PHOTO
There is a lifeline for teams pushing for the playoffs in North Otago.
The Citizens Shield format has had a rejig this season, adding two more weeks of games — without extending to a full third round — to the competition.
Teams will play crossover games tomorrow and next week based off their seedings following last week’s final games of round two.
Valley (46 points) are still unbeaten at the top of the table, followed by Excelsior (30), Athletic Marist (30), Maheno (24), Old Boys (22) and Kurow (14).
Tomorrow it will be 1 v 4, 2 v 3 and 5 v 6, while next week is 1 v 6, 2 v 5 and 3 v 4, based off those standings.
Valley will host Maheno at Weston tomorrow in a good country battle.
Valley come in off a solid 38-12 victory over Kurow last week, while Maheno had a 26-13 loss to Blues in difficult conditions.
Blues will meet Athies in another instalment of the battle of the carpark.
Athies, who had the week off last week after Old Boys defaulted, had the upper hand in their last meeting earlier this month with a 34-25 win.
Old Boys will host Kurow at the A&P Showgrounds.
The Oamaru side squandered a chance to push into the top four after defaulting last week, citing injuries to their front-rowers and players being unavailable.
The Red Devils will throw their all at Old Boys, knowing they beat them early on in the season.
After the two weeks of crossover games, whoever makes the top four will qualify for the playoffs.
They have done away with the three-week playoff system — in which the major semifinal winner went straight through to the final and the loser was given a lifeline — and gone back to straight semifinals.
They will be held on July 11 and will consist of 1 v 4 and 2 v 3, followed by the final on July 18.