We’re just over a third of the way through the 2023 Shute Shield regular season and somehow the competition is even tighter than it was last year. 

As Tuesday and Thursday nights get colder and the season starts to get a little tougher, we caught up with each of the 12 Shute Shield coaches and asked them what they’ve learnt about their side and the competition in the opening seven rounds. 

Jayson Brewer – Southern Districts

“We’ve been in every game we have played and had two good wins over Gordon and Warringah where we played the full 80 minutes,” Brewer told Rugby News. 

“But we need to be more disciplined and patient when we get into the A-zone. Our ability to build scoreboard pressure has been a focus over the last few weeks. In most games we have been leading at the break, but our second half game management and execution hasn’t been where it needs to be. 

“We’re a whole new playing group across the top squad so we are still finding our combinations and connections.

“Our focus has been solely on us for each game and I truly believe we are building as a group. Our depth is being tested at the moment and different players are now getting opportunities up the grades to show us what they can do. 

“The next few weeks are pretty critical in terms of where we sit on the ladder and how we finish the back end of the competition.”

Sailosi Tagicakibau – Western Sydney

“I think we have improved in the areas that we focused on in the offseason and we’re scoring a lot more points compared to last season,” Tagicakibau told Rugby News. 

“All our matches have been tight but we need to be better to close out games. We have let ourselves down with some poor decisions in game changing moments. Then some 50/50 calls going against us hasn’t helped. 

“The positive is, we have claimed a bonus point in every game, except for one and we can push up the ladder pretty quickly if we get on top of that. The boys play for each other and enjoy each others’ company, they are here for the right reasons and are pushing each other to be better every session. 

“Even with our current position on the table, the boys still believe we are right in this.”

Steve Hoiles – Randwick 

“We’ve enjoyed the challenge that comes each week, it’s very even, this competition,” Hoiles told Rugby News. 

“We’ve challenged ourselves to defend  for long periods of time and to work hard for each other.”

Simon Kneebone – Eastern Suburbs

“After round seven, the comp looks as competitive as it was last year. Some teams are stamping their mark on the comp and performing really well,” Kneebone told Rugby News.

“At Easts, we are having our moments and we’ve played some pretty satisfactory rugby, but the challenge of injuries and player availability is something that will always disrupt continuity.

“There are a few teams who are obviously putting their hands up like Hunter, Gordon and Norths. That are setting the benchmark when it comes to how to play and how to grind out wins. Randwick are probably the dark horse in my eyes and I see them pushing deep into the season.

“There are challenges every week and the opposition are always up for a battle, which just shows what a great competition the Shute Shield is.”

Zak Beer – Northern Suburbs 

“Once again, it’s proving to be an even tighter Shute Shield than 2022. Teams that are able to maintain consistent high-performance week-in-week-out will find themselves at the pointy end of the ladder,” Beer told Rugby News. 

“Ultimately being able to keep your top 23 fit and healthy for the majority of the season will play a major factor.

“We knew the front-end of our draw would be tough with four away fixtures. Travelling to Sydney University, Coogee, Manly and Newcastle along with the Derby against Gordon at North Sydney Oval. 

“I think prior to last week at Newcastle, we were well positioned and it demonstrates the need to maintain consistency every week.

“At Norths, we’re focusing on ourselves and continuing to add layers to our game and evolving each week.”

Scott Coleman – Hunter

“I think we still have a lot of polish to put on top but we’ve got a solid platform to build from after the first seven rounds,” Coleman told Rugby News. 

“I really do believe that it’s an even tighter comp this season compared to last year, which is hard to imagine. It’ll be interesting to see what happens when Super Rugby is finished and how that impacts the competition. 

“But we can’t control that, we are just concentrating on ourselves to be honest.”

Billy Melrose – Gordon 

“What I’ve learnt so far is that there is possibly even greater competition this year than last year and that’s saying something. It’s incredibly tight and competitive and each week is a real test,” Melrose told Rugby News. 

“For us, we seem to have an aversion to having the ball for too long. That’s a big work-on for us, for sure.”

Mike Ruthven – Warringah

“There is a lot to be proud of my team. They are a spirited bunch of men who keep turning up and working hard to find a way to meet our expectations as a group,” Ruthven told Rugby News. 

“It’s my job to find the stimulus for them to achieve that.

“The competition has proved again to be incredibly tight and any team on their day are capable of a win.”

Damien Hill – Sydney Uni 

“As per last season, the competition is tight with anyone able to step up on the day,” Hill told Rugby News. 

“In regards to Sydney University, the first seven rounds have just reconfirmed the importance of conditioning, core skill and the impact of cohesion.”

Ben Batger – Eastwood 

“What we’ve learned about ourselves and the competition is that you’ve got to do the basics well,” Batger told Rugby News. 

“In the first few rounds, we were making basic mistakes and that contributed to our poor start. 

“Once we started to complete our set piece, not concede first-phase turnovers and make our tackles, we have started to win a few more games.

“Meanwhile teams like the Wildfires and Gordon have won their set piece, they play in the right areas and make minimal mistakes and that’s why they are on top after seven rounds.”

Cam Treloar – West Harbour

“We are fit and that’s something we worked really hard on during preseason,” Treloar told Rugby News. 

“We’ve finished with a lot of running in most games, now we need to back that up with skill execution to help close out tight matches.”

Chris DeLooze – Manly 

“We’ve learnt that anything can happen on any given day so preparation is key. Every competition point you can get is going to be extremely valuable in such a tight competition,” DeLooze told Rugby News.

“Overall, we’re really happy with the way the whole club has started the season. There’s healthy competition for spots which has resulted in some great results across the whole rugby programme.”