The last spot in the 2019 finals series will go to either Brothers Ipswich or Souths Logan Magpies when the SEQ Women's Division 1 regular season ends this weekend.
Three of the four spots have already been decided. Wests Brisbane and Burleigh will be the top two and Easts will finish third, leaving just one spot to be decided in Round 14.
Brothers Ipswich currently hold the advantage, sitting in fourth spot one point ahead of the Magpies. Their destiny is in their own hands as a win in Round 14 will ensure they play finals.
Getting that win will not be easy, however, as they take on the competition leading Wests Brisbane Panthers on Saturday afternoon.
They will also need to bounce back from a tough couple of months where they have one win and a draw from their last five games.
The Panthers have led the competition since Round 1 and will wrap up the minor premiership if they can defeat Brothers.
A loss of 11-points or more would hand the minor premiership to the defending champion Burleigh Bears, who have the bye and are guaranteed to finish on 35 competition points.
Saturday’s blockbuster between Brothers and Wests Brisbane is a semi-final preview that Souths Logan will be watching very closely.
If Brothers get the win, the Magpies’ season is over and their game against Tweed Heads on Sunday won’t impact the ladder.
A Brothers loss, however, opens the door for the Magpies to sneak into fourth and book a place in the finals series.
The Magpies will start favourites against the sixth-placed Seagulls who they defeated 18-0 back in Round 7.
Souths Logan have spent the majority of the season on the cusp of the top four without breaking through, but a win on Sunday could be enough to get them into the finals and within reach of a grand final berth.
Whichever teams takes fourth place will take on the minor premiers in an elimination final next weekend.
The 2019 finals series format, which was released last week, will feature the top two taking on teams who finish third and fourth in elimination finals with the winners advancing straight to the grand final the following week.
The final game of the round features third-placed Easts against Toowoomba.
Neither team can move up or down on the ladder regardless of result.
SEQ Women's Division 1 - Round 14
Brothers Ipswich v Wests Brisbane Panthers – Saturday, July 20 at Anzac Park, 5pm
Easts Tigers v Toowoomba Valleys – Saturday July 20 at Leo Williams Oval, 6pm
Souths Logan Magpies v Tweed Heads Seagulls – Sunday, July 21 at Davies Park, 3pm
Burleigh Bears - bye
Ladder
| Pos | Team | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wests Brisbane Panthers | 168 | 34 |
| 2 | Burleigh Bears | 158 | 32 |
| 3 | Easts Tigers | 192 | 31 |
| 4 | Brothers Ipswich | 30 | 28 |
| 5 | Souths Logan Magpies | 114 | 27 |
| 6 | Tweed Heads Seagulls | -84 | 24 |
| 7 | Toowoomba Valleys | -578 | 16 |
