By MARK CASHMAN

It’s one of the big derbies of the Shute Shield competition and it’s a game that is played with lots of lip and plenty of passion.

The Manly v Warringah showdown has attracted oodles of column inches and comment over recent times with the Rats very much in the driver’s seat over the past two and a half season.

You have to go back to May of 2018 for the last time that the Marlins got bragging rights in this one and interestingly it is the first time in recent memory that neither of the two combatants haven’t been inside the top six.

That won’t take anything away from the way that the two teams approach this encounter.

Let’s look at where this one is going to be won and lost.

THE FRONT ROWS

Sio Tatola, James Hilterbrand and Conor Davidson (Manly) v Sateki Latu, Wes Thomas and Wayne Borsak (Warringah).

The home team has the upper hand in this department after their complete performance at scrum time against Penrith last weekend. Davidson is emerging as the season goes on, helped every inch of the way by the guile of Hilterbrand. The Rats have been a bit brittle in this area in recent weeks and paid the price against a very good Southern Districts side last Saturday.

MANLY: 8 out of 10

WARRINGAH: 6 out of 10

THE SECOND ROWS

Van Stewart, Alex Dalzell (Manly) v Andrew Davies, Alex O’Dell (Warringah)

Both sets of locks have that workman like feel about them with Stewart and Dalzell a vital part of the very good scrum that the Marlins have at their proposal. The Warringah duo of Davies and O’Dell are probably better at lineout time but lack the experience of their peninsula rivals.

MANLY: 7 out of 10

WARRINGAH: 7 out of 10

THE BACK ROWS

Harry Bergelin, Mitch Tye, Daniel Alley (Manly) v Rory Suttor, Mungo Mason, Sam Ward (Warringah)

Once again hard to separate these two combos. Alley gives Manly plenty of go forward with the ball in hand just like Ward from the Rats side of the advantage line. Mason has been a great pick up for the Rats and his work rate has impressed in his time in Sydney but Bergelin is good at line out time and can turn a game with a snaffle. The Rats bench men in this area will make a difference.

MANLY: 7 out of 10

WARRINGAH: 8 out of 10

THE SCRUM HALVES

Harry Emery (Manly) v Josh Holmes (Warringah)

The clash at the scrum base has a lot going for it – the wily veteran at the back end of career up against the emerging young buck who has changed clubs and battled injury to get to this stage. I like the service of Manly’s Emery and his running game, although over used at different stages, can be lethal. Holmes knows his way around a rugby game and although many are across his tricks he still gets away with lots. hard to separate.

MANLY: 7 out of 10

WARRINGAH: 7 out of 10

THE FLYHALVES

Harley Attwater (Manly) v Tom Halse (Warringah)

This is the ultimate showdown – it’s the sort of script that you just cannot make up. Attwater leaving the Rats to head to the arch rival to prove himself, while Halse continues on at Rat Park rewarding those that had trust in him. Both can run a game and both kick goals which I am sure will play a key role at Manly Oval on Saturday.

MANLY: 7 out of 10

WARRINGAH: 8 out of 10

THE CENTRES

James Parker, Michael Adams (Manly) v Tyson Davis, Seb Wileman (Warringah)

Parker is new to grade having come out of the Marlins colts system while Adams is more comfortable on the wing and fullback. They come up against a robust and well-travelled centre combo in Davis and Wileman. Dyson is one of the best ball carriers in the Shute Shield and is having a good injury free run at the moment while Wileman will need to be contained.

MANLY: 7 out of 10

WARRINGAH: 8 out of 10

THE WINGERS

Fraser Toohey, Yool Yool (Manly) v Charlie Tupu, Ezera Chee-Kam (Warringah)

Both teams have a quartet of rookies on their wings and while blessed with pace you wouldn’t say that there is an out and out match winner in this area for both sides. Yool is coming along nicely for the Marlins while Tupu has made the most of opportunities.

MANLY: 6 out of 10

WARRINGAH: 7 out of 10

THE FULLBACKS

Jed Ibbotson (Manly) v Ben Marr (Warringah)

Marr is out and out the best fullback in the Shute Shield at the moment. His opening 20 minutes against Southern Districts had to be seen to be believed as he had a hand in the Rats first three tries without a hand being laid on him. Ibbotson has good foot work that you would expect from a representative touch footy player and is growing with every minute he has in first grade.

MANLY: 7 out of 10

WARRINGAH: 9 out of 10

THE BENCH

Warringah have named Boyd Killingworth and Maclean Jones as fresh reserves on their bench while Manly, depending on fitness look like keeping Max Douglas for some role off the pine. Killingworth and Jones would start in just about any back row combo in the Shute Shield and gives the Rats a real advantage here.

MANLY: 7 out of 10

WARRINGAH: 9 out of 10

In the end WARRINGAH got 68 ratings points to MANLY’S 63 which means it will be a tight one. Enjoy the action.

IMAGE: KAREN WATSON