Unfancied Warringah’s perfect start to the season shocks Shute Shield rivals

UNFANCIED at the start of the year, Warringah has shocked the Shute Shield competition with the perfect month to start the 2014 season.

Sireli Tagicakibau in action for Warringah earlier this season.

UNFANCIED at the start of the year, Warringah has shocked the Shute Shield competition with the perfect month to start the 2014 season.

Four bonus-point wins from four games has the Rats on top of the table outright.

But Warringah skipper Luke Holmes vowed: “We’re not getting ahead of ourselves, we’re getting better and better but we just need to keep our heads down, keep improving and see how we go.”

The Rats missed the eight-teams finals last season but have already thrashed 2013 finalists West Harbour, southern Districts and Eastern Suburbs, as well as Parramatta, to amass 20 competition points and lead heavyweights Eastwood (19), Manly (19) and Sydney University (15).

Warringah players Michael Adams, Martin Collins, David Feltscheer, Bradley Dixon, Sireli Tagicakibau and Josh Holmes crossed for tries in their 40-19 rout of the winless Easts last Friday.

But Warringah’s improvement will be severely tested this weekend when they host defending champions Uni, who are coming off a 14-10 loss at home to undefeated Manly.

It was a huge result for the Marlins, who despite being one point off Warringah, look the most dangerous team this year.

Uni led 10-7 at the break but were held scoreless in the second half as Manly recorded a memorable victory at University Oval No. 1, so often a fortress for premiership rivals.

The first half saw both teams score long-range tries, with Manly halfback Matt Lucas’s early five-pointer cancelled out by a try from Uni winger James Dargaville.

But after sustained pressure on Uni’s line midway through the second half, five-eighth Marshall Milroy stepped away and through the line from 10 metres out to score the decisive try.

In other round four results, Randwick outlasted a game Penrith side who led at half-time but eventually succumbed to the pressure, with the Galloping Greens winning 37-23 to move to fifth on the ladder.

Souths finally won their first game of the year, beating Gordon 38-23.

Norths kicked a late penalty goal to win a thrilling match 34-32 at Parramatta, while second-placed Eastwood defeated West Harbour 35-25, giving them 183 points scored from their first four games with a points differential of +97, the same as Manly.

At the bottom end of the table, a hapless Easts side is still without a point.

They were level 19-all with Warringah before the Rats kicked clear with three late tries.

“We were very happy with how we played for the first hour and were right in it,” Easts skipper Anton La Vin said.

“But at first grade level you can’t afford to make even half a mistake because the opposition will punish you and that’s what happened.

“We displayed a lack of concentration and fitness at the end there and although there are certainly positives to take we are disappointed with the result.”