Why every contender can claim the Illawarra Rugby League crown... and why they can't

The quest begins on Saturday with a finals double-header at Collegians, with Thirroul and Wests putting it all on the line in the elimination minor semi-final.

Minor premiers De La Salle and Collegians will also do battle for the first berth in the grand final in the major semi-final, with the winner sure to move into title favouritism.

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While the direct path is always best-case scenario, there is a path to the title for all four combatants. Here's why all four can reach the mountaintop, and why they can't.

Game breakers: With the game in the balance, you need difference-makers who can produce when it counts. The Butchers have them.

If you're talking the the best big-game player of the last decade, five-eighth Jarrod Boyle is right in the conversation. A three-time premiership winner, Boyle's looking for a fourth premiership at a third club and knows what it takes to navigate the crunch games and get it done in big moments.

Fullback Wayne Bremner is another with a knack for producing his best when it matters, while centre Steve Marsters is the most dangerous one-out strike weapon in the competition.

If they can be thereabouts in the contest, they have the X factor to find the big play.

Timing: It's been a tough run through the season on the injury front, with Jarrod Costello having only had his full squad to pick from on a handful of occasions all year.

It put a top-two finish out of reach long ago, leaving Costello to gear all his efforts to peaking at finals time. Finishing top of the table has done the Butchers few favours in recent years as it is, having finished on top only to go out in straight sets in 2019 and last season.

Coming from fourth with momentum may well suit this blue-collar outfit better, while Costello has welcomed back a host of key personnel, including Bremner, prop Monty Raper, utility Jye Bowen and bookend Sione Afemui in recent weeks.

As far as needing to take the long road to the decider, given their indifferent run through the year, the Butchers are probably three weeks away from their best.

If they're to give the grand final a shake, they'll likely need the two tough runs leading in. Navigate it the right way and they could be primed come grand final day.

Form: It's the simplest measure and it doesn't look great on paper for the Butchers.

The Butchers head into the finals with a losing record (7-8). They have beaten Wests and De La handily, but they are their only two victories over top-four rivals this season.

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The haven't beaten a finalist since round nine and haven't managed the feat away from Gibson Park at all this year.

Bettering that tally, away from home, in three consecutive weeks is a tall order. It's not impossible, or unfathomable, but it would be a stunning form reversal.

Opportunities a few and fleeting in finals footy. Marsters can create something from nothing and turn half chances into points.

With the game on the line, he's the stuff of nightmares for rival coaches.

Wests Devils (3rd)

Depth: It's not something Pete McLeod has enjoyed for most of the year but, fully fit, the Devils have the best roster top-to-bottom, especially when it comes to forward stocks.

The likes of Luke Chalker and Dylan Lauri can play huge minutes up front, but it's when McLeod goes to his bench that he has more than a few aces.

Having the quality of Grant Millington and Nathan Lea'tigaga coming on as part of the second unit, in combination with crafty rake Mitch Barbuto is a luxury McLeod's rivals don't possess.

If the Devils can go toe-to-toe early and be on pace, that bench rotation has the potential to not just maintain, but shift momentum the Devils way.

Experience: There are some new faces, but the core of the Devils group has been together for several years under McLeod.

There are five surviving members from the 2018 premiership-winning side, and even more from consecutive trips to the past two deciders.

It's a group that's won and lost grand finals and knows what it takes to do both. In the big moments, that long-built familiarity can be golden.

The climb: It's no secret that their respective injury tolls have played a role in Wests and Thirroul fighting it out in the elimination semi-final.

The Devils have carried a heavy injury toll through the season, even through an unbeaten start through the opening eight rounds. It was bound to bite eventually, and told in a run of four straight losses through the middle part of the year.

They've righted the ship somewhat, and are nudging full strength once again, but looked noticeably weary in a last-start loss to Collegians.

Of the top four combatants, Wests could have most benefitted from a path through the major semi-final and week off ahead of the decider.

That opportunity slipped with the loss to Collies last week. Wests can beat anyone on grand final day, the toughest part will be getting there.

Combinations: It's an experienced group, but McLeod's been forced to reshuffle his play-makers on numerous occasions throughout the year.

It's made for a clunky attack, particularly in the good-ball stakes. Halfback Justin Rodrigues is the only true continuity there and he'll need to have belter of a post-season to get his side home.

While Rodrigues holds the actual keys to the bus, Lauri is the best physical tone-setter in the competition. Bar none.

Makes it personal with opposition packs and, given his side is going to need a lift at different points of the finals campaign, Lauri is inevitably the man who provides it. He'll need to be again.

Collegians (2nd)

Consistency: Didn't claim the minor premiership, but have been the most consistent side all year, both in performance and personnel.

Went 2-2 into the finals but haven't produced a truly sub-par performance since a round-five loss to Wests. The gap between their best and worst has been the narrowest of all sides this season.

Big games are won on defence and Collies have conceded the fewest amount of points and simply never give up cheap ones, a trend that frustrates opponents no end.

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Their spine men, Jack Cross, Zeik Foster, Max Devlin and Callum Gromek have hardly missed a game, nor have key forwards Blake Phillips, Josh Dowel and Jarrod Thompson.

That continuity is all-important in finals games and they have it in spades.

Winning habits: Hooper's side is stacked with winners, some of the best in the competition over the last decade.

Skipper Phillips is chasing a fifth premiership in 10 years, with two grand final man-of-the-match gongs already in his keeping. Thompson's chasing premiership number four with the Dogs.

Dowel, and Cross are already two-time premiers. The Dogs shed is filled wall-to-wall with big-game performers who know how to get it done on the biggest day.

Who knows: The cupboard's pretty bare on this one.

Top to bottom it's difficult to find a single weakness, though they can be found out defensively on the edges. That's where major semi-final combatants De La Salle are lethal, so it's an area to watch on Saturday.

Beyond that, other than the very simple matter of rivals being better on the day, there's no real reason they can't make it three titles on the bounce.

The single best big-game player in the competition over the last 10 years. Has two grand final man-of-the-match awards and a knack for picking his moments either side of halftime.

Has the exceptionally rare ability for a middle forward to influence the result of crunch games as much as any half or play-maker.

De La Salle (1st)

Formline: Demonstrably the best team through the regular season in claiming the minor premiership.

Beyond that pure fact, the way in which the Shire powerhouse has gone about it warrants title favouritism heading into the post-season.

Have scored the most points by a fair margin and are relentless when they seize momentum. Have a winning record (2-1) over both Collegians and Thirroul and are 1-1-1 against Wests.

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They are the only side not to have dropped a game to a side outside the top four and head into the playoffs on a seven-game winning streak.

It includes a 24-6 win over major semi-final rival Collegians in the penultimate round. On form and results, De La have been the most dominant side.

Defence*: There's an asterisk on this one, but De La have the worst defensive record of all the top four sides.

The overall differential is obviously heavily impacted but conceding 80 points in consecutive losses to Thirroul and Wests in round 7-8 while undermanned.

They've conceded only 16 points in their past three games, but do have a tendency of leaking points on or around halftime.

Continuity: The club set-up as a feeder to Newtown and the Sharks Jersey Flegg squad has seen De La's line-up change regularly throughout the year.

Some stability in that regard has played a major role in their strong run into the finals, in particular halves pairing Eli Lovido and Jack Williams finally stringing together some games alongside each other.

Still, line-ups could change along the way and coach Luke Manahan may not know with absolute certainty the precise line-up he'll have at his disposal each week.

Amid those shape-shifting line-ups, Lovido has been the mainstay for Manahan at five-eighth, steering De La to the best regular season record.

The competition's leading point-scorer has been razor-sharp off the tee - sure to be a factor in finals games - and has steered the ship despite a revolving door of halves partners.

De La haven't dropped a game with Lovido paired with Jack Williams in the halves and, while the latter has proved the ace, the former brings continuity to a side that's been often without it.

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