Before the ‘Tahs slipped from the top spot however, the round opened with a battle for play-off positions, as Belmont claimed a close 7-6 win against Rutherford.

It’s was the fourth week in a row Rutherford’s matches finished within two points, and their close battles continue to thrill heading into the turning point of the season.

Although their power forward Dan Jenkinson, alongside captain Peter Goldthorpe and veteran centre David Franklin, put in performances worthy of the two points, they were shut down by Belmont’s Gorgia Watkins.

Thirteen rounds were played in the opening match, and Watkins stunned Rutherford and guided her side to third place with fifteen catches at a season high 1.25 catch rate.

Read: League record for photo-finishes broken before Easter break

After the close opening match of the round, Hamilton’s 13-0 demotion of the fourth placed Raymond Terrace squad shocked spectators – former season MVPs Harry Gibson and Doug Byrne combined as the defending champions romped to the win.

Although the 13-0 scoreline suggested a lacking contest in the match-up however, most contested points came down to the wire between Hamilton and the Terrace teams.

The last round, and Raymond Terrace’s last chance at a round win, accented the tight battles as Gibson managed to scrape a win in a 1-against-4 with just 90 seconds left on the clock.

The final round saw Cooks Hill continue their dominant form as they claimed their second major scalp of the season – after downing Hamilton last week, they scored a 6-5 win over league-leading Waratah after the Easter break.

The team has also been stricken by injuries, including a short lay-off for deep back Michael Kolmajer, but the road to recovery didn’t stop him from scoring a number of catches late on in the tie.

Read:  Terrace’s Goldthorpe leads MVP race as the Easter break looms

It was also another notable captain’s contribution from Benjamin McIntyre, and his match-up against Andrew de Souza and Jakub Lunarzewski on the attack-line proved key as the match dragged to a 5-5 draw before Lewis Foot’s late catch swung the tide in the 11^th round.

It was enough for the Cookers, as they moved into fourth place and dropped the ‘Tahs to second, as well as inching themselves just four points off a shot at the top spot.

Competition Table: Hamilton (14), Waratah (14), Belmont (10), Cooks Hill (10), Rutherford (8), Raymond Terrace (4).

If you’re interested in registering for the Newcastle Dodgeball League, head to newcastledodgeball.com/register-now, or email newcastledodgeball@gmail.com.