Best and worst scenarios: Volunteers Cup

The Volunteers Cup has been an exciting initiative for the participating Ipswich and Toowoomba clubs with three teams from each area competing over the past nine weeks.

With one round to go and three teams already confirmed to play finals, it's crunch time this weekend for the remaining teams to secure the final ticket to the playoffs.

Below are the best and worst scenarios for each Volunteers Cup team in the hunt to qualify for finals footy next weekend.

Volunteers Cup

1. Goodna Eagles (16 points)

Best / worst: 1st
Final match: v Souths Tigers

Goodna have been the form team of the competition all season, with Norths Tigers the only team to get over the ladder-leaders.

Whatever happens against Souths, the Eagles will finish on top of the ladder and will wait to see if they will face in their finals match.

2. Valleys Roosters (12 points)

Best / worst: 2nd - 3rd
Final match: v Gatton Hawks

Last week's loss to West End was a shock result to most, but the Roosters did rest a number of their stars.

Regardless of how their game against Gatton pans out this weekend, they'll be up against Norths next weekend for a spot in the big dance.

3. Norths Tigers (12 points)

Best / worst: 2nd - 3rd
Final match: v West End Bulldogs

Outside of the loss against Valleys in Toowoomba, the Tigers have had a strong back-end to their season, even upsetting the minor premiers when they had their opportunity to play at home.

Despite facing West End, who will be hungry to cement fourth spot in the final round, they are a guaranteed to face off against Valleys in the do-or-die semi-final at North Ipswich Reserve next Saturday.

4. West End Bulldogs (6 points)

Best / worst: 4th - 6th
Final match: v Norths Tigers

It's a straightforward scenario for West End this weekend; win, and they're guaranteed a spot against Goodna in next week's playoffs, but if they lose, they'll have their fingers and toes crossed that results go their way.

The Bulldogs have a healthy for-and-against and are 154 points ahead of Souths; so even if they lose, they are the odds-on favourite to take the remaining finals spot. 

5. Souths Tigers (4 points)

Best / worst: 4th - 6th
Final match: v Goodna Eagles

Souths have a real David and Goliath battle on their hands if they are any hope of sneaking into the final four.

Basically, they need to thump Goodna by a score and hope Gatton do the same to West End; it's highly unlikely given how those teams have played this year, but it's not impossible.

6. Gatton Hawks (4 points)

Best / worst: 4th - 6th
Final match: v Valleys Roosters

Much like Souths, they also have a mammoth task ahead of them.

The Hawks need to defeat West End by 107 or more points and hope Goodna get the job done over the Tigers in order to book a quest against the Eagles next Saturday.