Illawarra League: Sutherland Shire sides preparing for assault on 2022 title

Cronulla Caringbah and De La Salle Caringbah are the league's newest additions, taking the top grade's tally up to eight - the highest in first grade since 2013. They join Collegians, Wests, Thirroul, Corrimal, Dapto and Helensburgh in this year's comp, kicking off on Saturday.

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Both shire clubs arrive boasting an impressive resume. Cronulla Caringbah claimed the Sydney Shield in 2020, while De La Salle have been a powerhouse of the Cronulla competition.

Cronulla Caringbah, coached by Joe Lichaa, are set to field a strong side, led by two former NRL players, his son Michael Lichaa and Chase Stanley.

"We've got a pretty strong outfit and I want to make sure we're competitive every single week," Lichaa said.

"And De La Salle won't be a pushover either, they'll give as good as they can get down there. I'm not going down there to play second fiddle, I want to win the comp."

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Cronulla Caringbah were the first shire club to take the plunge and join the league, before De La Salle followed suit in January. Wyndham and Lachlan Peachey, the sons of Sharks NRL great David Peachey, headline a strong De La Salle outfit, while Dragons lower grade player Jaz Flavell will provide a dynamic element at hooker.

Coach Luke Manahan is excited to test themselves in a new environment.

"I wouldn't say we've been dominant, but we've been very competitive at the top for the past five or six year.

"We've got a lot of players coming through the ranks and they either gravitate towards the South Coast comp because it's a better quality, or they might play for Newtown and don't filter back through our comp. So we wanted to create a pathway for those players hopeful of making it to the next level," Manahan said.

"There's been word for so long about how strong the [Illawarra] comp is and we wanted to test ourselves to see how where we're at.

"You go in there with every intention to win the comp. The goal of finals is obviously the first step, and then we'll see what happens from there."

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2022 shapes as an important campaign for the Illawarra League. The past two seasons have been decimated by COVID, meaning It's been nearly three years since Collies lifted the premiership trophy.

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The comp was set to kick off last month, but rain delayed the action until Saturday, starting with the round three draw (first two rounds postponed).

While excited by his side's potential impact on the league, Lichaa remains wary of the local competitors.

"It's going to be very tough, there's been whispers around Collies and Thirroul. Collies have got a fair bit of money and support, and they've got Nathan Fien who was a first grader who played under Wayne Bennett. He's a very shrewd man" he said.

"And I've heard that Thirroul are pretty strong and have got some senior boys playing that competition, so they'll also be strong across the park."

Saturday's Draw:

Dapto v Thirroul at Dapto Showground; Collegians v Cronulla Caringbah at Figtree Sports Complex; Helensburgh v Wests at Figtree Sports Complex; De La Salle v Corrimal at Captain Cook Oval.