By Jon Geddes; Image - Karen Watson

WARATAHS assistant coach Chris Whitaker says the Shute Shield is in healthy shape after watching his old club Randwick beat Northern Suburbs 17-15 in a grand final thriller that went down to the wire at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday.

He also revealed to Rugby News how the NSW Super Rugby franchise recognises the importance of the competition by encouraging as many players as possible turning out for their clubs.

And in a demonstration that they have a far greater appreciation of the rugby landscape than some of their predecessors, Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh and Waratahs’ head coach Darren Coleman were also both interested spectators on Saturday.