Collegian's defeat of Thirroul today will see Port Kembla finish in a top two position, giving them the first week of the Finals series off and a second bite of the Tooheys League cherry if they fail in their Major Semi Final game against Collegians.

Collies remain two points ahead of The Blacks, and unless Helensburgh inflict a surprise defeat on The Dogs next week, they will collect the Minor Premiership regardless of the result in the final round Port versus Collies match. Port can end the season level with Collies on 32 points and even though The Blacks would have beaten Collies twice in the regular season, their superior for and against will give them the MP. The Blacks are an outside chance of gaining the regular season title, but making up 49 for and against points in the last two rounds against Thirroul and Collies, with Collies other game against the Tigers, remains a distant and unlikely possibility.

Port can still end the regular season level with Thirroul on 28 points if beaten by The Butchers and Collegians, and if Thirroul win their final round 18 game. But The Blacks have a far superior for and against (+310) and Thirroul, as good a team as they are, will not make up the 214 points necessary to surpass Port's points difference.

The First Grade finals series with therefore pit an in-form Wests side against the defending Premiers Thirroul in the first week elimination Minor Semi Final. The loser can wave goodbye to 2004 while the winner can have a week off to prepare for the Preliminary Final match up against the loser of the Collegians-Port Kembla Major Semi Final. That match will take place in the second week of the finals. The winner can book themselves a weekend to watch two teams bash each other for the right to play them in the 2004 Grand Final.

From Port Kembla's perspective, the Major Semi Final against Collegians will be the second time in three years that the team has played for a Grand Final berth. The last time was the Dapto Preliminary Final where The Blacks were beaten by a Dapto try in the final two minutes of the match. Many of that side are still with Port and they will be endeavouring to make sure that they take that extra step this season.

The Reserve Grade picture is not much clearer with only Wests being guaranteed a Major Semi Final berth. Thirroul (22), Collegians and Dapto (21) and Port and University (20) will battle for the remaining three places. To make things more interesting, the sides remaining in the race seem to be playing each other making every game important for all teams chances.

Thirroul face equal 5th placed teams Port Kembla and University in the last two rounds, both of whom are currently two points adrift of them. Collegians have perhaps the "easiest" run home with a game against Helensburgh before a game against Port in round 18. Dapto will meet up with University and Berkeley, Port have Thirroul and Collies, and University take on Dapto and Thirroul. It is highly likely that the make up of the finals will not be clear until after round 18 completion.

The top four in the Under 18's competition is set but their places are no quite clear. Dapto will square off in a Major Semi final and Wests will play the first week in the Minor Semi Final, but their opponents are still to be decided with Port and Berkeley's fate determined by results in the remaining two rounds.

In the race for the league's leading pointscorer, Mark Simon, who has missed the last three games with injury, and who will not play again until the finals, remains in the lead. Remarkably, his closest rivals failed to make an impression this weekend. 46 points is the gap, and the most likely contenders to challenge for the crown are  Dane Dorahy (Collegians - 52 points adrift) and Clay Campbell (Wests - 46 points behind). The Dogs play Port in the final round, and will meet Helensburgh in the next round. The Tigers had sixty points put on them by Wests this week and a similar score will see Dorahy rack up something in the order of twenty to thirty points, making an interesting final rounds viewing in this category. Wests are up against Wollongong and Corrimal in their last two games.

The Club Championship looks like it will also come down to the wire. With two rounds remaining, The Blacks have a lead of 11 points in the race for the region's premier club. There are 24 points up for grabs in over the final two rounds (20 for Collegians as they have no Under 18's team). Fourteen of these points will guarantee the Championship for Port (assuming that their nearest rival - Wests - gains maximum points).