Southern Nomads and Douglas Celts have met six times already this season and play one last time in the final of the Shimmin Wilson Manx Trophy on Saturday.

The advantage lies with Nomads at present. They’ve won twice in the Shield and twice in the pool stage of this competition too.

The Celts won twice in the Manx Cup to restore some balance but, looking at the formbook, Nomads must start as favourites.

A number of player-of-the-season contenders should take to the field at Port-e-Chee on Saturday.

Rob Keelan and Ethan McNaught have 24 tries between them in all competition while, from the kicking tee, Mark Young would be the leading contender for the Shimmin Wilson Golden Boot if there was one.

Celts points are shared around a little wider but Conor McCaughan, Phil Plaatjies, Mike Osborne and Charlie Henthorn have a pretty big share between them, with Plaatjies also leading the kicking stats for his side.

Most of the games between these two have been tight affairs and this should be no different.

Vagabonds face Vikings

in Manx Bowl finale

Western Vikings will be aiming for a hat-trick of Manx Bowl titles this Saturday when they meet Vagabonds B in the final day’s curtain-raiser, the Manx Bowl final.

Vikings beat Emerging Nomads to claim the honours last season, but only just squeezed into the final after tying with Ramsey B in the pool stages and just squeezing through on the back of an aggregate score tie-breaker.

Vagas were impressive in the early stages and came through the pool phase on top with six wins out of six.

They’ve slipped a little since and have struggled to consistently get a team out. They do of course have a few hugely-experienced players to call on.

Joe Louw and Jamie Cooke played last week and with players of their calibre in the team they should give Vikings a good run.

Vikings of course have their own stars. Danny Howard leads the Shimmin Wilson try-scoring charts and his centre partnership with Ollie Creasey is solid in defence and spectacular in attack.

They shut down Ramsey’s big crash ball two weeks ago and crossed for three tries between them at the other end.

In the forwards Alex Gibson is the danger man and he’s crafty with it too.

On current form you have to fancy Vikings to take this one.

FIXTURES: SATURDAY, APRIL 13

North One West

Blackburn v Douglas @ Blackburn

Lancashire/Cheshire Division Three

Ellesmere Port v Ramsey @ Ellesmere Port

Vagabonds v Prenton @ Ballafletcher ko tbc

Shimmin Wilson Manx Trophy Final

PDMS Southern Nomads v Douglas Celts

@ Port-e-Chee ko 3pm

Shimmin Wilson Manx Bowl Final

Western Vikings v Vagabonds B

@ Port-e-Chee ko 1.30pm

Shimmin Wilson Manx Plate

Ramsey B v Castletown

@ Mooragh Park ko 12.30pm