The ‘Tahs will now turn their eyes to a return to the grand final stage, where they were downed 14-9 to Hamilton in season nine, and a return to form in the final two weeks of the regular season may offer hope for the squad.

An uptick in form for a number of key members of the team, including Andrew De Souza and Molly Walker – both of whom starred in Waratah’s second half control against Rutherford – will also prove vital as they return in the semi-finals.

Later on in the evening, Hamilton came back from a deficit at half time to show the rest of the league why they’re the favourites heading into the elimination series.

Trailing by one set at half time, the defending champions returned to batter Belmont in five straight sets, to secure a 7(1)-3(1) victory.

Although Belmont were accounted for in the second half, it was a club lacking some of their veteran core – forwards Nic Price and Liam Janczuk were both out for the week, while back-court Gorgia Watkins was forced to watch from the sidelines heading into the finals.

In the earliest match at Oakdale Arena, Raymond Terrace made short work of Cooks Hill with a 10-3 win. The victory secured the Terrace’s fifth place finish, with both teams set to play out the rematch in the quarter finals next week.

FINAL NDL TABLE: Hamilton (50), Waratah (40), Belmont (34), Cooks Hill (26), Raymond Terrace (18), Rutherford (12).