THE domestic season in Jamaica, which started last Saturday, will climax in a Grand Final on Saturday, September 5.

Six teams – reigning champions St Catherine Thundercats, Duhaney Park Red Sharks, Jamaica Defence Force Warriors, Liguanea Dragons, Washington Boulevard Bulls and West Kingston Hyenas – will be vying for a place in the decider as the competition celebrates its 20th birthday.

The Thundercats will be keen to stage a repeat of last year’s triumph while Red Sharks, the competition’s most successful club with ten titles, are expected to challenge strongly and include stalwarts Marvin Thompson, Chevaughn Bailey, Daniel Graham and Andrew Simpson.

Jamaica internationals Tah-Jay Lynch, Joseph Daley and former Red Sharks star forward Kevin Thomas will lead the charge for the Bulls while JDF Warriors, led by Steve Miller and Jerome Laird, will again push for honours.

Liguanea Dragons remain dangerous dark horses, with Reggae Warriors Michael Pearson, Adrian Hall and Romario Bartlett spearheading their campaign.

Meanwhile Washington Boulevard Bulls and West Kingston Hyenas are both aiming to develop young talent.

Rugby League Jamaica Director of Rugby Romeo Monteith said: “We are expecting a very competitive season with strong talent spread across the league.

“The level of coaching and player development continues to improve and there is genuine uncertainty about who will make the finals, which should make for an exciting championship.”

The matches will all be triple-headers with sides playing each other twice in the regular season. Games will be played at the University of West Indies Mona Bowl, Cedar Grove, and JDF.

The top two will advance directly to the semi-finals, while seeds three to six will contest elimination play-offs on August 22.

The semi-finals and Grand Final are scheduled for August 29 and September 5 respectively, both at the UWI Mona Bowl.