By MARK CASHMAN

We’re into Round Two 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:

Warringah’s new skipper BEN MARR is going to add a new dimension to the Rats as they head out on the journey they call generational change.

It’s a pretty fresh deck at Rat Park this year and Marr is going to add a lot to the mix from fullback and later in games when he heads up into the front line and takes on some of there first receiving load from flyhalf DEAN BLORE.

Just about all the big dogs from the premiership year of 2017 and three straight grand final appearances have gone and the new fresh look can set them up for some sustained success in the Shute Shield.

Marr says he’s not worried about the weight of expectation that come with the captaincy and was clear of thought and intention when Rugby News spoke to him at the Rats launch on Wednesday.

“I have been lucky enough to play with guys like ‘Wardy’ (SAM WARD) and ‘Hammo’ (HAMISH ANGUS) and learn a lot from those guys,” Marr said.

“I’m not worried about the pressures that the captaincy brings. We’ve got a goal as a team about where we want to go and I’m confident we can meet that.

“It’s a young and energetic group at the moment and I think that is working for us. We’re all on the same page with our footy and the dynamic is really good.”

Marr loves to be involved in a game of footy and the Rats would be crazy not to put the ball in his hands as much as they can.

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Rugby News has been quietly wondering why big Eastwood winger FABIAN GOODALL has been wearing the No.23 jersey in his Shute Shield appearances for the past couple of seasons.

Was 14 or 11 an unlucky number for him or was he at 120kg just a little bit too big for the standard skinny winger’s jersey.

Well it seems to be the latter and Woods coach BEN BATGER has finally gone and done something about it.

Batger has ordered a Goodall sized winger’s jersey from their sports wear provider O’Neill and it should be arriving within the next couple of weeks.

“Fabian came up to me the other day and said he has been at the club for four years and that the time had come to haver a jumper that fitted him,” Batger said. “Happy to oblige.”

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There were a few audio problems and the odd glitch but Stan Sport were pretty chuffed with the way the first weekend’s coverage of the Shute Shield rolled out.

It’s way too early to talk about numbers but I’m hearing that they were very solid and that things will build from here.

The mini match and highlights tabs on the all the matches makes it so easy to keep abreast of who is playing well and who are the names to look out for when you next visit a ground on a Saturday afternoon.

The mini match and highlights tabs don’t appear instantly but generally they are there within 24 hours of the matches ending.

Some of my TV mates reckon that the coverage would be enhanced if they added some crowd noise to the coverage as that always helps the callers ride the highs and lows of each match.
Anyway at around about 40 cents a match it is pretty damn good value and it’s always there to see!

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Everyone has their favourite rugby ground – for mine it’s the picturesque North Sydney Oval, for Eastwood coach it’s TG Millner and the list could go on.

But in anyone’s language the home group of the Terrigal Trojans at The Haven on the central coast of NSW is right up there.

And on a sultry Friday night with a light north easter blowing in it’s hard to argue against the home of the Trojans.

They finished their clubhouse and lighting over the past 18 months and it’s quick becoming a real community sports hub. Drink it in rugby fans!

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The Hunter Wildfires attracted well over 500 and a roll call of heavy hitters to their season launch in Newcastle last week.

But I would have loved to have been on the official table at the lunch with Rugby Australia CEO ANDY MARINOS and former Wallabies coach and rugby columnist ALAN JONES seated

next to each other.

Jones had a chop at Marinos when he first came into the top job at RA a couple of months ago in one of his columns and my people tell me that you could have cut the tension with a butter knife.

But the good news was no-one was seriously hurt.

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Warringah coach MIKE RUTHVEN spoke well at the club’s season launch earlier this week at Rat Park as they prepared to get off the mark with a home game against Randwick on Saturday.

But the former Rats flyhalf got the attention of Friends of Warringah president Stephen Crawford, a backrower who turned himself into a pretty handy prop interrupted ‘Rivo’ at one stage.

Ruthven had said: “Props are now more important than a flashy No.10.”

“Mike could you repeat what you just said then,” Crawford, whose motor dealership at Brookvale has sponsored the club for more than 30 years, said.

He did and the room loved it.

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Tough old start to the season for Penrith against Northern Suburbs and you’ve got to feel for Emus coach JOHN MUGGLETON.

‘Muggo’ Rugby News understands was ready to move on after what had been a tough day at the office at Nepean Rugby Park and the weeks leading up to it.

The Penrith and rugby question has been tough to answer but at the end of the day they need some help and I am not saying in the coaching area.

The back office at Penrith needs some serious help and they will not prosper until there is a structured and hard working administration.

There is nothing wrong with rugby in the west as evidenced by the flourishing of several subbies and juniors clubs in the area has shown.

The Shute Shield will lack definitely diversity if the Emus are allowed to fall over.

As I have said to numerous mates in recent weeks, if I had the entire answer to this one I would be paid a hell of a lot more.

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How does that song go, meat pies, kangaroos and subbies rugby!

What a great get for the NSW Suburban Rugby Union (NSWSRU), one of the largest rugby unions in Australia, with 50 clubs playing in over 20 competitions across metropolitan Sydney to link up with Four ’n Twent meat pies on a multi-year deal.

The Four’N Twenty’s sponsorship will enable NSWSRU to broadcast suburban games on NSW Rugby TV powered by Cluch, throughout the 2021 season.

For the first time ever, in Divisions One, Two and Three, all First Grade, Second Grade and Colts matches will be available on Live Stream and On Demand replays for fans across Australia and around the world.

This move will have a positive impact on the sport and its fans, taking Suburban Rugby to the largest audience in its 120-year history.

The three-year deal will see the renowned yellow and red Four’N Twenty logo on player jerseys, first-grade match footballs as well as ground signage at every game.

The beloved Four’N Twenty pie will also be available at the grounds for fans too.

IMAGE: KAREN WATSON