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 as well, 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. 

Other coaches believe the impact has been overhyped while others admit they are going to wait and see how the first few rounds are refereed before they move one way or the other. 

In short, expect a lot of penalties in the early rounds but hopefully a more open, free flowing competition by the midway point of the season. 

Depth is key

After watching Randwick win three of four grade premierships last year, most clubs have realised that depth is key to Shute Shield success. 

While in previous seasons, clubs recruiting players have chased quality over quantity, the trend this year seems to be player numbers. 

A lot of the first grade coaches also seem to be keeping a closer eye on their club’s second grade and first grade colts sides in the hope of finding players to fill holes when injuries hit throughout the season. 

New coaches have been busy on the recruitment front 

There are six new first grade coaches leading Shute Shield teams this year and a few have immediately looked to make the first grade squad their own. 

Warringah, Gordon and Easts have all been particularly active on the recruitment front, under new coaches Josh Holmes, Harry Fehily and Ben Batger respectively. 

Warringah and Easts both missed the finals last year, so recruitment is understandable. While Gordon lost a few of their better players to Super Rugby and retirement.  

Keep an eye out for UK and Irish imports

After watching the impact Irish lock Cormac Daly had at Randwick last year, a number of clubs have looked to the Northern Hemisphere to add to their squads this season. 

The stature of the Shute Shield continues to rise around World Rugby, which is helping recruitment, as is the case study of Daly. 

After arriving in Sydney, the big lock won a premiership in his first season and picked up a Super Rugby contract on the back of his strong form.

This seems like a trend that is going to continue. 

Changes to the Great Britain Sevens program, with England, Wales and Scotland merging to form one Great Britain side ahead of this year’s Olympics, has also left a lot of talented players without a contract and looking for an opportunity. 

It’s going to be bloody tight, again

It seems like we say the same thing year on year, but this year’s Shute Shield is going to be even tighter again than it was in 2023. 

It’s hard to see any of last year’s finals teams – Randwick, Norths, Eastwood, Manly, Gordon and Hunter – declining dramatically. 

You’ve then got the Two Blues and West Harbour who have recruited well and both finished last year playing rugby good enough to beat anyone. 

Warringah have a new coaching staff and close to an entirely new first XV and Ben Batger will quickly shake things up at Easts. 

Sydney Uni rarely miss the finals two years in a row and Southern Districts are going to be a hell of a lot tougher under returning coach Joe Barakat. 

Which six teams end up in this year’s finals is anyone’s guess.