With just three rounds remaining in the Mojo Homes Illawarra Cup, five teams are still in the hunt for the top four as the race to the finals heats up.
Collegians host Thirroul at Sid Parrish Park, with the reigning premiers coming off their first loss in seven matches and looking to consolidate when they face the Butchers.
Collies mainstay and lock-forward Jarrod Thompson says that last week’s loss to Dapto taught the playing group some important lessons as they prepare for a challenging run home to the finals.
“No one likes losing, but the most important thing is to learn from those losses,” Thompson says.
“Our main goal is to finish in that top two spot. We’ll reevaluate from there and then try to take out the big prize at the end of the year.”
Hard-earned win
Thirroul comes into the match off a hard-earned 30-18 win over Corrimal, snapping a two-match losing streak for the Blue and Whites.
Captain Hayden Crosland returned off the bench last week and said his team will be ready for the challenge when they arrive at Collegians Sporting Complex on Saturday afternoon.
“It’s going to be a massive month,” Crosland says. “Every game is a must-win for us. If we start losing games and Dapto keeps going the way they’re going, we could be out.
“We can expect them to want to bounce back from their loss last week, so it’s a massive game for us. Our attitude has been good. We really want to win (against Collies), and we really want to win this competition.”
Elsewhere, Wests travel to Corrimal in a bid to end their four-match losing streak. In recent weeks, the Cougars have come within reach of their first win of the season against Thirroul and Collegians, meaning the Devils will be forced to put their best foot forward to get their season back on track.
Down to the wire
Dapto will be looking to continue their dream run and quest to play finals footy when they host De La Salle on Saturday. A win for the Canaries and a loss for the Butchers would see them equal on competition points leading into the last two rounds.
Dapto is also looking to move into the top four in First Division. They must win against Helensburgh to remain in the hunt for a spot in the finals. Collegians face Thirroul, and Wests play Corrimal in the other games this Saturday.
Berkeley remains undefeated in the Harrigan Shield and will look to continue their run against Northern Suburbs. Corrimal will play Windang at Ziems Park at 12pm in the other clash.
Words | Russ Haylock