Battle on for the top spots

Eketahuna, Marist, Gladstone and Greytown-Tuhirangi are already through to the semi-finals of the Wairarapa-Bush senior first division competition, but who will play who there won't de decided until after the last round of preliminary games on Saturday.
Guaranteed the top seeding for the semis is Eketahuna which have 79 competition points.
Sitting second at present with 60pts is Marist, followed by Gladstone 59 and Greytown-Tuhirangi 56.
But with a maximum of five points up for grabs (four for a win and a bonus point for scoring four or more tries)in each game those places could have changed quite dramatically by Saturday night
Marist have the hardest row to hoe. Their last opponent in preliminary play is Eketahuna at Eketahuna and even getting a bonus point for finishing seven or less points from the winning team or losing but scoring four or more tries will be a huge ask.
If Marist come away from this game without any points the chances are they will drop from second to fourth and will have the unenviable task of having to play Eketahuna at Eketahuna again in the semis the following weekend. That would leave Gladstone and Greytown-Tuhirangi playing the other semi.
Mind you, there are no absolute guarantees that Gladstone or Greytown-Tuhirangi will win on Saturday either. They both have tricky games, Gladstone against Pioneer at the Park Sportsground and Greytown-Tuhirangi against East Coast who will be celebrating their old-timer's day at Whareama.
There is also the possibility, of course, of two of the semi-final contenders finishing with the same number of competition points. The seedings would then be decided on the results of the two preliminary round games between the two teams and if they were still even stevens there then on the points differential in those games.
For two of the first division teams, Masterton Red Star and Puketoi, Saturday will signal the end of their club rugby for 2005 with the other four sides-Carterton, Pioneer, Martinborough and East Coast- making up the semi-finalists for the senior second division championship. The semi-final draw there is also assured with Carterton playing East Coast and Pioneer up against Martinborough.
The President's grade semi-finalists will be Gladstone, Greytown-Tuhirangi, Pioneer and Eketahuna but their draw will also depend on Saturday's results, Gladstone and Greytown-Tuhrangi both have 73 competition points and Pioneer and Eketahuna both 65.
The draw for Saturday is:-
Senior first division: Eketahuna v Marist, Eketahuna at 2.30pm (T.Roseingrave); East Coast v Greytown-Tuhirangi, Whareama at 2.30pm (A.Stringer; N.Burt and B.King); Puketoi v Carterton, Pongaroa at 2.30pm (D.Goodin); Pioneer v Gladstone, Park Sportsground at 2.30pm (G.Moorcock);Masterton Red Star v Martinborough, Memorial Park at 2.30pm (R.McKay).
President's grade: East Coast v Greytown-Tuhirangi, Wahreama at 1pm (N.Burt); Featherston v Carterton, Featherston at 1pm (M.Brown); Pioneer v Gladstone, Park Sportsground at 1pm (C.Jefferies) Masterton Red Star v Martinborough, Memorial Park at 1pm (D.Taylor); Eketahuna a bye.
Under-19: East Coast v Norths, Whareama at 1pm (B.King).