The regular season of the Mojo Homes Illawarra Cup, First Divison and U18’s draws to a close this weekend, with plenty still to play for right across the board.
The top four of the Mojo Homes Illawarra Cup have been locked in. However, some moving and shaking can still occur before finals footy begins on August 19.
De La Salle is currently on top of the ladder and will take the minor premiership if they can defeat Corrimal, who upset Dapto last weekend in front of a jubilant home crowd at Ziems Park.
A win for De La Salle will turn the Collegians vs Western Suburbs match into a qualifier for second. However, a De La slip-up would allow the winner to catapult themselves into first and secure the minor premiership.
Dapto’s loss to Corrimal last weekend has ruled them out of a late rush to finals, but they will be out to prove a point when they take on the fourth-placed Thirroul Butchers on Saturday.
Thirroul have lost four of their last five matches and will be looking to regain momentum before they aim for what will be a knockout finals game next weekend.
The lower grade wrap
In First Division, the top four are also set in stone, with Western Suburbs guaranteed to win the minor premiership and Collegians locked in second.
They take each other on this round as a precursor to the finals match they will be guaranteed to play next weekend. Similarly, third-placed Helensburgh will host fourth-placed Corrimal. However, a win for the Cougars would see them overtake the Tigers on competition points and allow them to play host the following week.
Dapto will play Thirroul in the third game, with the two teams equal on competition points and both looking to avoid the wooden spoon come Saturday.
The last round of the regular season of the Harrigan Shield was played out last weekend, with the Berkeley Eagles going undefeated. This weekend, there will be a pause before the finals begins on August 19, where Berkeley will play Figtree and Avondale will host Windang.
In the Under 18’s, it’s a dress rehearsal for next week’s major semi-final when Collies (1) meet Wests (2) at Collegians Sporting Complex, while sudden death comes a week early for Corrimal and Berkeley on Friday night, with the winner advancing to a minor semi-finals berth against Thirroul, who has the bye this week.
Women and Girls Tackle Finals Series
The Southern Corridor Open Women’s Tackle competition finals will begin this weekend, with Corrimal earning a well-earned rest for finishing second.
In the Under 18’s, Collegians face Stingrays at Flinders Field in the major semi-final, with the winner advancing to the Grand Final.
The loser will face the winner of the sudden death semi-final between the Cougars and Cronulla Caringbah at Ziems Park at 2.10 pm.
The Cougars and Cronulla Caringbah fought out a 10-all draw in Round 3 before Cronulla Caringbah got the upper hand 12-4 in their most recent encounter.
Words | Russ Haylock