Shute Shield Round 16 Review: Parramatta breaks 21-year finals drought

The win means the Two Blues finish fifth on the final ladder and secures them a home match against the eighth-placed West Harbour next Sunday, in the first round of the new-format finals series. 

 

In contrast, their opponents West Harbour progress courtesy of a losing bonus point from their 59-38 loss to Randwick at Coogee. The single point earned for scoring four tries was enough to help the Pirates leapfrog Eastern Suburbs into eighth position on the ladder and earn the last remaining finals place after the Beasts failed to come away with anything from their 55-21 loss to Manly.

 

Three tries to Manly Marlins' winger Richard Hooper was the highlight in the physical encounter, which was a do or die game for Eastern Suburbs. The Marlins played an expansive game in attack and look to be a serious threat to the other seven teams in the Shute Shield finals series.  Finishing second overall, the Marlins will host third-placed Sydney University next Saturday, with the winner ensuring automatic qualification for the semi finals.

 

It was also a crucial match for Warringah, who took on Penrith at Pittwater Rugby Park.  The Rats managed to keep their cool and closed the match out with a bonus point in a 46-7 victory that sees them secure seventh position. Three tries to winger Dylan Smouha all but sealed the win for the Rats, who have done a remarkable job in a season plagued by injuries to grab a place in the finals series and sets up a crucial encounter against Northern Suburbs, one place ahead of them, next weekend. 

 

Minor premiers Eastwood showed true determination by defeating Northern Suburbs by a single point in their 11-10 thriller. It was left to replacement prop Jed Gillespie to grab the match winning try, his huge 30m run down the sideline enough to hold out Northern Suburbs in a very tight contest. Said Eastwood captain Hugh Perrett after the match, "It was a scratchy performance today, a bit to work on, I think it's an attitudinal thing and bringing the right mindset to the game." 

 

Although Northern Suburbs lost the match, they showed some great character by grabbing a try right on the death from replacement centre Bill Meakes.  Northern Suburbs will head into next week knowing that they can match the physicality of the top eight teams in the Shute Shield with coach Scott Fava saying, "the match was played at a grand final intensity".

 

Eastwood coach John Manenti also took a positive out of the performance, adding that "the good news was that we can win the close games."  Having secured top spot overall, his side will now host fourth-placed Southern Districts next Sunday.

 

In other round 16 matches, Sydney University defeated Southern Districts 45-17 at University Oval No.1. Captaining the Students for the 100th time, Melbourne Rebel Tim Davidson celebrated his century by grabbing two tries of his own.

 

Played over four weeks, the new finals format gives the four top-placed sides (Eastwood, Manly, Sydney University and Southern Districts) two chances to progress to the semi finals.  

 

This weekend's qualifying finals will see first-placed Eastwood host fourth-placed Southern Districts and Manly (second) host Sydney University (third), with the two winners progressing automatically to the preliminary finals in week three.  At the same time, the fifth- to eighth-placed teams will battle it out, with sixth-placed Norths playing seventh-placed Warringah at Woollahra Oval next Saturday, and Parramatta (five) hosting West Harbour (eighth overall) on Sunday.  

 

The losers' campaigns will end there, whilst the winners will progress to round two where they will meet the losers from Eastwood v Souths and Manly v Uni in week two. Just four teams will contest the qualifying finals in week three, with the two winners meeting in the 2012 Grand Final on Saturday September 15.

 

 

Randwick 59 (3 Tom Joseph, Steve Bennie, Peter Samu, Nathan Sievert, Terrence Hepetema, Tim Wright tries; Toby Browne 5 cons, 3 pens) d West Harbour 38 (2 Shaun Treweek, Oleni Ngungutau, Henry Seavula, Sione Tau tries; Henry Seavula 5 cons, pen)

 

Manly 55 (3 Richard Hooper, 2 Scott Daruda, Dane Marakai, Greg Peterson, Chris Cottee, Lui Siale tries; Scott Daruda 4 cons, Marshall Milroy con) d Eastern Suburbs 21 (Richard Stanford, Nathan Paila, Apakuki Maafu tries; Angus Sinclair 3 cons)

 

Warringah 46 (3 Dylan Smouha, Josh Holmes, Edward Doyle, Hamish Angus tries; Hamish Angus 4 cons, 2 pens, Hugh Campbell con) d Penrith 7 (Faitotoa Asa try; Lelea Paea con)

 

Eastwood 11 (Jed Gillespie try; Ben Batger 2 pens) d Northern Suburbs 10 (Bill Meaks try; Dave Harvey con, pen)

 

Sydney University 45 (2 Tim Davidson, 2 Mitch Inman, Jeremy Tilse, Tom Carter, Angus Roberts tries; Daniel Kelly 5 cons) d Southern Districts 17 (Apo Latunipulu, Atieli Pakalani tries; Ben Volavola 2 cons, pen)

 

Parramatta 36 (2 Rodney Ma'a, Andrew Cox, Damien Fakafanua, Daley Harper, Sosene Anesi tries; Tom Woods 3 cons) d Gordon 22 (Hugh Cropley, Terry Preston, Michael Manners, Andrew Turner tries; Tom Hill con)