Manly had a season to forget in 2021, winning just two games from nine matches before the season was cancelled.

But the Marlins have recruited a new coach and some exciting new players to join a crop of talented youngsters who seem ready to make their mark on the competition.

Overview with Phil Blake: 

“It’s been a very fruitful off-season for everyone at the club. I think the boys are really looking forward to getting on the field this weekend,” Blake told Rugby News. 

“We’ve played a few trials now. There is still a lot to work on because as you’ll see when our teams for round one are announced, it’s going to be almost a totally different squad to last year. 

“We’re learning along the way but we feel that the kids that we’ve got coming through and the kids that we’ve picked up from interstate, in time they’ll form a very competitive side. 

“It’s important for all the Shute Shield clubs to be successful. For rugby to be successful at the high end, we need the third tier to be strong and we play a part in that. 

“It’s nice to see that Parramatta have recruited really well, we need them to be competitive, West Harbour also look to be on the improve. 

“The Shute Shield is all about tribalism. It’s great to watch kids push into the system and play an exciting, attacking brand of football and that’s what we’ll be looking to do this year.”

2021 position (after 10 rounds):11th – 2 wins from 9 matches

2022 squad: 

“We’ve had a lot of changes from last year. I’d struggle to run you through them all off the top of my head,” Blake said. 

“When Manly fans see the first and second grade teams that get announced this week, I think they’ll be excited and they’ll see we’ve got a lot of new faces in there. 

“We’re banking on some of these kids who have come through our colts program to push into grade and have an impact. We’ve also recruited some good, young kids from interstate. It’s going to be exciting to watch.”

Key areas of improvement:

“The stats show that we need to improve in most areas from last year. Set piece is vitally important though,” the coach said. 

“Without a strong set piece, you don’t get a footprint into the game and it becomes a constant battle from then on. 

“We’ve spent a lot of time over the last six weeks to implement the systems that will allow us to win possession and get the ball to some of our exciting young players in the backline. 

“If we get our set piece right, those guys should be able to get us into the game.”

Player(s) to watch: 

“We’ve got a new coaching group and most of us hadn’t seen any of the players play live until two weeks ago. You see them in training, but you never really know how players are going to react until they get put under pressure in a match situation. 

“If players turn up and perform well on a regular basis, then they’ll be catapulted into the higher grades, no matter what grade they start the year in.”

Bold prediction for the season ahead: 

“I think it’s going to be a great competition. I think the usual suspects will be up in the top four but then from third or fourth right down to ninth and tenth, it’s going to be very close and very competitive. 

“Some of the sides that haven’t been in the top six in recent years have bolstered their ranks and we’re one of those teams. 

“Where we fit into the competition, time will tell but we’re really looking forward to this weekend against Souths. Hopefully we can be competitive and maybe sneak a win. 

“They are always very hard to beat down there.”