With the Citizens Shield competition getting close to the halfway stage, Old Boys has an eight-point lead.
Old Boys will travel to Kurow tomorrow to meet the home side at 2.30pm.
Old Boys was in masterful form last week with its power, pace and skill dominating Valley.
Kurow, coming off a loss to Maheno, is still in second place, equal with Maheno, but must lift its game against Old Boys to stay there.
Maheno will be hosting Athletic Marist at Maheno and on the home ground the green and blacks seem to grow another leg, while Athletic Marist, coming off a loss to Excelsior last week, will still hold fourth place.
It is six points ahead of Valley, which hosts Excelsior at Weston.
The battle at this stage appears to be for that fourth spot for the semifinals.
If one were running a book, the top three would be Old Boys, Maheno and Excelsior and the fourth spot could be any of the other teams.
Next weekend, on May 21, Athletic Marist will be under close scrutiny, as the Athletic Citizens Shield-winning side of 1966 is holding a get-together.
The 1966 victory was special, because it was 10 years since Athletic had last won the shield.
One player who was in both teams is Tyne St entrepreneur Barry Rooney, who is one of the 13 survivors of the 1966 team.
That team played 13 games, winning nine and losing four.
It scored 168 points and conceded 95.
The team was captained by the late Ken McGregor.
The other deceased players are Doug Carrington, Ray Matthews, Gordon Anderson, Ronnie Patterson, Terry O'Donnell, Rod McLeod and coach Ray Collett.
Centennial Park was opened in 1966 but the final game was played at the showgrounds because of the wet conditions. Athletic lined up against Union, captained by Dave Finlay, knowing that a draw would be enough to win the shield.
Bernie Potts and Kevin Ford scored tries, with Rod McLeod kicking a penalty for Athletic, while Neville Gard scored a try for Union and Norm McKenzie kicked a penalty.
With minutes remaining in the game, Union forced a scrum close to the Athletic line.
Athletic halfback Ken McGregor suggested to openside flanker Paddy Ford that he get offside, as the resulting penalty could only draw the game.
Dave Finlay indicated to referee Keith Gawn that Union would take a shot at goal but, after discussion with the late Bill Simpson, told referee Keith Gawn that instead he would take a scrum.
The referee denied him this and the unsuccessful kick was touched down by Ford and Athletic had the Shield.
Neville Gard, who was normally a Kurow club player, was in Burnham Army camp at the time and apparently the late Alex Farmer had his transfer ratified to play for Union in the final.
The surviving members of the team, Martin Koppert, Tony Byrne, Murray Pullan, Barry Rooney, Lionel Boynton, Kevin Ford, Jim Cooper, Brian Koppert, Ian Rowell, Barry Zweiss, Paddy Ford, Bernie Potts and Peter Howell, will go to the match between Athletic Marist and Valley before a function at night.
- Terry O'Neill
