Spot in playoffs at stake

• Published date: 24 June 2022
• Publication title: Sports Tab

University can claim the sixth and last spot with a win over Harbour at Watson Park tomorrow, while Green Island will need to beat Zingari-Richmond at Montecillo Park and hope University falls short

Form suggests Harbour will have the edge against University (13 points).

The Hawks (20 points) have won four of their past five games and are safely through. But there should be ample motivation to produce a top performance.

They can leapfrog Dunedin (25 points) into second place with a bonus-point win over University.

All Dunedin needs to do to seal off second place, though, is pick up a bonus point against Southern at Kettle Park.

Southern (19 points) can potentially climb to third and nab a home venue for the playoffs with a win. The Magpies will need other results to go their way, though.

Kaikorai (19 points) can also lift its odds in the playoffs by dispatching Alhambra-Union at Bishopscourt.

The Demons can scale as high as third if things go their way.

Taieri has a bye and has already secured top spot. The Eels have also earned the luxury of a second chance.

A quick refresher on the playoffs format is probably in order here. The top six has the No1 side hosting the No6 team, 2 v 5 and 3 v 4. The three winners and the top-ranked loser progress to the semifinals.

Two years ago, Taieri lost its playoff game but progressed courtesy of being the top-ranked loser...