Before we get into it this week, a moment to acknowledge Anzac Day. To those who served, and those who continue to serve - we are grateful. Lest we forget.

Right, Round 3. If last week was a statement, this week was a paragraph. Six games, six stories, and enough chaos to keep the Shute Shield faithful well fed until next Saturday. The Battle of the Beaches rolled around for the 107th time and she was an absolute cracker. Props found space, naughty boys earned their minutes in the bin, and John Porch - back in the Shute Shield after his time in the big leagues - broke Souths hearts from 40 out like he'd never been away. The Students kept rolling, the Rats kept scurrying, and Gordon and Randwick served up the game of the round in a thriller that went right to the wire. Buckle up.

Sydney University v Western Sydney
Students def Two Blues 50-15

Another week and another new starting lineup for The Students. Young, not so dumb and full of...chemistry, this collection of 23-odd blokes. The Northman, Tom Curtis put Uni in front early with three points. Straight from the kick-off, Uni went coast-to-coast - forwards and backs alike - and Eddie Poolman glided home. Curtis converted. Well, well, well, we love our naughty boys. Lukas Ripley, you had no chance of catching it my G. Tut tut. A man up and Two Blues struck back, Latrell Ah Kiong went over in the corner. Rodney Iona converted. Uni's rolling maul crashed over to increase the lead, Austin Durbridge adding five and Curtis two more. A tidy midfield scrum put Uni on the front foot and naughty boy number two arrived - Jekope Kitou with his best Superman tackle on Hwi Sharples earned him 10 in the bin. I hear Oscar nominations. Uni went to the maul and Declan Moore flopped over. Curtis converted. A man down but not out, Iona slotted a penalty before the break. Halftime.

All Uni in the second half. Poolman's second was very tidy - broken play, coast-to-coast, over the line. Curtis converted. Late in the game, a cheeky turnover in Uni's half and Lolagi Visinia got his fifth for the season and second for the day. Leafi Talataina, fresh off the bench, straight under the sticks with four to play. Oli Schmude converted. Clock in the red, a turnover to the Students and new kid on the block James McGregor strode down the edge. Schmude added two. Fulltime.

Eastern Suburbs v Eastwood
Beasties def Woods 49-26

Eastwood, hot off a gritty win against Hunter, were first to dot down - Xavier Degei burrowed in from close range. Naughty boy number one, Henry Stowers sent off in the same breath for repeated infringement. Brad Roderick-Evans converted. Easts never take long to reply and minutes later Sam Walker closed the gap off a simple mismatch in numbers. Jack Bowen converted. Roderick-Evans broke the stereotype on the short ball, Isaac Crowe off his hip and Woodies were back in front. Roderick-Evans converted. Bad, bad Reon Lowery capitalised off some sharp Beasties attack. Bowen converted. Easts' maul attack has been deadly and it was no different with 10 to play - someone tell this bloke to stop stealing maul tries, Archie Gavin with another one on the tally. Bowen converted. Woods took advantage of soft defence in the seam and Olly Paotonu took several with him over the line. Halftime.

Beasties showed great pace around the corner and Connor Tupai snuck under. Bowen converted. Paotonu got his second. Roderick-Evans converted. Easts went back to the maul and big bopper Bryn Davies plopped down. Bowen converted. Hot off the World Series, Mick (ice, ice baby) Icely went in the corner. Bowen converted. A sexy cross-field kick found Ollie Dawkins who raced in from 50 metres to throw away the key. Bowen converted a perfect day. Will Guilfoyle fancied an early mark two minutes into the red - apparently algebra is a foreign concept to this bloke, that tackle angle was illegal brother. Fulltime.

Southern Districts v Hunter Wildfires
Wildfires def Rebels 31-28

An interesting opening 30 seconds to start us off. Matt Meafu settled the nerves and put Hunter under the sticks inside the opening 10. Logan Love converted. If you looked away for a second you were left scratching your head. A poor exit kick from Hunter gave Souths front-foot ball 60 metres out. Penalty, quick tap and before you knew it Cam McKenzie raced under the sticks. Struan Hutchison converted. Three minutes later, Andrew Tuala rolled in off a maul. Love converted. Isaac Kneepkens showed us his razzle and dazzle, popping the ball over the top for David Nicol. Hutchison converted. Like a classic game of Pong, Hunter went in next - Brendan Palmer picked and went from the ruck, yes he is a fullback, and closed the gap. Love converted. Halftime.

The Rebels struck first, the forwards bent the line well and the backs had room to play. Good footwork and silky hands put Hopoate Finau away. Hutchison converted. All square with 17 on the clock. A long-range penalty attempt from Hutchison sliced away but Mitieli Tuinakauvadra put Souths in front moments later. Hutchison converted. With 10 to play, big bodies flying everywhere and Sau Vaihu scored next to the big pointy things. Love converted. All square again with nine to go. In the final play of the game, up stepped John Porch - a penalty from 40 out, absolutely drilled it, and he let the old Souths faithful know about it. Two heartbreaking losses on the trot for the Rebels. Fulltime.

Gordon v Randwick
Stags def Wicks 31-28

We love to see first phase set-piece tries. Inside their own half, the Gordon backs came alive - Justin Landman raced down the wing and slammed it down. Cole Spinks converted. Two minutes later Wicks found themselves with a five-metre lineout, went to the maul and Joel Ellis strolled in. Ethan Cusick converted. PROPS IN SPACE ALERT. Jack Barrett went into a hole, gave us the razzle and the dazzle, Gordon's Connor Hickey gave the old "nah you're right mate, off you go" and Barrett strode home. Cusick converted. Staggies scrum plays are looking sharp and Hickey redeemed himself moments later, diving over the chalk. A goal-line restart that could have been better gave Wicks the ball inside Gordon's 30 metres - good attack shape and Cusick was down the edge and over. Cusick converted. Halftime.

A sluggish start for both teams in the second but Gordon eventually broke the deadlock. Hickey with a tidy long ball to Spinks and the new man in Tartan went in. Louis Robinson was the only naughty boy for the game and boy was he not happy about it. Unfortunately, being last to do the same thing his teammates were told off for is a cheese-able offence. Gordon went in again through Tom Horan. Spinks converted. Harry Snook, as he has done so many times before, slid through the defence and stepped his way under the posts. Spinks converted. With five to go Wicks finally scored and Ellis got his second. Cusick converted. Too little too late. Fulltime. Game of the round.

Northern Suburbs v West Harbour
Norths def Pirates 28-17

Not the best of starts this year for the Shoremen, struggling to find their feet, but alas they were first cab off the rank. Callum Sirker, once a Pirate on the isle of Jersey, crashed and banged his way over against his southern kin. Matt Minogue converted. Thom Everard bagged Norths' second from close range. Minogue converted. Just when you thought Pirates were in for a long day, some sexy hands from the backline and Matt Williams palmed his way into the corner. Whatever is going on in Burwood, I am loving the result. A good old fashioned tussle between the two to finish the half. Halftime.

There was something in the water this week, as kick-offs across the competition were chaos. Pirates restart, regather and before you knew it Will McDonald pirouetted over the line. Well in son. One to watch for the remainder of the season is Norths fullback Shane Wilcox - ball in space he stepped three and streamed home. Minogue converted. Norths with the wind in their sails and the unthinkable happened. Yep, another prop in space. It's like he has done it before - George Thornton went through a gap, pointed to mum and dad and flopped down. Minogue converted. Pirates finished well, their scrum had been on all day. Up steps naughty boy Kieran Curran - offside at the ruck - an early mark for you pal. One man up and the result was inevitable, Onehunga Kaufusi barged over. Hunter Hannaford converted. Pirates chased that illustrious defensive bonus point in the dying minutes but to no avail. Fulltime.

Manly v Warringah
Rats def Marlins 42-31

Well, well, well. The biggest fixture on the calendar and she didn't disappoint (unless you're a Manly fan). Start the way you mean to go on and Billy Dickens missed algebra growing up - tipping past horizontal equals 10 in the bin. Rats capitalised with Jackson Ropata slicing through the gap. Byron Smith converted. The Manly piggies took this personally. Grunting and grinding they found a way through, Maka Mafileo went in. It's true what they say, the more noise you make carrying the ball, the harder you run. Will Kaye converted. The big boys were at it again, punching their way through and Ben Kafer crashed under the sticks. Kaye converted. The best start for Manly in a long time had Rats stunned. Poor defensive discipline gave Manly a penalty and Kaye knocked over a beauty. Right before the half, Chlayton Frans caught Manly asleep at the wheel, picking and going through the middle with no one home. Smith converted. Against the run of play Manly toed the ball through, Smith and Dally Bird gave chase - the bounce of the ball can be a terrible thing and Bird scooped it up and dotted down. Kaye converted. Halftime.

10 points the difference and 10 minutes into the second half, Sateki Latu went through two blokes and closed the gap. Smith converted. Theme of the week is props in space - Ivan Fepule'ai with the show and go, then something out of nothing, Charlie Tupu fended two with only two metres of space and dove into the corner in front of the Hillbilly faithful. Smith converted. Manly were on the front foot in the final quarter but a Rats turnover caught them napping again. Ben Marr went quick and naughty boy number two for Manly - Joe Dillon, it was a head scratcher and a tough call, but cynical was the call. Warringah lineout, speed around the corner, good shape and it was too much for Manly, Marr dotted down and let the home fans know about it. Smith converted. Still a man down and Manly were in strife - Ropata ran in for his second from out wide with 10 to play. Smith converted. Manly didn't die wondering, pick and go after pick and go and Davea Teoteo was under the black dot. Kaye converted. BOTB number 107, what a game. Fulltime.