Sydney West was equal fifth entering its final game of the seventh round but beat Sydney North 5-3 to jump them into title contention.

Sydney West had trailed Sydney North by a point entering the final round but the win allowed it to leapfrog its metro neighbour into the 9am semi-final.

The second semi-final is between Sydney East and North Coast (10am) followed by playoff matches and the 1pm final.

Host region North West lost both its matches, to Sydney East (11-1) and Hunter (10-4), yesterday and plays Sydney South West for seventh place at around 11am.

The side had lost its Tuesday evening game to Riverina 9-3 as well.

That game was played as a curtainraiser to an exhibition game between two teams captained by Olympians Daniel Marsden and Craig Miller.

Marsden and Miller showed why they reached those lofty heights with plenty of deft touches and goals in the special invitational match to celebrate 125 years of public school sport.

Marsden captained the Australian team at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, a team for which Tamworth products Miller and Nathan Thomas played.

The exhibition match finished in a 5-all draw.

Marsden’s side had led 1-nil early through a Craig Salter goal but Corey Ison’s equaliser evened it up for Miller’s team at the quarter-time break.

Lawrence Mihell then sent the Miller team 2-1 ahead and Rick Hooper made it a two- goal half-time lead.

Marsden’s long- range shot thrilled the crowd before teammate Jason Gross made it 3-all.

When Lawrence Mihell laid on a pass for Miller to score, it was 4-3 at three-quarter time and ensuring a tight finish that followed when Steve Whale scored off a no-look bounce shot.

Miller and his side looked like they might have the game won when  Ison finished off some great team play to make it 5-4 with 50 seconds left but then Marsden evened it up with some 10 seconds on the clock.

The penalty shootout was held across the road at the Southgate Inn during a post -match function.

The special match was organised by Ron Surtees to commemorate the 125 years of school sport but also became something of a tribute by the players to the many years of coaching and guidance extended by Surtees to those men playing in the exhibition.

Pat Crowe, who was in the 1976 North West side coached by  Surtees to play at the first State CHS Water Polo Carnival, managed one of the exhibition sides with Peter Waterman.

“Ron carved out careers and lives for many of us,” Crowe said.

“We are very lucky to have had him.”