Words: MARK CASHMAN

We’re into Round Eight of the Shute Shield and as always the phone has been ringing hot with all the news and views from the greatest club competition in Australia. Here’s what we are hearing:

The June long weekend means a lot of things to many but for the vast majority of rugby types it has and still means the NSW State Championships.

More than 170 teams, all district based or from the country regions, will lock horns over three days on June 5,6 and 7.

That’s pretty close to 5000 players in age groups from Under 10s right through to Under 16s and Opens at venues in Camden, Dubbo, Hunters Hill, Orange,Tuggerah on the Central Coast and the old chestnut Rat Park at Narrabeen.

Many of the Shute Shield players have been involved in jumper presentations these past couple of weeks.

The big area of growth for these titles has been in the junior girls where there has been a huge surge in numbers wanting to play in the Under 14, Under 16 and Under 18 age groups.

NSW Rugby produces a printed program for the weekend and I’m hearing it is a much loved momento cherished by mums, dads, grand parents and significant others.

I’m not sure what the economic effect these championships have on places like Dubbo or Orange but it would be significant, after all that’s a lot of people that need accomodation as well as food and “water”.

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The clubhouse is a rare beast in the Shute Shield these days so it’s good to see Gordon making moves to install some honour boards in the historic Trumper Pavillion at Chatswood Oval.

At the suggestion of first grade coach BRIAN MELROSE they have knocked up boards that acknowledge the players from the Highlanders that have played for the Wallabies and others who have played 100 first grade games.

As they say you need to know where you have been to know where you are going and those names will be one of the last things that players see before they run out on to the field.

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Community connection is one of the great things about the Shute Shute and the game in general so it’s sad to this week note the passing of Col Crawford, a long time supporter and sponsor at Warringah.

Col was the founder and chairman of Col Crawford Lifestyle Cars – a business he started in Brookvale on the northern beaches in 1967 – just over 54 years ago.

It is now a third-generation family business and in the capable hands of his son Stephen and three grandsons Harrison, Jake and Will.

Stephen was a distinguished first grader at the Rats moving from the backrow to the front row at one stage in the 1980s and 1990s and extending his playing career by quite a few seasons.

The business has supported the Rats for more than three decades and from what I have heard are one of those sponsors a club loves to have on board.

“Col was an inspiration to so many people – his family and their loved ones, friends, colleagues and staff,” the Warringah club said in a statement.

“What he achieved in life and in the motor industry will make us all forever proud. He was a true legend and a gentleman, always full of love, laughs and entertainment.”

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The distribution of the Shute Shield Participation Agreement has caused much discussion around the traps with the four senior grades and three colts teams requirement a major talking point.

Not many will go on the record but there is a push for some of the western Sydney clubs to merge and the name of the Western Sydney Rams keeps being whispered into my ear.

A lot needs to happen for that to be in place for next season but there are clubs in the north and the east concerned about the effect not having meaningful competition for their lower grades is having on player retention. Stay tuned!

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Interesting afternoon at Manly Oval on Saturday for Northern Suburbs coach ZAK BEER.

First there is the not unsubstantial task of engineering a win for the Shoremen over the Marlins in the Shute Shield fixture. Then there’s the very important task as catching up with the Marlins’ 2015 fourth grade premiership side that he coached for a reunion that is sure to push on into the night at all points north, south, east and west on The Corso.

Beer was contemplating a year off from coaching but was talked into the job by ANTHONY BERGELIN, the centre and skipper of that winning Henderson Cup side.

I’m not sure if the venerable but battered Henderson Cup will be with the group on Saturday but it should fear for its safety if it is.

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Talking of ZAK BEER, the Norths coach got the chance to shadow Crusaders coach SCOTT ROBERTSON on Thursday when the Kiwis finalised their preparations for their match against the Waratahs in Wollongong on Saturday night.

Beer, along with his forwards coach BEN MATWIJOW, spent the morning with the Crusaders through all their game preview and field session.

After the session Robertson invited Beer to spend a week in Christchurch during their pre-season block before the start of Super Rugby in February. What a great opportunity!

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RORY O’CONNOR, TYSON DAVIS and BEN MARR are three current day stars from the Shute Shield who have been named in a couple of pretty handy looking Battle of the Beaches selections for the 2010s. O’Connor is the first choice loose head for the Rats while Davis and Marr are bracketed on the right wing.

On the Manly side of the equation that evergreen hooker JAMES HILTERBRAND got the nod along with another stalwart in backrower HARRY BERGELIN.

Things are moving nicely towards the big derby lunch and the match at Rat Park on June 5 – there is even some specially struck beer can by beaches beer barons MODUS OPERANDI.

MANLY (1-15): Dane Maraki, James Hilterbrand, Tim Fairbrother, Ed Gower, Caderyn Neville, Harry Bergelin, Kotoni Ale, Jordy Reid, Matt Lucas, Sam Lane, Alex Northam, Brian Sefanaia, Dennis Pili-Giteau, Richard Hooper, Josh Turner.

WARRINGAH (1-15): Rory O’Connor, Luke Holmes, Dan Barnard, Ben Adams, Sam Thomson, Boyd Killingworth, Maclean Jones, Sam Ward, Josh Holmes, Hamish Angus, Sailosi Tagicakibau, Seb Wileman, Tyson Davis/Ben Marr, Dave Feltscheer.

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Fellow rugby scribe JON GEDDES has told this column of the nicknames that he gave to the Fuavaos now playing under BRIAN ‘BILLY’ MELROSE at Gordon.

The brothers were playing at Manly and Molokai was known as ‘Guns’, an acknowledgment of his dedication to arms day in the gym.

So what’s the best name for his brothe to cop – ‘Roses’ of course. You get it ‘Guns’ and ‘Roses’.

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THE BIG SELECTION surprise this week came from Southern Districts and their head coach TODD LOUDEN who brought SAM TABUATAMATA into the Rebels pack from the wing.

It got this column thinking about wingers who have transitioned from the outside backs into the forwards and the name JIM WILLIAMS came up.

Williams was a big but handy winger for Warringah before being pitched into the forwards at Rat Park on a journey that saw him play for the Wallabies.

For those with a longer memory they would also remeber DAVE PURLL who was a winger in Northern Suburbs premiership side back in 1975. ‘Purlly’ answered the siren song of the northern beaches and played a number of seasons in first grade for the Rats in what was a very uncomprimising pack.

IMAGE: KAREN WATSON