Minor premiers De La Salle will be disappointed to have not finished off a stellar season with a grand final appearance. Still, five-eighth Eli Levido has capped an outstanding year for the shire-based outfit by finishing as the competition’s leading point-scorer in the Mojo Homes Illawarra Cup at the end of the regular season.
Levido amassed 131 points during the 15 competition rounds, eclipsing Thirroul’s Josh Martin (126) by a margin of five. While Martin finished the regular season with 11 tries, most of Levido’s points came off his boot, having crossed the stripe on just four occasions.
Collegians winger Sam McCann has taken out the top try scorers gong, crossing for 18 tries in the regular season, including three hat-tricks, finishing 4 tries ahead of the next best in Lachlan Hurst from the Wests Devils.
Read More>> Road To The Grand Final
In First Division, Helensburgh’s Matthew Anger and Wests Hamish McLaurin finished with 82 points apiece, with the Devils’ Isaiah Kennedy the leading try-scorer with 12.
In a dominant performance, Collegians Eden Hodges was the leading points and try scorer in under 18’s with 157 points, including 17 tries, well clear of his nearest rivals.
Berkeley’s Benjamin De La Fosse headed the Harrigan Shield individual points tally with 136 points, while Avondale’s Dylan Riggs was the top try scorer with 12.
Attention now turns to this weekend’s Grand Final, with defending premiers Collegians taking on Thirroul in the Mojo Homes Illawarra Cup. While the Dogs held the trophy aloft last season and will attempt to go back-to-back, the Butchers will be out to break an almost 10-year premiership drought.
Illawarra Rugby League Grand Finals | Saturday 2 September | WIN Stadium, Wollongong
- Mojo Homes Illawarra Cup – Collegians v Thirroul | 3pm
- Mojo Homes First Division – Wests v Corrimal | 1:15pm
- Harrigan Shield (2nd Division) – Berkeley v Avondale | 11:30am
- Mojo Homes Under 18’s – Collegians v Thirroul | 9:45am