This article originally appeared in Tah Time, the Waratahs official matchday programme. 

By Paul Cook

The battle for the top six places in this year’s Intrust Super Shute Shield looks likely to go down to the final weekend of the regular season, as the unpredictable nature of the competition continues. With 11 of the 18 rounds behind them, you can still throw a blanket over three-quarters of the competing sides.

In round 10, previous front-runners Randwick went down to eighth-placed Northern Suburbs, leaving the door open for Sydney University to open up a three-point gap at the top with a win at Parramatta. But the Students were pushed to the wire by a Two Blues side sitting 10th, only edging home 14-9 in yet another example of how precious little there is between the teams.

Last week, seventh placed Warringah held defending premiers Eastwood to a 30-30 draw.

For a club like Warringah, who have manoeuvred themselves into contention in recent seasons with successive fourth and fifth place finishes, only to go out in week one of the finals, the race for the top six this time around looms as a much tougher proposition. They are handily placed in seventh, but should they go on to make the cut once again, coach Greg Marr has no fears.

“I honestly believe that this year, if you get six teams hitting the finals that are fit and raring to go and at full strength, you couldn’t predict a winner. There isn’t a team that you wouldn’t want to face because you don’t think you can beat them. People are beating everybody and nobody is a sure bet anymore. We beat Easts, we lost to Norths, we beat Randwick, we lost to Manly – it would be nice to have two wins in a row!”

Traditionally a side that like to throw the ball around, the Rats’ Achilles heel in recent years has been up front. But the tables have turned this year, the backs conjuring up fewer points than usual while the forwards go from strength to strength.

“The scrum has improved a lot,” says Marr. “Young George Amosa has come up from our Melbourne academy to play tighthead and he’s played really well, and we’ve got Wayne Borsak back from a stint playing in Spain who can come on and add plenty too, which is a bit of a luxury for us. Our best and fairest last year, Rory O’Connor, spent the off-season in Munster’s academy in Ireland and he’s returned as an improved player, and then you’ve got Luke Holmes, a hard and smart older head at hooker, so it’s a good mix.”

Marrying that improved set-piece platform with the talents behind them is the key – a record of six wins, four losses and a draw an indication of Marr’s frustration.

There are mitigating factors of course, the loss of fullback Dave Feltscheer for the season through injury and star scrumhalf Josh Holmes’ graduation to the Aussie Sevens program have been keenly felt – “two first grade stalwarts who provide plenty of points” observes Marr.

Michael Adams, Ben Adams and Brad Dixon have also had extended absences on the physio table while No.8 Sam Ward has been getting a taste of professional footy in Italy.

But the talismanic Ward returned to the Rats fold a fortnight ago and played the full 80 minutes in a 42-35 victory at West Harbour; Dixon started his first first grade game since the beginning of last year, Michael Adams got through 80 minutes of second grade and Holmes returned for the Rats last week against Eastwood.

With seven rounds to go, the cards seem to be falling nicely into place.

“It’s a good time of the season to be getting these guys back and once we can get a settled combination that can last together for three or four games, maybe we’ll have a chance to build some momentum. I’m only looking one week ahead but if we can keep improving, we’re going to be okay. I’m confident and I’ll be very, very disappointed if we don’t make the finals.”