LADDER positions five and six are up for grabs in the final round of the Northern snooker competition, with last chances for the Flaming Devils, Works Red and Works Blue to make the finals.

Longford RSL and Works Navy have missed the cut.

Reigning billiard premier Works Green and this season's minor premier Works Black played a 2-2 draw last week in what most people believe was a rehearsal for this year's final.

Works Gold's impressive 3-1 win moved Works Gold back into third but it still has a chance to take second spot and earn the double chance.

Works Blue and Works Navy, both keen to get off the bottom of the ladder, had 3-1 wins.

This week's games are Black v Blue, Longford RSL v Red, Green v Exeter RSL, Gold v Flaming Devils.

David Bates, fresh from his outstanding win over Graeme Pickett in the Northern billiards championship, just needs to win this week's match to wrap up the consistency trophy, and a rare double.

If Bates loses, Gold's Steven Leary could leapfrog him and win the trophy on percentage of wins over losses. All other contenders lost last week and dropped out of the race.

RESULTS: Works Green dw Works Black - David Thomson (305) d David Bates (-105), Dean Wilson (260) d Bruce Lockley (195), Andrew Saltmarsh (225) d Glen Johansen (250), Peter Wallace (270) d George Zammitt (265).

Works Blue d Flaming Devils, 3-1 - Michael Leslie (230) d Heath Rainbow (275), Hans Georgieff (250) d Josh Rainbow (290), Peter Donati d Andrew Rainbow (285), Roydyn Bishop (140) d Graeme Pickett (-90).

Works Navy d Exeter, 3-1 - John Fordham (285) d Derek Peart (280), Alan Legg (285) d Rex Swain (185), Ray Skinner (265) d Adam Bindoff (285), Chris Reid (260) d Phil Page (265).

Works Gold d Works Red, 3-1 - Rolf Stevenson (250) d Phil Rowbottom (280), Trevor Leary (205) d Barry Glover (240), Steve Leary (240) d Keith Coomber (165), Alan Armitage (230) d John Fraser (200).

BEST BREAKS: David Bates 61, 41, 37, 31, Peter Donati 35, 29, 28, Rex Swain 29, John Fraser 26, Trevor Leary 22, Michael Leslie 22.

LADDER AFTER ROUND 17: Black 59, Green 52, Gold 48, Exeter RSL 45, Flaming Devils 43, Red 42, Navy 42, Blue 40, Longford 37.

Eightball finals

ON SATURDAY night the Northern Tasmanian Eightball Association grand finals are being played at the Launceston Workers Club, starting at 6pm.

In division 1 LWC Scorpions will play either Riverside or Commercial, division 2 sees LWC Black play the Duke of Wellington or Village Inn Red and division 3 sees the TRC play Legana Tavern or Village Inn Green.