Central Coast Rugby League finals tracker, run home
With three rounds to go we’ve taken a look at the form guide and crunched the numbers to see what each team needs to do to make the finals in the CCRL.
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Things are heating up in the Central Coast Rugby League with just three rounds to play before the end of the regular season.
While some teams are safer than others and some sides have more desirable runs home, six teams remain in the hunt for top-four spots, with some absolute blockbusters over the next few weeks set to determine who will be playing finals footy in 2023.
As the competition resumes after the wet weather round, we’ve crunched the numbers, taken a look at the form guide and studied the fixtures list to see what each team needs to do to make the finals.
Erina
Position: 1st
Points: 18 (+200)
Highest possible finish: 1st
Lowest possible finish: 5th
The bottom line: It’s no surprise to see the Eagles at the top with just two losses all season. While they were strong at the beginning of the year, they have maintained that consistency throughout like no other side. Indeed, with six points from a possible eight and a points difference of 80, Erina has been the best team so far during the second half of the season.
This has undoubtedly been built on the team’s attack, with the Eagles amassing an incredible 370 points so far this season, some 76 ahead of the next-best attacking team.
While it is still mathematically possible for Erina to miss out on the finals altogether, it would require the Eagles to fall in an almighty heap – and then a complex mix of results to go against them to see the team fall into fifth. And then again, only on points difference. So, in essence, Dane Allen’s men have all but secured their spot in finals footy for another season.
While Erina has its destiny in its own hands in terms of repeating last year’s minor premiership, the team does have a tough run home, with back-to-back away games against fourth-placed Wyong, who have been in incredible form of late, and third-placed Terrigal, before finishing off with Berkeley Vale. Depending on which way you look at it, it’s either a dangerous run in or the perfect preparation for a tilt at the premiership.
Run home: Wyong (A), Terrigal (A), Berkeley Vale (H)
Toukley
Position: 2nd
Points: 17 (+82)
Highest possible finish: 1st
Lowest possible finish: 5th
The bottom line: The best team in the comp for the majority of the season, the Hawks have actually held first place for six of the 11 rounds and remain the only team in first grade to have beaten every other side in the competition.
The success has predominantly been built on the side’s excellent forward pack and brutal defence, with Toukley having conceded the fewest points in the competition with 144. In addition, one could argue that they hold the edge over their nearest rivals Erina, having beaten the Eagles twice this season.
However a couple of tricky results in back-to-back games – a 10-all draw with The Entrance and a hugely surprising 36-6 loss to Woy Woy – has seen them lose top spot.
Like the Eagles, Toukley can still theoretically miss out on the semis. But in reality, it’s just not going to happen, especially when considering that the defending premiers have one of the more desirable runs into the finals, taking on seventh-placed Kincumber, eighth-placed Berkeley Vale and third-placed Terrigal over the next three games as they look to repeat last year’s heroics.
In fact, rather than missing out on a finals spot, the Hawks are a much better chance of claiming the minor premiership, and are likely to be waiting in the wings should Erina slip up during it’s more difficult run home.
Run home: Berkeley Vale (A), Kincumber (A), Terrigal (H)
Terrigal
Position: 3rd
Points: 14 points (+86)
Highest possible finish: 1st
Lowest possible finish: 6th
The bottom line: The Sharks have played incredibly well this year to find themselves in third place, losing just three games all year. And while they seem to be sitting pretty and their path to the finals rests entirely in their own hands, Terrigal has arguably the most difficult run home of all teams vying for a top-four finish, with games against The Entrance and competition frontrunners Erina and Toukley.
While the Sharks do have a mathematical chance of finishing first if they can beat both Erina and Toukley (and then rely on other results), they could fall to as low as sixth, with this weekend’s game against the Tigers looming as an incredibly crucial fixture.
Two wins would almost certainly see Terrigal into the top four. And while one win from the final three games could still get the team into the top four, it would open the door for the likes of Wyong, The Entrance and Woy Woy to overtake them.
Run home: The Entrance (H), Erina (H), Toukley (A)
Wyong
Position: 4th
Points: 12 (+80)
Highest possible finish: 1st
Lowest possible finish: 6th
The bottom line: With just one loss in their past four, Wyong has been the equal-best team in the competition during the second half of the season (along with Erina), resurrecting their campaign after it appeared to be dead and buried following a round eight loss to Toukley that left the team with a record of three wins and five losses.
Their good run of form has seen them jump into the top four on points difference, with the Roos now arguably one of the most feared teams over the final three rounds of the regular season.
With The Entrance even on points and a fast-finishing Woy Woy coming home with a wet sail, Wyong will likely need to win two of their last three games to book their spot in the semis, with the final round clash with the Roosters potentially looming as an epic playoff for fourth spot.
Run home: Erina (H), Berkeley Vale (A), Woy Woy (A)
The Entrance
Position: 5th
Points: 12 (+24)
Highest possible finish: 1st
Lowest possible finish: 6th
The bottom line: It has been a tough last month for the Tigers, who – battling significant injuries all throughout the club – have picked up just three from a possible eight points and subsequently fallen from third to fifth over the course of the second half of the season.
Indeed, this run – combined with Wyong’s turnaround – sees the team sit outside of the top four for the first time this season and has left them with a tough run to qualify for the finals.
While the squad has been severely depleted in recent weeks, the team can take confidence from of a gutsy 10-all draw with defending premiers Toukley in round 10.
They will likely need at least two wins to qualify for the finals, with the next two games against third-placed Terrigal and Woy Woy set to be absolute blockbusters for all teams involved as they push to extended their respective seasons beyond round 14.
It is also conceivable that The Entrance, Terrigal and Wyong all finish up on the same points, in which case the teams’ for-and-against records will come into play. If such a situation occurs, it will be important for the Tigers to pile on the points differential is about 60 worse off than their close rivals.
Run home: Terrigal (A), Woy Woy (H), Kincumber (A)
Woy Woy
Position: 6th
Points: 9 (+60)
Highest possible finish: 3rd
Lowest possible finish: 7th
The bottom line: This season has well and truly been a tale of two halves for the Roosters, who have rebounded from a competitive but hugely disappointing first half of the campaign to remarkably give themselves a chance of playing finals footy.
Three wins and a draw in their past five games, including a thumping 36-6 win over Toukley in the upset of the season last weekend, is a huge reversal on the one victory recorded during the first six rounds, and has arguably made the Roosters one of the most dangerous teams in the run-in to the finals.
While the side will need to win all three of its final games to give itself a chance of making the semis, Woy Woy will take plenty of confidence into their run home, with the final round clash with Wyong looming as a potential finals playoff.
Run home: Kincumber (H), The Entrance (A), Wyong (H)
Kincumber
Position: 7th
Points: 4 (-237)
Highest possible finish: 6th
Lowest possible finish: 8th
The bottom line: While there might not be any chance of the Colts making the semis, it doesn’t mean that the team hasn’t got anything to play for over the final three rounds.
Although Kincumber could mathematically overtake Woy Woy and jump into sixth, the team will most likely look to put in some competitive performances and hope to add to their two wins so far this season. In doing so, they’ll no doubt hope to spoil the party of finals hopefuls Woy Woy and The Entrance.
Run home: Woy Woy (A), Toukley (H), The Entrance (H)
Berkeley Vale
Position: 8th
Points: 2 (-295)
Highest possible finish: 7th
Lowest possible finish: 8th
The bottom line: It has been a tough season for the Panthers, who despite being competitive in several games and breaking a long drought with the club’s first A-grade win for several years, have struggled in the second half of the campaign on the back of injuries and a depleted playing roster.
The run home is equally as tough, with the top-two teams – Toukley and Erina – and arguably the competition’s in-form side in Wyong to come.
And while the Panthers haven’t been able to make the semis for quite a while, they will be hoping for some improved performances to put some pride into the jersey, and hopefully avoid the wooden spoon.
Run home: Toukley (A), Wyong (H), Erina (A)
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