The Intrust Super Cup Round 25 has been completed, and with it the end of the 2017 regular season. All that’s left is the small matter of determining this year’s premiers and Queensland Representative at the State Championship on NRL Grand Final day.
We can’t wait for the finals series to start, but before it does there’s still time to go through the best of the weekend with the 5 of the Best from Intrust Super Cup Round 25.
For a full review of each game, head to our Round 25 preview at Nothing But League.
TWEED HEADS ESCAPE THE WOODEN SPOON BY DOING THE DOUBLE OVER PNG HUNTERS
The PNG Hunters will be thankful that the Tweed Heads Seagulls aren’t in the finals, as the minor premiers have been beaten twice by the Seagulls this season.
Great news for Tweed Heads though, who threw away a chance to move off the bottom last weekend by allowing Pride a few late tries. They took the chance this weekend as the Capras lost their 11th straight on Saturday night, paving the way for Tweed Heads to jump off the bottom of the ladder.
For the Hunters, hopefully it was another “loss they had to have” or that Tweed Heads just had more to play for.
TOP 6 SORTED
Although the teams participating in the finals series was decided after Round 24, it still made for interesting following this weekend as the order was decided and home finals handed out.
In the end all the favoured teams won, which left the order the same as last week. That all good, as it looks like a fantastic and close finals series awaits.
SUNSHINE COAST BACK ON TRACK BUT CARLIN ANDERSON CAN’T TAKE A TRICK
The Falcons have been very hit and miss in the last few months of the Intrust super Cup, but they certainly didn’t miss the Blackhawks on Sunday’s TV game with a dominant win.
Their late season indifference meant they now play knockout finals football instead of a top two position which looked highly likely a few months ago.
Feel for Carlin Anderson, the competition’s leading point scorer who seemed on the verge on breaking into the Cowboys team for 2018, but broke his arm in the clash against the Falcons. That is after his broken jaw saw him miss large chunks of the 2016 season.
He is a great talent who just needs a bit of luck and a chance to shine in the NRL. He showed he could do it outside of the Ipswich system this year.
GATTON GETS TASTE OF INTRUST SUPER CUP
One thing the QRL and Intrust Super Cup does well is spread the message of rugby league across the state. In addition to the very successul Get in the Game Country Week, the Intrust Super Cup makes single journeys throughout the year to new and different locations than the usual home grounds.
This year has seen trips to Stradbroke Island and Gladstone, and Gatton makes it three alternative locations in 2017 in addition to the six for Country Week.
The NRL could follow the QRL and take more games to the coutnry rather than 1/4 full stadiums, but they won’t.
KUDOS TO DANIEL OGDEN – ALL TIME TRY SCORING RECORD HOLDER
The Wynnum fullback became the all time leading try scorer with a try in Wynnum’s loss to Norths. A convenient place to do it, as he scored a pile of those tries for the Devils in his stint at Bishop Park.
AND ONE OF THE WORST…NO FTA COVERAGE OF PNG HUNTERS FINALS IN PNG.
We say booo, and have already had our whinge on this one. It stinks.
