ahead 17-16 in the closing stages before the visitors defence held strong. While Manly remain in first spot, seven points clear of Eastwood in second, the result proves Warringah can match it with the best this year and should be in the mix at the pointy end of the season.
Gordon stun Norths on Ladies Day
Gordon caused the biggest upset of the weekend, handing neighbours Norths their fourth loss in a row. In front of a vocal Chatswood Oval crowd, a hat trick to Highlanders winger Paula Balekana proved the difference as Gordon overcame a 13 point deficit and scored twice late to secure the one point win. After a few lean years, the importance of this victory shouldn’t be understated for a club showing great signs of improvement both on and off the field. Norths now drop to fifth spot and will need to turn things around quickly heading into matches against Penrith, Manly, Sydney Uni and Souths in the next month.
Eastwood show class again Students
Eastwood have once again proven that they’re the real deal this year with another impressive win, this time beating Sydney Uni 29-15. The Woodies were brilliant in the first half and scored three tries to take a 22-5 lead to the break. While Sydney Uni scored twice in the second half, they were no match for Eastwood at TG Millner, where the second placed Woodies will play four of their final five regular season matches this year. The Students slip out of the top six after the loss and now have a 5-5 record after 10 rounds.
Randwick brilliant but Penrith show fight
The Galloping Greens were at their attacking best at Coogee Oval on Saturday, scoring 11 tries in a 71-26 win over Penrith. Randwick winger Latu Latunipulu scored four tries, while Reece Robinson bagged a double in his first match in the No.15 jersey. While Penrith coach Julian Huxley will be disappointed with his side’s defence, the Emus continue to show they know their way to the try line and picked up another four try bonus point.
Easts strike late to beat Pirates
Just a week after letting a big lead slip against Warringah, Easts scored five unanswered tries to claim a much-needed 38-31 victory over West Harbour. The Pirates were dominant early and led 28-7 before Easts’ attack clicked and the Beasties ran riot at Concord Oval. Easts are now just one win outside of the top six, while West Harbour sit in 10th spot with a 3-7 record.
Souths too good for Two Blues
Southern Districts returned to the winner’s circle with a comfortable 59-24 win over Parramatta at Forshaw. Fullback Jamie Verran scored a hat trick for the home side in his return to the top grade as Souths ran in nine tries to take maximum points from the match. David Lolohea scored a double for the Two Blues in what was a disappointing afternoon for the visitors.
Shute Shield Round 10 Results:
Manly 16 (Tries: Hilterbrand; Cons: Lane; Pen Cons: Lane 3) defeated by Warringah 17 (Tries: Ale, Kelly; Cons: Angus 2; Pen Cons: Angus; Yellow Card: Jones)
Gordon 38 (Tries: Freeman, Balekana 3, Nurse, Moli; Cons: Hayter 2, Toeta 2; Yellow Cards: Fraser, Maguire) defeated Northern Suburbs 37 (Tries: Creagh, Burey, Lealofi, Penalty Try; Cons: Sinclair 3; Pen Cons: Sinclair 3)
Eastwood 29 (Tries: Campbell, Windon, Lagudi, Gonzalez; Cons: Hill 3; Pen Cons: Hill; Yellow Cards: Kovacic, Bird, Windon) defeated Sydney University 15 (Tries: Wainwright, Kingston, Fainga’a)
Randwick 71 (Tries: Kellaway, Latunipulu 4, Robinson 2, Stoltz, Hoiles, Rakic, Pennington; Cons: Deegan 5, Anderson 3) defeated Penrith 26 (Tries: Bera, Hifo, Piukala, Sosaiete; Cons: Faiva 3)
West Harbour 31 (Tries: Marsters, Adams, Sullivan, Cotton; Cons: Adams 4; Pen Cons: Adams; Yellow Card: Drury-Hawkins) defeated by Eastern Suburbs 38 (Tries: Fenton, T. Pincus, Moore, J. Pincus, Longwell, Penalty Try; Cons: T. Pincus 3; Yellow Card: Buchanan)
Southern Districts 59 (Tries: Asquith, Paenga-Amosa, Pilz, Connolly, Verran 3, Hemopo, Latunipulu; Cons: Saifoloi 5, Asquith 2) defeated Parramatta 24 (Tries: Lolohea 2, Hayward, Duff; Cons: Graham, Leatigaga)