By MARK CASHMAN

Manly Marlins coach Matt McGoldrick has spoken consistently through this year’s Shute Shield about the need for his side to keep working and to play games out.

The Marlins have been pretty damn good at different times and at other stages they have veered away from the task at hand as their ninth place on the competition table indicates.

But the ability and the desire to keep the work rate up and get lucky was there on Saturday when they swooped late to defeat Southern Districts 43-39 for a grand victory at Forshaw.

A try to emerging young forward Max Douglas late gave the Marlins the win as they finished off their season with some style in a game that bounced around delightfully for most of the 80 minutes.

The Marlins led only twice during the game, once early in the second half and then importantly at the death.

McGoldrick said the work rate of his pack around the field was the winning of the game.

“We just hung around and when we got ball our attack functioned much better,” he said.

“I’m really happy for the boys, they showed a great deal of commitment and could’ve easily checked it in, but they didn’t.

“We functioned really well off turnover, scored a couple of tries of that.”

Rugby News reported in the lead in to this match up that this was the grand final between the teams who have been hit most by injury but there was certainly no indication that this was not a first grade fixture.

The Southern Districts scrum worked as well as you would expect, there was good work from Christian Kagiassis at flyhalf and Nathan Lawson continues to make an impression at outside centre for the Rebels.

“It was two teams absolutely busted up against each other,” Souths coach Todd Louden said.

“They guys were out on their feet and really it just came down to last man standing.

“It was a see-sawing affair throughout but Manly with guys like Harry Bergelin were able to make the most of any opportunities that came up.

“Speaking to Matt McGoldrick after the game we spoke of our shared challenges this year but agreed that both these team will be better for what we have been through in 2020.”

MANLY MARLINS 43 (Max Douglas, Harley Attwater, Ben Crerar, Fraser Toohey, Yool Yool, Dave Porecki tries; Attwater 4 conversions) d SOUTHERN DISTRICTS 39 (Joe Cotton, Jordan Brown, James Finch, Christian Kagiassis, Nathan Lawson, Liam Moseley tries; Kagiassis 3 conversions, pen goal) at Forshaw Rugby Park.

IMAGE: ADAM MacDONALD / MANLY MARLINS