Easts def Hunter 15-12
The Wildfires nearly pulled off the boilover, opening with a monster 50-22 from flyhalf Connor Winchester, thanks in part to some radioactive ball-watching from fullback Chris Bell at the back. But Easts weathered the early storm.
Momentum swung when Hunter’s no. 13, Sitiveni Vahai — a certified handful all game — pinched a turnover and went 80 metres downfield. Could’ve gone either way, but sometimes the footy gods just let it ride.
Easts leaned into their strength: the rolling maul. Hooker Moli Sooaemalelagi cashed in twice off the back of it, while winger Frankie Nowell kept his try streak alive with a classy finish off a cross-field kick.
Then came the moment. Cooper Whiteside, patchy off the tee all game, lined up a 48-metre shot from 16 in from touch. Bang. Game. Set. Beasties.
Not one for the highlight reel, but a gritty win that shows Easts can still dogfight when needed.
Warringah def West Harbour 52-0
It didn’t take long for the action to kick off, with Lebron Paramore-Naea almost stumbling over for the opener down the left edge — only to knock on over the line. So close, yet so knock-on.
The Rats got it right shortly after, executing a lovely set piece that shifted wide off a cross-field ball, with Archie Saunders flying in for the finish.
Wests nearly hit back through some heavy carries up the middle, leading into an out-the-back chip and chase — the bounce was cruel, and fate said “not today.”
Warringah’s second came far too easily — just a poor defensive fold from Wests, and they were punished.
Moments later, Sam Thomson almost defied rugby logic with a line break that started somewhere near Timbuktu — only to spill it over the line. Safe to say he owes a few schooners after that.
No harm done, though, as Saunders helped himself to a double, and the Rats never looked back.
The second half opened right up, and Warringah piled on the points. Wests had no answers as the Rats ran in a 52–0 shutout.
The boys from the beaches are looking red-hot — can they keep the form going and break the curse of falling short?
Uni def Randwick 43-42
A game of two halves? That barely scratches the surface.
Sydney Uni were woeful early, looking rattled and rudderless in defence as Randwick ran in three tries before most fans had found their seats. The Students looked shell-shocked — whether it was inexperience or expecting to coast past the men from Coogee, they were down 28–0 after 13 minutes and staring down the barrel.
The Wicks backline, numbers 10 through 15, were electric. Gage Phillips carved up out wide, and hooker Oniti Finau — now dubbed “The Bobcat” (and rightly so) — was unstoppable with ball in hand, showing off a lethal combo of power and agility.
But Uni did what Uni does — clawed their way back through the forwards.
Still, Randwick held a healthy lead for most of the game. But the Wicks in defence again left them exposed late. It’s now two straight weeks where a defensive lapse has cost them the result.
With just minutes to go, young gun Tom Morrison stepped up with a massive 50-22, and Uni set up five out. Cometh the hour, cometh the skipper — Nathanial Panozzo crashed over in the corner to seal one of the great Uni comebacks.
A wild one at Uni Oval. Wicks are red-hot in attack but will be kicking themselves again for letting this one slip.
Gordon def Norths 49-36
An absolute first-half shootout with 54 points scored — Gordon and Norths traded blows like a couple of heavyweights in a car park — swinging wildly, neither willing to back down.
Gordon drew first blood, with Tom Horan rumbling over from close range — we love a front-row meat pie from two metres out.
But a poor exit gifted Norths lock Tom Everard a chance, and the big man didn’t need a second invitation. Frankly, he should be cast in the next season of House of the Dragon — absolute behemoth.
Norths’ defence continued to frustrate at the breakdown, their signature nuisance-level turnover work proving disruptive again. But they struggled to contain Gordon’s rolling maul — a familiar issue that also burned them against the Marlins.
Set piece was a tale of two packs: Gordon’s scrum wobbled, but their maul was clinical and decisive in the second half.
Speed to fold and first-phase defence remain question marks for the Highlanders, but they managed to paper over the cracks.
In the backs, Armstrong and Arcus were electric again, with Arcus nabbing a bizarre but brilliant try after a sloppy attacking pass sat up perfectly, allowing him to fly into the in-goal untouched. When it’s your day, it’s your day.
Tevita Ahokovi had a powerful shift at 6, while debutant no. 10 Matt Minogue showed serious composure and skill at flyhalf — crisp passing, smart kicking, and not afraid to throw himself into the contact zone. We love to see a 10 throw his weight around.
And shoutout to Will Kaye, who was ice-cold off the tee, knocking over key points that kept Gordon in the driver’s seat.
A bruising win for the Highlanders — and another reminder that the Shute Shield is delivering absolute chaos this year.
Eastwood def Souths 80-17
The Woodies didn’t just beat Souths — they ran a clinic.
Riding high off last week’s tight win, Eastwood came out swinging, bolstered by the inclusion of Waratahs playmaker Tane Edmed — and it showed. It was 7–0 after just four minutes, and from there it turned into a full-blown demolition job.
Daniel Stovold set the tone early with aggressive carries and some lovely body-on-body defence, while the Eastwood forwards hummed like a well-oiled machine — physical, cohesive, and clinical.
In the backs, Michael Stringer was a rock at 12, creating space and time for the Woodies’ outside men — Isaac Crowe and Lachie Shelley — to absolutely carve up on the edges.
Souths didn’t help themselves, losing Damien Faiane to the bin for a tip tackle, and later dropping to 13 men after Oscar Frean copped a yellow for collapsing the maul. The Woodies were scoring at a point-per-minute in the first half — and the second half was somehow even more ruthless.
There was a little bit of spice in the second stanza — a cheeky scuffle on the sideline saw plenty of hugs and kisses exchanged, but the ref opted for a group chat rather than reaching for the pocket. Probably fair.
To their credit, Souths did land a highlight — a lovely scrum set-piece try, capped off by Faiane delivering a monstrous fend and finishing strong. But it was a rare bright spot on a very long day.
Eastwood ran in 80 points, including two tries in two minutes, and Tane Edmed finished the party with a cross-field dime that landed right in the breadbasket, letting the Woodies crow their way to a statement win.
A tough day out for the Rebels — and a clear sign that Eastwood have the cattle, structure, and strike to go deep this season.
Parramatta def Manly 27-19
It was a real head-scratcher of a match — with the two teams literally making “three blues.” I know, I’ll just stick to the recaps, hey?
Parramatta took control early with sheer power, getting the first try and showing that if you fail to match their physicality, you’re in for a rough ride.
No. 9 Rilloy SueSue was excellent — guiding the forwards like a seasoned pro and catching the Marlins off guard. His smart play at the breakdown and ability to quickly dish ball to his big men was key to keeping the pressure on.
Manly’s rolling maul — deadly last week — wasn’t quite as effective this time, but they still showed flashes of their dangerous set-piece play, keeping it tight and relying on the forwards to drive momentum. Kai Vincent made a statement off the back of some wizardry from Jack Stafford, clawing them back with a try that had all the shades of Irish finesse.
Typically, giving Parra space on both sides is a nightmare — and a booming boot from Two Blues 15 Latrell Ah Kiong made it worse. Manly 10 Robbie McIntosh now owes the cameraman a new tripod (not a euphemism, I swear) after diving into touch to stop it.
Then came the moment of the match. Hosea Saumaki — the human wrecking ball known as the Shute Shield’s minibus — went on a 60-metre solo run, powering through four defenders to dot down. Try of the round? I’d argue yes, but I’m not biased.
Despite a strong comeback — including Vincent’s double and a monster kick from McIntosh — the Two Blues held firm and locked in their first win of the season.
