HUNTER Wildfires hooker Phil Bradford is in unfamiliar company.
Bradford is equal third on the Shute Shield try-scorers list with seven.
Randwick winger Christian Yassmin is top of the bunch with nine.
Southern Districts flyer Christian Kagiassis is second on eight.
Fabian Goodall, another winger, is alongside Bradford with seven.
Bradford is one of only two forwards in the top 10 try-scorers after eight rounds.
The majority of Bradford's five-pointers have been the by-product of rolling mauls.
Coach Scott Coleman has a golden rule when it comes to his hooker - "He only peels off a maul if he is going to score. It's selfish if the maul is going forward and he goes and falls short. He is pretty exceptional at it."
Bradford has scored six tries in the past three games - all wins. The driving maul has become the Wildfires' biggest weapon.
"Last year, I was going early and getting isolated," Bradford said. "Bubba (Coleman) got in my ear about that. It has paid off. I'm definitely scoring more tries. I couldn't do it without the boys in front of me. Anytime anyone mentions tries, the other boys roll their eyes."
It hasn't been just Bradford's ability to get across the stripe which has stood out.
The former Australian schoolboy and NSW Academy player is in career-best form.
Coleman believes Bradford deserves a shot at Super Rugby and plans to get in the ear of his brother and NSW Waratahs coach Darren.
"He has been our best and I don't think he is far off having a crack at the next level," Coleman said. "Darren and his coaching staff always have an eye on what is happening in the Shute Shield.
"Phil's lineout throwing has improved, so too has his scrummaging. He is a natural footballer. The key now is getting some consistency, which he is. He has had four strong games in a row."
Bradford is keeping his focus on the Wildfires.
"It is not something I have thought too much about," he said. "I am trying to be the best version of myself. Rep roles can be a cherry on top.
"I don't feel like I have peaked. I need to still work on my fitness, I need to keep working on my throwing. There are a lot of things I need to keep knocking down."
Bradford will again be a key figure when the Wildfires take on Warringah at Pittwater Park on Saturday.
Captain Rory Connor anchors a strong Warringah scrum, which boasts powerhouse No.8 Max Girdler.
"If you want to go far in this competition, the set piece has to be on point," Bradford said. "The set piece can win or change games. It has gotten us out of trouble the past thee weeks.
"We have beaten some top teams but we can't get comfortable now. We have to keep pushing. Second half of the year, teams will know our strengths."
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Meanwhile in Super Rugby, proud skipper Jake Gordon has lauded his teammates' character and resolve as the NSW Waratahs strive to complete one of the great revivals in Super Rugby history.
The Waratahs host the table-topping Blues on Saturday night guaranteed of a Super Rugby Pacific finals berth a year after trying in vain to stave off a winless season.
Depending on other results, the Tahs will finish anywhere from fifth to seventh and face either a trip to New Zealand for a knockout quarter-final against the Crusaders or Chiefs or play the Brumbies in Canberra next Saturday night.
"It's awesome. It's a massive turnaround for us," Gordon said. "At the start of the year we were just trying to make the top eight. We're now well and truly in the top eight and now we're trying to chase a Super Rugby title."
** Israel Folau will make his return to international rugby with Tonga three years after his Wallabies contract was terminated over a controversial social media post.
The 33-year-old outside back was named in Tonga's squad on Friday for the Pacific Nations Cup tournament in July and a playoff for next year's World Cup in France.
