By MARK CASHMAN

We’re into the eighth 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 are hearing: 

There’s more than one big Shute Shield derby happening this weekend so it’s great to see that in these Covid-19 affected times that you will be able see the big SHOWDOWN IN THE WEST live.

Cluch TV will be streaming the match between the WESTERN SYDNEY TWO BLUES and PENRITH from LIDCOMBE OVAL on Saturday from 5pm.

The northern beaches derby is the 7TWO TV match of the round, but Cluch is throwing lots of extra resources at the coverage of the game at Lidcombe with a commentary team and three cameras being used to bring you all the action.

The SWR Sports team, headed up by JULIAN DAW, will be the voices behind the pictures as the derby is played out.

Earlier in the day they will calling the game between RANDWICK and GORDON from Coogee OVAL.

A lot of the clubs out there in the Shute Shield are hurting with no gate takings and sponsors putting some deals at some clubs on hold so it’s important to share the TV love.

Well done GUS SEEBACK and the team at Cluch and the good people at Channel 7 for sharing the love for a good cause.

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The MARLIN FILLETS newsletter informs us this week that 11 of the starting side that will take on WARRINGAH on Saturday in the big northern beaches derby have come through the Manly juniors and colts system.

Only Alex Dalzell, Mitch Tye, Michael Adams and Harry Emery of the run on team this weekend have not played colts at the Village Green.

Throw in another 10 from the second grade side and that makes 21 across the top two grades. It makes a lot of sense on a number of fronts as it can be quite cost prohibitive to tip in classy players from the top end and if they are local juniors they are less likely to disappear at the end of the season.

First grade coach MATT McGOLDRICK signalled his intention of heading down this route at the start of the season and it’s good to see it getting some pay.

“It’s no point having all these pathways in place if these kids don’t get the opportunity to play at the highest level,” McGoldrick told MARLIN FILLETS.

“They’ve dreamed about playing for Manly since they were kids and now some of them are getting that opportunity.”

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Statistics tell us a lot about our game but I must admit that I was a bit taken aback when I learned that 46 percent of scrums in the Super Rugby AU competition ended in some sort of action where that be short arm or long arm penalty.

I don’t think that it is as big an issue at Shute Shield level but there must be some way that we can get the ball in play and some bodies in motion after all some of the great tries have been scored of a good scrum.

There’s nothing like a good scrum going forward but the advantage that some teams get from this phase of play is making the beautiful game ugly.

Surely if a scrum goes forward by say five metres then that should be considered advantage enough. The way things are now we’re only slowing down an already complicated game.

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Erstwhile editor at large of RATS TALES, the great JON GEDDES is workshopping some ideas to write a follow up to his hugely popular novel THE ADVENTURES OF POPS MCDONALD.

It’s been almost a decade since the Pops McDonald book hit the book shelves and bargain bins and with time on his hands away from managing the family estate, Geddes is keen to put some meat on a very sound skeleton.

Geddes told me exclusively that the storyline may revolve around the CENTRAL COURT OF PETTY SESSIONS in the city where he worked for many years for the old Sydney Sun.

One of the key characters will be a WORKING GIRL with a private school background who has a heart of gold and a BENT COPPER looking to make amends for decades of dark deeds.

There’s the standard MISSING PERSON and all sorts of other shenanigans.

“There will be sex, drugs and violence – just like an afternoon at the Shute Shield,” Geddes said.

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They’ll probably get their mandated leave entitlements out of the way but the looming return of a swag of players from the Waratahs Super Rugby bubble means that there will be numerous interesting selection meetings in coming weeks.

Take for instance the one at Latham Park when MORGAN TURINUI and BEN MCCORMACK come together to try and sort out who is going to be their first choice No.10. DAVE HORWITZ has been doing a hell of a job while WILL HARRISON and BEN DONALDSON have been on duty at the Tahs and it’s not just a case of shifting one to fullback or another to inside centre.

Not the first time that selection quandaries like this have happened at Coogee – remember EDDIE JONES being the first choice in front of Test hooker PHIL KEARNS.

Interesting times!

IMAGE: ADAM MCDONALD / MANLY MARLINS