By MARK CASHMAN

We’re into the second round of the Shute Shield competition and the phone has been ringing hot with all the news and views from the greatest club competition in Australia. Here's what we have been hearing:

There’s always plenty of spice when Manly takes on Warringah, the great northern beaches derby, and it’s going to be no different when it rolls around this years on September 5.

The game always pulls a crowd and the feeling between the two playing group is always edgy while not being over the top.

And from what I am hearing Wallabies skipper MICHAEL HOOPER wants a slice of it.

Hooper should be free from his commitments at the Waratahs and waiting for some Wallabies action by that date and as Marlins coach MATT MCGOLDRICK said this week it won’t be a game load issue as happens so often.

“He told me that he is keen and if he gets the green light we’d love to have him on board,” McGoldrick said.