By Jon Geddes

MANLY Marlins captain Hunter Ward challenged his side to show they meant business in the lead-up to their Shute Shield match of the round on Saturday at Chatswood Oval.

The inspiring words from the Marlins No.7 in their review/preview meeting last Monday really resonated with his teammates as the side went on to score a comprehensive 46-5 win over the team that was leading the competition.

The stunning result has really shaken up the competition and sees Manly lift to second spot on the ladder on equal points with top-placed Hunter (38), followed by Norths in third spot (35) and Gordon now fourth (34).         

“At the start of the week I challenged the boys,” Ward told Rugby News. “We all sat there at the start of the year and said we wanted to be top of the table and the best team in the comp.

“I said ‘this week against Gordon is our first taste, so it’s up to us. We can keep talking about it or turn up and show the comp, and everyone who has been supporting us, that we mean business and we want to be at the top’.”

And Ward sensed a good vibe when he arrived at Chatswood Oval on Saturday, noticing that the whole squad was focussed and switched on.

“Our warm-up and preparation was probably the best we have had all year,” Ward said.

When the Marlins took the field they then sent a clear message to their rivals in their seven tries one victory over another genuine premiership contender.

“I was proud of the boys’ performances, I thought everyone did their job 100 per cent and it really showed on the scoreboard,” Ward said.

MOVING FORWARDS        

IT was the dominant display of the Manly pack, led by the impressive Ward, which really set the platform for the win – and they had a personal point to prove.

“Everyone was saying how big Gordon’s pack is and they have some of the best set piece in the comp and that was why Gordon was winning,” Ward said. “All week as a forward pack we spoke about not letting these guys get a roll on. We really wanted to dominate the big guys and run them around.

“And I think that showed – in the last 10 minutes of each half their forward pack had no answers for us and we just kept showing up.”

The victory, but more particularly the way they did it, will give the Marlins a big boost as they work towards cementing their spot for the finals.

But the Manly faithful know only too well their team has been in similar situations before, when they have been on fire at this stage of the year only to have their hopes extinguished at the business end.     

And Ward is smart enough to keep everything in perspective.

“We always knew that the comp isn’t won in the middle of the season, but it (the win) definitely gives us  the confidence we needed and just allows us to believe in ourselves a little bit more,” he said.    

SUPER SUBS

Besides the performance of his pack, Ward also singled out tryscoring No.12 Ofa Manuofetoa for his good ball carries against the Highlanders.

He praised the crucial influence of the Manly “finishers” – prop Nick Brown, his namesake No.8 Nick Brown and halfback Wilson Dulieu – when they took the field.

“It’s been a while since the Marlins have had a fresh bench or finishers who can come on and seamlessly  transition into the spots and really give us that impact,” Ward said. “In the last 20 minutes you could see the game really went up a gear in our intensity.

“And that’s where we got our most pay against Gordon, when our finishers came on and really brought the energy.”

Ward was rewarded for his consistent performances when he made his Super Rugby debut earlier this season for the Waratahs against Auckland in the Eden Park cauldron.

“Hopefully I’ll get another opportunity because it was awesome,” he said.

After this weekend’s bye, Manly’s next game is away to Sydney University.