| Marlins win a point-a-minute thriller over Rebels By Adam Lucius |
| What: Shute Shield round 5 |
| Who: Manly v Southern Districts |
| Where: Manly Oval |
| Result: Manly 41-39 |
| Manly is where on the table: Third (16 points) |
80 minutes in 80 seconds:
Coming in with a 2-2 record after four rounds and up against the undefeated Shute Shield leaders, this match would tell us plenty about where the Marlins are at. With a big Ladies Day crowd in attendance, both teams decided defence would be an optional extra during a frenetic first half. We almost ran out of notepaper keeping up with all the points, but after 40 minutes it was 29-24 Souths. The lead continued to yo-yo after the break before Nic Holton put the good guys ahead by two in the 78th minute. In the end there were 11 tries, 80 points, four yellow cards and two penalty tries in 80 minutes. Where else do you get such value for $15?
Where it was won:
Right up until the ball was reefed across the touchline 20 seconds after the bell, you could never say with any confidence who was going to win this one. The lead changed hands a number of times but the Marlins held their composure at the right time (especially when down to 13-man in the second half) to come away with a vital victory. That’s three from three at home.
Marlins' best:
Beaudein Waaka, Dan Alley, Alex Humfrey
What they Said
“It was like there was an embargo in defending. Both teams did everything to win it AND lose it. The boys hung in there and I am proud they found a way to get through.” – Manly coach Brian “Billy” Melrose.
Worth a mention:
The action was red-hot on the field and the tempo didn’t let up post-game. The annual Ladies Day player auction was fiercely contested back at the bowlo. We hear Harry Emery went for $800. Worth every cent, we hope. It was all for a good cause, with proceeds going to Gotcha4Life Foundation.
Where to from here:
It’s a bye weekend for the Marlins, with Billy gifting the boys five days off training before the round six encounter with Randwick at Coogee on election day