Rub log in a desperately hard line of work (9)

I believe the answer is:

labouring

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'hard line of work' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this definition defines the answer.

'rub log in a desperately' is the wordplay.
'desperately' indicates anagramming the letters.
'rub'+'log'+'in'+'a'='rublogina'
'rublogina' with letters rearranged gives 'LABOURING'.

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I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

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