Outside the top-five, Sydney Olympic and, to a lesser extent, West Sydney Berries still hold hopes of a final charge as Sutherland Sharks and Marconi Stallions risk losing their finals series spots after some inconsistent results in recent weeks.

Action commences on Saturday evening with last season's grand-finalists Sutherland Sharks playing host to Sydney Olympic. The Sharks performed strongly to secure a vital win at Bonnyrigg against the White Eagles last weekend, ending a somewhat disappointing run of results. Most importantly for the Sharks has been the re-found familiarity of scoring goals for both Brad Boardman and Panni Nikas - certainly two key components for the Sharks' title ambitions this season.

The visiting Sydney Olympic will need to go for broke as anything less than a win will end the side's hopes of challenging for the title this season. Nick Theodorakopoulos' men have struggled to find the consistency in this season's campaign, though will need to risk from the outset to find goals. Tolgay Ozbey is set to return to the fold after his trial in Turkey and Matthew Mayora is set to return from his suspension.

At Lidcombe Oval, West Sydney Berries too need maximum points to keep their slender hopes of finals football alive. The Berries have been a 'nightmare' opponent for all adversaries this season, though too many dropped points along the way have proved the side's undoing. Coach John Calleja will hope to see more goals from John Tsironis and attack-minded Chris Gaitatzis and Dimitri Zakilas against the Sydney Tigers, in the hope that the teams currently occupying Top-Five spots drop points for a final Berries surge in the last Round of the season.

The Tigers campaign fell by the wayside midway through the season, with the side failing to grind out results in matches dominated by Luke McGuire's men. A positive display against Marconi Stallions last weekend will have confidence on the rise as the Tigers men hope to finish the season on a high.

On Sunday afternoon at Marconi Stadium (3:00 PM kick-off), Lee Sterrey's Stallions need a win against Bonnyrigg White Eagles to end their recent form slump and secure a spot in the Top-Five. The Stallions will be without the likes of Abel El Jamal and Ousmane Toure following their red cards last weekend against the Sydney Tigers, though supporters will be hoping to see more of the brilliance of Ali Al-Hilfi that almost single-handedly destroyed the White Eagles in the reverse fixture at Bonnyrigg Sports Ground earlier in the season.

Bonnyrigg's hopes of finals football ended last weekend with the home loss against Sutherland Sharks though coach Brian Brown will be eager to see his side finish the season strongly in anticipation of next season. There have been some very positive signs from this White Eagles side following their promotion from the Super League, and the supporters will expect nothing less than a win against their local rivals this weekend.

Wollongong Community FC will continue to search for their second win of the season following the heavy defeat against the Berries last weekend. WCFC started that match positively though fell apart soon after; red cards to Dave Able and Steven Hayes ultimately killing off any hope of victory.

Blacktown City Demons too will be after maximum points to bring their season to a positive end. Ken Schembri's side has put together some very positive displays in this campaign with a relatively youthful squad at his disposal. A fairly even encounter is expected at Hooka Creek Park on Sunday, though most telling will be the home-side's reaction following such a heavy loss last weekend.

At Sydney United Sports Centre, the Reds will be expected to overcome Penrith-Nepean United's challenge to inch a step further to claiming the Premiership. The side has been flawless this season, though have struggled to replicate the 'giant killing' form of the first-half of the season. A difficult playing surface has limited the creative genius of Davor Bajsic out of midfield, though player/coach Ante Milicic will be hoping to see his side play the quick passing game across the park to stretch their opponent.

Penrith-Nepean is coming off a positive run of results following Ante Juric's appointment as player/coach - TigerTurf Cup semi-final aside. Captain Devrim Huseyin & Co. have been a menace for the top sides - Penrith-Nepean holding Bankstown City to a draw last weekend - and Sunday's fixture against the Reds could certainly prove to be a similar story.

In the final match of the Round, Bankstown City and Manly United FC meet in a battle between second and third on the league ladder. The Lions have been in exceptional touch over the past two months and few sides visiting the Lions leave Jensen Park with maximum points. Peter Tsekenis was disappointed with the side's inability to take maximum points from Penrith-Nepean last weekend, and most certainly, the players will be up for this clash against Manly United FC.

The visitors on the other hand appear to have overcome their form slump with some positive performances in recent weeks, though last weekend's loss against Blacktown City Demons will serve Phil Moss' men as a timely reminder that concentration is required in the run home to the finals-series. Fireworks are expected at Jensen Park on Sunday.

-By Joseph Carlucci