The Harrigan Premiership’s Round 15 ‘Match of the Round’ is a top-two clash between De La Salle and Thirroul at Gibson Park on Saturday afternoon.
De La Salle took the honours in Round 10 with a 36-16 win at home before the Butchers picked up the competition points two weeks later with a 24-22 victory at Gibbo Park.
De La Salle beat Thirroul on two of the three occasions they met in the regular season last year, but Jared Costello’s men had the last laugh, knocking the Shire boys out of the race with a 10-point win in the Preliminary Final.
In the remaining matches, Corrimal hosts Collegians, and Dapto is at home to Wests in what could be their last swing at a finals berth. They are currently three points outside the top four. For the record, the Devils and Canaries are one apiece from their two meetings this year.
Mathematically, the Canaries can make the finals but must beat the Devils this week and De La Salle in their final-round clash. They also need fourth-placed Collegians to fall to Corrimal and Wests in their remaining games.
Round 15 – Saturday, 10 August
- Dapto v Wests
- Thirroul v De La Salle
- Corrimal v Collegians
Final Round – Saturday, 17 August
- Collegians v Wests
- Corrimal v Thirroul
- De La Salle v Dapto
The Lower Grades
With Wests and Berkeley securely in the top two in the Harrigan Plate, the Avondale Wombats, Thirroul, and Helensburgh are all jockeying for the remaining finals berths over the next fortnight.
The third-placed Wombats can assure themselves of a playoff berth with a win over the Eagles, while the Tigers face an uphill battle to make the finals with a must-win clash with the Devils this week.
They will also hope the Cougars can overcome the Thirroul, which would set up a final-round showdown with the Butchers next week.
Round 15 – Saturday, 10 August
- Helensburgh (5) v Wests (1)
- Corrimal (7) v Thirroul (4)
- Dapto (8) v Collegians (6)
Sunday, 11 August
- Berkeley (2) v Avondale Wombats (3)
Round 16 – Saturday, 17 August
- Collegians v Wests
- Corrimal v Avondale Wombats
- Helensburgh v Thirrroul
- Berkeley v Dapto
Harrigan Shield
Avondale Greyhounds and Figtree Crushers have the top two spots sewn up in the Harrigan Shield, while the Wombats can lock in third with a win over Berkeley Eagles in the penultimate round.
This scenario would leave three teams— Norths, Windang, and the Eagles—to fight for the final spot in the four.
Berkeley can give themselves the upper hand with a win over the Wombats, but they must reverse the 42-10 scoreline from their last meeting.
The fourth-placed Northern Bulldogs have the toughest draw on the run home. They play the undefeated Greyhounds this week, followed by second-placed Figtree in their last game of the regular season.
If the Bulldogs lose this week, they will be leapfrogged by Windang, who will automatically receive two competition points courtesy of the bye.
With Norths having to face the Crushers in the final round, their second top-two opponent in as many weeks, it may come down to a shoot-out for fourth between the Eagles and the Sharks.
Round 15 – Saturday, 10 August
- Figtree (2) v Wests (7)
- Northern Bulldogs (6) v Avondale Greyhounds (1)
Sunday, 11 August
- Berkeley (5) v Avondale Wombats (3)
Byes – Corrimal (8), Windang (4)
Round 16 – Saturday, 17 August
- Wests v Greyhounds
- Figtree v Bulldogs
- Corrimal v Wombats
- Berkeley v Windang
Pictured: De La Salle’s Eli Levido is second on the top point scorer’s list with 82 points, two behind Dapto’s Troy Pieper.