The regular season is done and dusted. 12 of the 20 teams to compete in this year's PL have hung up the boots for the off season and are cooling their heels on the sidelines. The cream of the crop has risen to the top. It's time for the pressure cooker of finals football. 3 games in 8 days for half of the GF teams. You know you love it! Let's assess week one of the finals in both grades...    Reserve Grade KEN vs HWK The Bushboys 2nd XI can lay claim to being far and away the most dominant side in the PL competition. A miserly defensive unit (13 conceded in 18) headed by defensive player of the year Matt Capaldi has been complemented by a frontline led by the evergreen Matt Seale (9 goals) and livewire goal sneak Sam 'how is he not playing first grade' Pintabona (Great Australian Spelling Bee that!) have showed once again that no one competes with Kenthurst when it comes to squad depth. The Hawks, meanwhile, recovered from two late round pummelings at the hands of fellow finalists STA (3-1) and PHD (5-1) to stick their necks in front as the best of the rest. Squad depth is severely tested at the tail end of the season and the Hawks boys have experienced that in recent times. That said, they will give themselves half a chance here having held the Bushboys to a draw early in the season before a tight 1-0 loss in the reverse fixture.            Mr EUS predicts: KEN 3-1                                                       STA vs PHD The boys from Eastwood have put in another solid showing as a squad. Clearly a good culture of belief and high standards held to in the Chinatown of the west. Interestingly they have played all three fellow finalists in the last four rounds of the regular season with mixed results (1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss). Two weeks back they fought out a 1-all draw with their opponents this Saturday. The Pumas, meanwhile, have flown under the radar big time as the attention has been on their under-performing first grade outfit. It took a draw with Normo last week to guarantee them a finals berth. But get this, after a poor start to the season they've gone undefeated in 10 games! Only Kenthurst can boast a better record. They go in with white hot form. With KEN, STA and HWK focused on both grades could the Pumas be up for a fairytale run from 4th position? Mr EUS predicts: PHD 2-1       First Grade 36, 34, 33, 32, 31... sounds as if it's an unlikely combination of winning lotto numbers but it's actually the final points tally of the top 5 in one of the tightest PL comps in recent years - with Penno the unlucky ones to miss out. EEW vs STA The Tigers rode their early/mid season form to hang on for the premiership, but just 1 win in their last 4 outings must have raised doubts in the ranks heading into their finals and CoC campaigns. Their usually water tight defence has uncharacteristically not kept a clean sheet in 3 matches - all against bottom half sides. Seemingly like the Hawks squad depth has again been an issue. But surely there's nothing like a 'there's only one team in Eastwood' derby to sharpen the focus of Petza and co. - especially with the carrot of a GF as the prize! Such is the nature of the comp this year that from the possibility of missing the 4 altogether last week the Woodies now find themselves with two bites of the cherry should they need it. Proving their big game credentials with a character-filled 2-1 win over Alby's (or is that now Kurt's?) Green Machine last week they seem steeled for finals action. Uncompromising defensively, workmanlike in the front half, they match up pound for pound pretty evenly with their crosstown rivals. This is seen in hard fought split results between the two this season (both winning by one goal at home). Anticipate a typically dour affair, one for the football purists, with no quarter given or expected on either side. Will Geoff Turner or Liam Kelly prove the difference in this one?                     Mr EUS predicts: 1-all (STA on pens) KEN vs HWK Let's call their 3-0 pounding by Penno in the second last round an apparition and acknowledge that (that result aside) the Bushboys are still probably the form side going into this finals series. GHFA Cup in the KP2 trophy cabinet along with another reserve grade premiership, they'll be keen to make a statement by taking home 4 of the 5 trophies on offer to PL clubs. Playing against PL finals virgins the Hawks, will Kenthurst's big game experience see them over the line in this one? The Hawks, meanwhile, limped over the Top 4 line with a must win result over the Ravens last week. They found the back of the net for the first time in 4 matches. So if you take this pinch of confidence, stir into the mix the thrill of being PL finals first-timers, plus add a healthy dash of self-belief taken from having had a win and a draw against their opponents in the regular season, and you might just have the recipe for a finals week one boil over! Mr EUS predicts: KEN 2-1 Good luck for the weekend, gents. Finals football - you know you love it!

Yeah, pretty good read, shame you can't pick your nose.

This was a great read, Afew results completely wrong but I thought you were pretty much closer on point, can't wait to read the next one