With one round remaining in the Shute Shield, Sydney’s premier club rugby competition, it is a good time to look at the teams who will make up the finals, the up and coming players, and speculate on who will win.
1. Eastwood (84 points): Led by the experienced Hugh Perrett the Woodies secured the minor premiership with an impressive 95-10 against a victoryless Parramatta last weekend. Their final round clash with Souths will give a clear indication whether or not their form is good enough to go all the way in 2010.
Standouts have been 21-year-old forwards Lachie McCaffery and Damian Fitzpatrick who are expected to have large impacts for the Waratahs in next year’s Super 15.
2. Souths (78): The Shute Shield’s finals structure offers not only a week off for the top two but also the avoidance of an elimination playoff.
To gain a top two spot, Souths would have to overcome Eastwood at home. Victory or not, Souths have a big forward pack capable of taking them deep into the finals including ex-Wallabies Radike Samo and Nic Henderson as well as Waratahs Kane Douglas and Dan Palmer.
3. Manly (78): Manly play Randwick in the most important match of the final round. Pending other results, a win could find Manly placing second and enjoying a week off but a loss could result in fourth and an elimination playoff against the in-form Sydney Uni. Under coach Phil Blake, Manly have played consistently well without representative players. Their premiership chances depend on their final ladder position.
4. Easts (73): Under new coach Lachlan Fear, Easts have been one of the best but inconsistent teams. Easts have scored the most tries in the competition thanks to inform wingers Anton La Vin and 19-year-old Damon Anderson. Brumbies pair Toomua and Huia Edmonds give Easts as good a chance as any of winning the competition. The comprehensive loss to Uni has dented their finals momentum.
5. Sydney Uni (70): Awaiting the return of many rep players, the reigning premiers languished near the bottom of the table during the first half of the season. Since then view. Uni have recorded nine straight victories and are now seen by many as premiership favourites. Their highly impressive win against Easts on the weekend has confirmed this
Uni’s Super 15 standard backrow of McCutcheon, Davidson and Dennis set the platform for their young and exciting backline. The return of ex-Wallabies Julian Huxley and Phil Waugh will bolster their finals chances.
6. Randwick (61): Securing their finals place with a hard-fought win against Gordon, Randwick will have to do it the hard way to have any chance of appearing in the Grand Final. However the return of in-form Wallabies Kurtley Beale, Drew Mitchell and Mark Chisholm for the finals will bolster their chances.
Although other teams will argue their chances, I can’t go past an Eastwood vs. Sydney Uni final. Uni have won the past three premierships.
The question remains: can anyone beat them in 2010?
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