As of last Saturday, we’re less than a month out from the opening round of the 2024 Shute Shield season and from the sounds of it, the players are desperate to get on the park after long, tough summers around Sydney and the Hunter.

Rugby News has been hard at work talking to players and coaches over recent weeks. Here’s what we know four weeks out from round one.

The jury is out on the new tackle laws

Rugby Australia has started a two year trial, reducing the legal tackle height to below the sternum, in the hope of reducing head contact and there are a variety of views as to the impact the new laws will have.

Some coaches have spent all summer designing new game plans on both sides of the ball in an attempt to benefit from the changes.