Maitland Magpies coach Mick Bolch has called for completing the regular season to be the priority as Northern NSW Football agreed to push back the NPL season's finishing date.
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Bolch said his priority would be to complete the regular season but he was hopeful the finals could also be played, given they were pushed back into November last year because of COVID.
"I'd be really disappointed if they awarded Jaffas minor premiers with two games to go and there's still three teams fighting for it," Bolch said.
"Also, Jaffas have never won it, so it will be a big thing for them to finish on top and they won't want it with an asterisk because the comp was called off after 16 games.
"My team have done really well to get where they are, so it would be really disappointing not to finish it off. You'd finish it off and run third than always wonder whether we would have done it or not.
"The major prize in football has always been the premiership rather than the grand final champions."
With two rounds remaining Lambton (38), Maitland (37) and Edgeworth (34) can all claim the premiership. The Weston Bears (21) in sixth place, Charlestown Azzurri (21) fifth and Newcastle Olympic seventh (19) are also in a battle for fifth place.
In the final two round Maitland is scheduled to play Broadmeadow Magic under lights at Magic Park and hosts Lambton.
Weston host Olympic in round 17 and are away to Azzurri in round 18.
