Thirroul has taken control of the race for the Harrigan Cup minor premiership after surviving a thrilling encounter with Dapto, while Sutherland Loftus continued its remarkable late-season resurgence with a stunning victory over defending premiers Wests in Round 14.
The Butchers edged the Canaries 32-30 in a see-sawing contest to move to 19 competition points and reclaim top spot heading into the final round.
Corrimal slipped to second after suffering a heartbreaking 18-16 loss to Collegians, with Blair Grant kicking a penalty goal in the 80th minute to decide a contest that had been locked at 16-all.
The results leave Thirroul one point clear of Corrimal, with Collegians also remaining in the minor premiership equation heading into the final weekend of the regular season.
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Grant breaks deadlock in Corrimal thriller
Collegians kept their hopes of a top-two finish alive and halted Corrimal’s seven-game winning streak with a dramatic 18-16 victory over the Cougars.
There was little separating the sides throughout the contest, with both teams crossing for three tries before the scores were locked at 16-all approaching full-time.
With the match seemingly destined to finish level, Grant stepped up in the 80th minute to land the decisive penalty goal and secure two valuable competition points for Collegians.
The victory completed a season-series win for Collies over the Cougars after their 34-18 victory in Round 4. Corrimal had responded emphatically with a 40-10 win when the teams met again in Round 9.
For the Cougars, the narrow defeat ended a seven-match winning streak that had propelled them to the top of the competition.
Now, to claim the minor premiership, they must win next week, and hope Wests reverse their two-match losing streak with a victory over the ladder-leading Butchers in the final round.
Pirates stun defending premiers
Sutherland Loftus produced the result of the round, dismantling defending premiers Wests 40-10 to record their second consecutive victory.
After waiting until Round 13 to secure their first win of the season with a dramatic 26-24 upset of Dapto, the Pirates backed it up in emphatic fashion against the Devils.
The 30-point victory represents a remarkable turnaround for Sutherland Loftus after a difficult campaign and provides further evidence of the danger they pose heading into their final match of the season.
For Wests, the result is a major setback heading into the finals.
The Devils are already locked into the sudden-death elimination final against Dapto in week one of the playoffs, regardless of the final-round results, and will be desperate to rediscover their form before their premiership defence goes on the line.
Butchers survive Canaries scare
Thirroul emerged from one of the games of the season with a vital 32-30 victory over Dapto to put themselves in the box seat for the minor premiership.
The lead changed hands throughout a see-sawing encounter, with the Butchers eventually prevailing after scoring six tries to Dapto’s five.
The two-point victory could prove decisive in the battle for top spot.
Thirroul now sits on 19 competition points, one ahead of Corrimal, and knows victory over Wests in the final round will secure the minor premiership.
Corrimal can still leapfrog the Butchers with victory over Sutherland Loftus if the Devils can upset Thirroul.
Collegians also remain mathematically capable of finishing level with the competition leaders should they defeat Dapto and both Thirroul and Corrimal lose, although the Butchers’ superior points differential would leave them well placed to finish on top in that scenario.
While the battle for the minor premiership remains alive, the make-up of the top five has been decided.
Thirroul, Corrimal and Collegians will occupy the top three positions, while Wests and Dapto will meet in the elimination final in week one of the Harrigan Cup playoffs.
With the minor premiership still up for grabs and finals momentum on the line, the final round promises plenty before attention turns to the race for the 2026 Harrigan Cup.
Lower Grade Wrap
Corrimal and Wests locked in their spots in the top three behind minor premiers Thirroul in the Harrigan Plate competition, with the Cougars overcoming fourth-placed Collegians 24-16 and the Devils defeating the fifth-placed Tigers 34-14. With one round remaining, the top five placings are set, making next week’s matches a final tune-up before the playoffs.
We’re down to the final five in the Harrigan Shield, but the order won’t be finalised until after next week’s final round, with just one point separating second and fifth place.
Norths have cemented their spot at the top of the ladder, clinching the minor premiership with a 20-10 victory over Windang. They are now five points clear of their nearest rivals with 23 competition points, with Berkeley and Avondale Wombats in equal second place after the Wombats’ 24-14 win over the Eagles.
Avondale Greyhounds and Figtree also kept their top-three hopes alive, with the Greyhounds recording a 46-0 win over Corrimal and the Crushers edging out Mt Kembla 14-12 to see both sides sitting on 17 competition points.
File Image Credit: Denis Ivaneza