There’s no love lost between Manly and Eastwood, like Marlins coach Billy Melrose said leading into Saturday’s round 14 clash “the two clubs have played in some big games over the years, these are games we all look forward to”.

Those big games, of course, include the 1997 and 2015 grand finals, with Manly winning the former and Eastwood the latter.

Saturday’s is a big game too, not just in the context of the two clubs’ rivalry but in terms of the tenuous hold they have their respective ladder positions.

Eastwood are in a share for second with Northern Suburbs,  both sides are trailing competition leaders Warringah by five points and two points clear of fourth-placed Sydney University.

The Marlins are three points further back in fifth, and sit five points clear of sixth-placed Gordon.

“It is an important game but all the games are important, really. You only have to have a slight stumble or two, like we did last week, and soon enough you’re back to square one,” Melrose said.

“You’re sort of fighting for your life every week (at this time of year), in many ways.”

That stumble came in last Saturday’s 34-19 loss to Eastern Suburbs, one that ended the Marlins’ four-game winning streak and put some wind in the Beasties’ sails.

As you’d expect Melrose certainly doesn’t want to see his side stumble again, although they will have to overcome their habit of producing sluggish starts against the Woodies, at Manly Oval anyway.

“Funnily enough Eastwood have had a great record at Manly Oval too. We’ve beaten them a couple of times in the last few years over there, from memory, but Eastwood have caused Manly a few painful memories over time,” Melrose said.

“The last few times we’ve played at home against Eastwood they’ve got out to really big half-time leads, they’ve been ahead by quite a way.

So you’d have to say the most important thing for us is being more disciplined and concentration at the start of the match will be a big thing if we’re going to be anywhere close to them.”

In Saturday’s other round 14 games Gordon host West Harbour at Chatswood Oval, Northern Suburbs host Warringah at North Sydney Oval, Randwick host Southern Districts at Coogee Oval and Western Sydney travel to face Sydney University.