The Intrust Super Cup Round 1 has been completed, and the season started with a round of games that produced plenty of talk things to talk. Not least how great it is to have rugby league back.
Here then are a few thoughts from the games and/or news for the Intrust Super Cup Round 1.
CARLIN ANDERSON HAS NO LUCK
Carlin Anderson is a promising NRL prospect, but his bad luck with injuries continued in just the first week of the Intrust Super Cup on the weekend as he was taken from the field on a stretcher in the Cutters loss to Easts Tigers.
Too many times in Carlin Anderson’s career he has suffered a long-term injury at the most inconvenient of times. There was talk that Anderson was pushing for a Cowboys spot.
Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good, and despite being plenty of the latter, he needs a bit more of the former if he will ever gets to showcase his skills as he deserves in the NRL.
We excuse our ignorance too, having seen Carlin Anderson in the line up, and not paying enough attention researching pre season player movements for the Mackay Cutters.
Kudos to the live stream for the Easts Tigers-Mackay Cutters game. Quality Saturday afternoon filler. Let’s hope there’s more clubs with the ability to show their games. Wynnum do, but few others.
MINOR PREMIERS BEATEN IN CAIRNS
Last season Redcliffe won their first match in Cairns against the Pride, so 2019 goes back to the longer term trend between the two sides up north.
The Northern Pride were able to call upon a number of the Cowboys fringe players that were available, which is a win-win situation for player and club. The club gets quality players, and those said quality players get an extra opportunity to break into the side.
The Pride did have Jake Clifford playing for them, a name that will likely be less regular in 2019. Same with PNG international Nene McDonald and potentially Gideon Gela-Mosby we hope.
Northern Pride are a very good under the radar chance for the Intrust Super Cup premiership in 2019, and beating the defending premiers first up, is as good a message as you can send this early.
IS THIS THE YEAR FOR TOWNSVILLE?
Townsville Blackhawks have assembled one of the strongest squads every year of their existence in the Intrust Super Cup, but a 2015 Grand Final loss is as close as they’ve come to fulfilling the potential.
In the season’s first TV game, Townsville looks impressive as a side can do at this time of year. They weathered the early pressure from Ipswich, and eventually took their chances to lead 10-0 at half time.
The quick burst og three tries in seven minutes in the second half showed what they are capable when on top.
Whether they have simply beaten an Ipswich side that may not compete in the sharp end of the Intrust Super Cup, or it is a glimpse of season-long quality from the Blackhawks remains to be seen. They at least took revenge over Ipswich, who knocked them out of the finals race in 2018.
On a side note, Nat Neale continues to impress for the Jets, picking up where he left off last year.
NIL PROBLEMS FOR PNG HUNTERS
For the first time in their Intrust Super Cup life from 2014, the PNG Hunters were kept scoreless.
The Hunters did lose both games to Tweed Heads in their Premiership season, so the Seagulls have proved a bogey side in the past, but the Hunters have also enjoyed some good wins at Piggabeen.
It will take time with a squad with such a massive turnover of their top players, and we are actually excited about the prospect of new names to follow and get behind, but fans may have to be patient. And possibly prepare for a few more losses than they are used to in the short term.
CAPRAS REMIND ALL OF THE UNCERTAINTY THAT IS INTRUST SUPER CUP
Very few would have predicted the Capras beating the much fancied Souths Logan Magpies in Round 1, but that is exactly what they did.
The size of the margin would also have shocked a few. Especially given that Souths Logan Magpies were favoured by a few to be a front-runner in 2019.
They scored first, kept the lead all game, and piled on the tries late in the last minutes, with 3 tries in the last 13 minutes sealing the win. All with a team of the fewest big names in this season’s Intrust Super Cup. Perhaps there’s a big, season long surprise coming from Central Qld in 2019.
Norths beating Burleigh is another good example of a dark horse for the season starting off in style.
Great to see Dave Taylor continuing his stint with the Capras in 2019. A valuable personality and quality footballer to enjoy in the Intrust Super Cup each week.
INTRUST SUPER CUP ROUND 1 RESULTS
EASTS TIGERS 24 Mackay Cutters 12
SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS 26 Wynnum seagulls 24
NORTHERN PRIDE 22 Redcliffe Dolphins 18
Ipswich Jets 6 TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS 34
TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS 10 PNG Hunters 0
Souths Logan Magpies 14 CENTRAL CAPRAS 36
NORTHS DEVILS 28 Burleigh Bears 22
INTRUST SUPER CUP ROUND 1 TABLE
| Team | Played | Wins | Drawn | Lost | Byes | For | Against | Diff. | Points |
| Blackhawks | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 6 | 28 | 2 |
| Capras | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 14 | 22 | 2 |
| Tigers | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 12 | 12 | 2 |
| Seagulls | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 2 |
| Devils | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 22 | 6 | 2 |
| Pride | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 18 | 4 | 2 |
| Falcons | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 24 | 2 | 2 |
| Seagulls | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 26 | -2 | 0 |
| Dolphins | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 22 | -4 | 0 |
| Bears | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 28 | -6 | 0 |
| Hunters | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | -10 | 0 |
| Cutters | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 24 | -12 | 0 |
| Magpies | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 36 | -22 | 0 |
| Jets | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 34 | -28 | 0 |
