Get your feed of Marlins Fillets by signing up for this weekly newsletter.
Video Stars Help Kill Rats
A video montage featuring a mix of Manly greats and club stalwarts proved the catalyst for one of the most emphatic local derby wins in recent history last Saturday.
With so many new faces in the Manly side, veteran hooker James Hilterbrand knew he had just a few days to instil in his team a sense of what the game means to local fans and the community.
So, he tapped into his Manly old boys’ group and invited them to send in videos and/or messages of support.
The response was overwhelming.
The likes of Wallabies legend George Smith, former Australian backrower Cliffy Palu, Manly greats Eddie Aholelei and Kotoni Ale and club stalwart Dave Boylan were among those to contribute.
“We were getting two or three videos per day from those guys so we put them all in the group for the current players to watch,” Hilterbrand explained.
“They all had a different perspective on what the game meant to them – from what it means to the community, to what it means to your family, to you as a player.
“They also spoke about how much it means to them to now watch us play.
“Some of them came down to the game and got to sing Manly Boom Boom for the first time since 2000. It meant a lot to them and it meant a lot to us to be able to deliver a win to all our fans.”
We raced to a 24-0 lead after 30 minutes and then had to withstand a mini-Warringah fightback, which drew them to within eight points shortly after half-time.
But we kicked again, scoring two second half tries to clear out to a comprehensive 43-26 win.
It’s the most points we’ve scored in a derby since 2013 – and completed our first four-grade clean sweep over the Rats since 2016.
“This never gets old…it gives me goosebumps every time,” first grade fullback Ollie Horne said of Manly’s 56th local derby win (from 101 games).
“It was a big message from us all week that this game is not just about the current players – it’s about those who have worn this jersey before and all the people who come down to support us.
“The videos from the old boys were so inspiring and hearing the crowd and knowing you’ve helped deliver something special is a great feeling.”
We are back on the road on Saturday, off to the excellent Eric Tweedale Stadium to confront the Two Blues.
You can read all the stories in Fillets this week by simply signing up for this weekly newsletter.