By MARK CASHMAN

Warringah’s “energiser bunny” skipper Ben Marr knows what will be headed the Rats way as the 2026 Shute Shield season unfolds.

After all the Rats will be the hunted and not the hunter after their classy 37-24 grand final win over Eastern Suburbs in late August of last year.

The Beasties went into that game as favourites in some minds but the Rats had the momentum through the finals series and kicked away in the second half of what was a pretty handy premiership decider.

But as Marr says that’s what you sign up for after holding the silverware aloft at Leichhardt Oval.

“It’s just part of the territory I suppose,” Marr told Rugby News.

“There’s certainly no shortage of enthusiasm to go again around the senior playing group.

“We’ve just got to worry about what we do and not what everyone else is doing.

“I haven’t seen too much change around the way that we have been preparing through the pre-season.

“If anything there is a confidence within the group that says, hey we did this last year, why not back to back?

“Teams will be coming for us, there is no doubt about that, and I’d say Easts amongst others would be looking to square the ledger.”

While the defence of the Shute Shield is one of the priorities at Pittwater Rugby Park in 2026 snaffling the club championship is on the agenda.

“We’ve added some depth and the club championship is one of those whole of club things that creates momentum,” Marr added.

“We’re certainly not looking back, it’s about embracing the next challenge.”

But before talk of club championships can be seriously discussed there’s the not so small matter of replacing Coby Milne that needs to be addressed.

Milne has headed back to New Zealand after a couple of stellar seasons at the Rats and there is little doubt that ushering through the next playmaker will have its challenges.

Byron Smith, who has played ITM Cup for Southland over the past couple of years has been brought on board and it’s fair to say that there will be tweaks in the way the Rats play to accommodate the Kiwi.

What Smith will need to do first up will be to replace the points that Milne accumulated week to week.

Last year it was 234 and enough to win back to back Roscoe Fay trophies but his poise under pressure and counter attacking game from deep were significant.

Marr will play a role in that settling in period for Smith with his first receiver role from phase play a big factor in making things gel for the new man.

Bo Abra has also joined the group and will add depth to the Rats front row ranks.

Abra has ITM Cup experience with Hawke’s Bay and has spent the past couple of seasons with the Hunter Wildfires.

Big things are also expected from backrower Matt Harley and centre Riley Whitfield.

The Australian Club Championship against Bond Uni at Rat Park is the first date to remember for the club.

The game will be played in Sydney for the first time in a number of years and it will give head coach Josh Holmes a chance to see where his team is at.

And gauge their transition from hunter to hunted!