The top five may all-but be finalised, however, there's still plenty of water to go under the Newcastle Rugby League bridge during the last week of the regular season.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
With 11 matches left, nine points separate first to fifth on the competition ladder and only one other team can potentially make the play-offs.
The minor premiership has become a race in two between leaders Maitland (27 points) and Central (25), but there is quite the battle going on from second to fourth with Cessnock (22) and Macquarie (20) looming large.
Adding to the intrigue, the top-four sides play against each other on Sunday with Maitland welcoming Macquarie and Cessnock away to Central.
Results from both fixtures will go a long way to determining who finishes where, who hosts the qualifying semi-final and who misses an all-important second bite at the premiership cherry.
Cessnock and Maitland also clash in the rescheduled last round on August 13-14.
Macquarie have a catch-up game to play against Wests at Harker Oval on Wednesday night, giving the Scorpions an extra chance to collect points on the run home.
Fifth-placed Souths (18), who have dropped five of their last six outings, can still jump as high as equal third but could slip out if sixth-placed Entrance (14) win twice and make up the points differential.
Souths meet Wests and Kurri. Entrance tackles Lakes and Central. The Lions have a better for-and-against record by 81.
