The latest weekend of Intrust Super Cup has been completed, and we have the Intrust Super Cup Round 3 Results and thoughts on the major points.
There are just two teams left with 100% in 2018, and sadly, there are three teams without a win so far in 2018. They are actually thee of the last four premiership winners.
In between there’s plenty happening, so we pick the most interesting things in our opinion with our Intrust Super Cup Round 3 Results and Thoughts.
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS ARE KINGS IN THE NORTH…FOR NOW
Rivalry Round kicked off in Cairns, with the Northern Pride undefeated and having beaten the two most recent premiers in the first two weeks of the season, meeting their nearest neighbour Townsville Blackhawks who have outperformed them ladder wise since the Blackhawks entry into the competition in 2015.
The PRide did the double over Townsville last season, their first wins over the Blackhawks, and a third would see them Pride continue their recent dominance and more than likely the competition lead.
But Townsville were in the mood to show their Foley Shield rivals no favours in thew wet encounter. They led 10-0 at half time, and 20-0 halfway through the second, scoring three tries to one.
With both sides similarly equipped with Cowboys cast offs and genuine Intrust Super Cup quality, it was an important game to lay down the marker for the season ahead. As is looks so far, both of these teams will feature in the top eight and beyond this year, so an early season victory will come in handy later in the year when the fixture is reversed and the pressure for bigger prizes than FNQ pride are up for grabs.
Oddly enough, after three rounds these two teams have the best and second best defensive records for the season.
Like Game of thrones, it is hard to know whether being King of the North is any advantage in the overall scheme of things
WINTER IS COMING FOR REDCLIFFE
In an even weaker Game of tHrones reference, we move onto the 2018 Premiers Redcliffe Dolphins, who are one of the three teams without a win in the first three teams of the Intrust Super Cup season.
They were beaten in the Bayside derby as part of Rivalry round, and although they were competitive enough against Wynnum, they would hardly have sent a scare through most of the competition.
Scoring points seems a problems like their fellow teams with zero wins, Redcliffe and Ipswich have scored just 34 points for the season so far, which is just 8 points ahead of the PNG Hunters who only scored their first points of the season this weekend.
Perhaps they are missing Cameron Cullen more than most thought they would.
It is still a long season and Winter isn’t here just yet (based on the temperatures in SEQ this weekend), and 0/3 isn’t something to panic about yet, and the extension of the finals to a top eight gives more teams hopes for longer. Their next game is against fellow Brisbane strugglers Souths Logan Magpies, who have one more win than them.
HOME WOES FOR MAGPIES
OK, so we’ve run out of Game of Thrones references now, although you could use, if you play the Game of Thrones and don’t win at home, you die.
Anyways, Souths Logan Magpies ended 2018 badly, dropping from second place around the halfway mark of the 2018 season to out of finals contention before the season was over.
There were a lot of losses in that second half of the season, but they ended the season with five straight home losses, something they’ve carried on in 2019.
So far in two home matches in 2019 they have been beaten 42-16 by Norths and 36-4 by the Central Capras. Not a great record if you wish to fight for the top eight.
That makes it seven losses in seven matches, and is something they need to turn around soon if they want to see September action.
POINTS MADE FOR HUNTERS IF NOT WINS
So the PNG Hunters sill lost in Intrust Super Cup Round 3 to the Sunshine Coast, but the margin was only two points to a side which has yet to be beaten in 2019, and they scored 26 points, which is 26 more than their haul in the first two games of the season.
The shuffle of Oti Tony Bland and Joe Joshua between Fullback and Centre seemed to work as Joe Joshua scored a hat trick for the Hunters, the last of which came just before full-time.
PNG actually scored five tries, the same as the Falcons, but the goal kicking made the difference, with the Falcons slotting more two pointer to steal the win. More luck with the goal kicking would have seen them home.
Talking of good goal kicking, Ase Boas has left the Featherstone Rovers in the UK for family reasons, so who knows if they can convince him to turn out for the Hunters for the rest of the 2019 season. Whilst the PNG Hunters should always be focused on bringing young talent through, imagine the steady, premiership winning hands and feet, imagine the little addition of quality to help the up and comers learn with confidence.
RIVALRY ROUND
Other competitions in Australia try to do a rivalry round, but the Intrust Super Cup’s version is the best of all.
Perhaps the Intrust Super Cup is aided by the geography of their competitions with teams spread all down the Queensland coast, but still every game seemed a decent match up.
It helps that two teams can be paired so easily like the two Gold Coast teams, the northern Queensland sides, and the many Brisbane teams, plus a brewing rivalry between PNG and the Sunshine Coast, but the Intrust Super Cup ensure every game is a great one, not just the FTA games for the round.
Like the Intrust Super Cup’s Country Week, it is a great idea that the NRL will eventually copy badly (Magic Weekend) ignore for a few more years (Country Round). Or have another marvel super heroes jersey round.
PNG WATCH
Outside of the PNG Hunters there is some talent doing well for other Intrust Super Cup teams.
Edene Gebbie scored an 80 metre try for Wynnum against Redcliffe in their rivalry clash, and did the job at the back and looked dangerous throughout. Given the hot Sunday midday kickoff, no wonder he looked tired at the end of that sprint.
Nixon Putt made it a 100% winning record for Norths when he scores, as the Devils easily beat Souths Logan at Davies Park. It was the PNG International’s second try of the year, after getting one in their close first round win over Burleigh.
Justin Olam played in the winning Sunshine Coast Falcons team that beat the Hunters, and Rod Griffin did the job off the bench for Townsville in their win.
So good news for a lot of the PNG players elsewhere. One hopes that luck will flow through to the Hunters soon. At last thins look good for the Kumuls Test season.
INTRUST SUPER CUP ROUND 3 RESULTS
Northern Pride 4 TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS 20
Ipswich Jets 20 EASTS TIGERS 22
MACKAY CUTTERS 42 Central Capras 20
WYNNUM SEAGULLS 18 Redcliffe Dolphins 10
BURLEIGH BEARS 32 Tweed Heads Seagulls 4
Souths Logan Magpies 16 NORTHS DEVILS 42
PNG Hunters 26 SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS 28
INTRUST SUPER CUP ROUND 3 TABLE
| Pos | Team | Played | Points | Wins | Lost | Byes | For | Against | Diff. |
| 1 | Tigers | 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 44 | 32 |
| 2 | Falcons | 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 84 | 56 | 28 |
| 3 | Bears | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 96 | 40 | 56 |
| 4 | Blackhawks | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 70 | 34 | 36 |
| 5 | Seagulls | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 78 | 52 | 26 |
| 6 | Devils | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 82 | 68 | 14 |
| 7 | Pride | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 38 | 12 |
| 8 | Seagulls | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 48 | -10 |
| 9 | Cutters | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 74 | 66 | 8 |
| 10 | Capras | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 72 | 92 | -20 |
| 11 | Magpies | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 52 | 98 | -46 |
| 12 | Dolphins | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 34 | 70 | -36 |
| 13 | Hunters | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 26 | 62 | -36 |
| 14 | Jets | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 34 | 98 | -64 |
