It’s now or never for four teams in the NSWRL Sydney Shield and Ron Massey Cup elimination finals this weekend with both games to be streamed live on NSWRL TV.
Either the Sydney Roosters (4th) or Penrith Brothers (5th) will move forward to the Sydney Shield Minor Semi-final in a week’s time.
It’s the same fate for the Wentworthville Magpies (4th) and Mounties (5th) in the Ron Massey Cup.
Win and your season extends – lose and the focus shifts to 2023.
The clubs in the Qualifying Final for the Sydney Shield – Hills Bulls (2nd) and Ryde-Eastwood Hawks (3rd) – and Ron Massey Cup – St Marys (2nd) and Glebe Dirty Reds (3rd) – will all survive to fight another day regardless of the result.
All four finals will be played at Leichhardt Oval, with the schedule of kick-off times below.
In the first of the Elimination Finals, the Roosters have seven wins in 2022, compared with Penrith Brothers’ five and a draw.
The Roosters have the third-best attack in the Sydney Shield scoring 25 points or more in seven of their 16 matches, while Brothers second-rower Jermaine Ma’u is the third-highest try-scorer in the competition with 10 and is also their first choice goalkicker.
In Ron Massey Cup elimination action, Mounties fought back from a 20-10 half-time deficit against the Kaiviti Silktails last week to clinch a 26-all draw to keep their finals hopes alive.
The Magpies enjoyed two more wins (nine) to Mounties’ seven during the regular season, with winger Max Lehmann scoring nine tries in 2022 – equal third-highest in the Ron Massey Cup.
This week’s game in The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup brings the fourth-placed North Sydney Bears up against ninth-placed Newcastle. The Knights, while out of finals contention, can still make life difficult for North Sydney.
With only three games left before the finals, the Bears have the Eels, Rabbitohs and Raiders breathing down their necks to maintain a top-five spot heading into September.
NSWRL TV SCHEDULE
Saturday 13 August
Sydney Shield Finals WK1 -
Elimination Final: Sydney Roosters v Penrith Brothers, Leichhardt Oval, 11am
Qualifying Final: Hills Bulls v Ryde-Eastwood Hawks at Leichhardt, 1pm
Ron Massey Cup Finals WK1:
Qualifying Final: St Marys v Glebe Dirty Reds, at Leichhardt, 3pm
Elimination Final: Wentworthville Magpies v Mounties, at Leichhardt, 5pm
Sunday 14 August
The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup R22: North Sydney Bears v Newcastle Knights, North Sydney Oval 2pm
