It may not be a rivalry round but this weekend’s Round 4 Intrust Super Cup Round still features some interesting match ups, if not intense rivalries.
To know more we offer up our Round 4 Intrust Super Cup Predictions and Preview.
There’s a brief rundown of each game, a bit about betting, broadcasting, and more.
Most importantly, we have the CEO of main sponsor Intrust Super Brendan O’Farrell giving us his tips each week.
ROUND 4 INTRUST SUPER CUP TIPPING – ARE YOU SMARTER THAN SUPER BOF?
Fancy yourself an Intrust Super Cup tipping guru. Reckon you’re better than the CEO of Intrust Super yourself? Find out his Round 4 Intrust Super Cup tips below, and submit your via our Twitter or Facebook page.
BRENDAN O’FARRELL (CEO of Intrust Super)
IPSWICH JETS to beat Northern Pride
EASTS TIGERS to beat PNG Hunters
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS to beat Souths Logan Magpies
TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS to beat Central Capras
WYNNUM SEAGULLS to beat Mackay Cutters
SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS to beat Norths Devils
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS to beat Burleigh Bears
SEASON PROGRESS 12/21
THE GURGLER’s TIPS (Us)
NORTHERN PRIDE to beat Ipswich Jets
EASTS TIGERS to beat PNG Hunters
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS to beat Souths Logan Magpies
TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS to beat Central Capras
WYNNUM SEAGULLS to beat Mackay Cutters
NORTHS DEVILS to beat Sunshine Coast Falcons
BURLEIGH BEARS to beat Townsville Blackhawks
SEASON PROGRESS 14/21
Follow our weekly Twitter post to add your selections.
ROUND 4 INTRUST SUPER CUP – MINI PREVIEW
Here’s a quick rundown on all things Round 4 Intrust Super Cup and our thoughts for all of the games this weekend.
The full Team Lists for Round 4 can be found at the QRL Website.
IPSWICH JETS v NORTHERN PRIDE
Saturday 3:00pm
Hard to believe that the Ipswich Jets come into the first Round 4 Intrust Super Cup clash with a 0-3 record, and with the second worst attacking record. They were much more competitive last weekend for Rivalry Round as their second half comeback fell two points short against Easts.
The Walker brothers are still keeping the faith with their team, with no major changes from Round 3.
Talking of changes, the Northern Pride have had two of their better players taken from them as part of the big Cowboys backline reshuffle.
Jake Clifford, who probably should have been given first crack alongside Michael Morgan given his 2018 form for the Pride and Cowboys, gets his 2019 debut at five eighth. One of the Cowboys better players from 2018 – Ben Hampton – who also started the season in the Intrust Super Cup has also got a call up to play in the centres.
Despite the loss of Clifford, their off season recruit in former Tigers halfback Brayden Torpy is quite the replacement. Torpy was a big part of the Tigers good run in the second half of 2018, and looked good in comparison to Brodie Croft.
2018: R4 Ipswich 16 Pride 12 — R19 Pride 34 Ipswich 24
EASTS TIGERS v PNG HUNTERS
Saturday 4:00pm
Interesting in the Team List for the Round 4 Intrust Super Cup was the conspicuous blank where the name for number seven should have been. Was it a typo, or is it being reserved for a certain ex premiership winning captain of the PNG Hunters who has recently returned from a stint in the UK?
Despite the fact that at the heart of the Hunters should be bringing new talent through, they could certainly do with a little Ase Boas polish. We’ll have to wait and see.
The Hunters finally broke their point scoring duck last weekend. After more than three hours without registering a point, the Hunters scored 26, two short of the Sunshine Coast Falcons, but an improved showing for sure. The shuffle of Oti Tony Bland and Joe Joshua seemed to work for Joshua anyway who scored three tries and provided the last pass in a great performance. Sadly he is not pat of the team playing at Langlands Park. Charlie Simon looked sharp in his new position of hooker, and if it happens, you can see a decent partnership brewing between Boas and Simon.
Despite all that good news, the Hunters are 0/3 in 2019 and have a poor record against Easts in Brisbane, so the turnaround in results may have to wait a little longer.
Switching the 0 and 3, the Easts Tigers are one of two teams that are undefeated after three rounds, having seen off Mackay, Norths and Ipswich so far. Easts are competitive as ever, and have the edge over the Hunters experience wise. Easts should get the win at home and remain undefeated.
2018: R13 Easts 30 PNG 12
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS v SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES
Saturday 6:00pm
From one winless side to another, and surprisingly so for the minor premiers Redcliffe. Hard to figure that Redcliffe would be heading into Round 4 of the Intrust super Cup without a point. Their attack isn’t very potent either, having scored the second lowest total in 2019 with just 34 points. Only the Hunters sit behind them, and the Hunters didn’t score in the first two weeks.
Talking of bad runs, Souths Logan continued their losing streak at home, which stretches back into the second half of last season, which means the Magpies may well be happy to be on the road. They certainly were last season when they pipped the Dolphins and home, yet easily lost the return leg at home.
Conceding points is the worry for the Magpies, as they currently have the worst defensive record in the competition, although with Redcliffe not scoring evens themselves it may even up. Souths Logan have conceded 78 points at home in two games, the 20 conceded in Mackay is an improvement on the home form. It was their only win so far too.
Not much change in the Redcliffe line up after their defeat at Wynnum last weekend, eyes will be on Izaia Perese, the rugby union convert in the Dolphins line up in the centres. Interestingly for the Magpies is the shift from fullback to five eighth for Gerome Burns and they welcome Fanitesi Niu at fullback.
2018: R1 Redcliffe 15 Magpies 16 — R15 Magpies 14 Redcliffe 28
CENTRAL CAPRAS v TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS
Saturday 7:00pm
Tweed Heads 2-1 record to start the 2019 Intrust Super Cup season is one of their better starts in recent seasons, despite a heavy loss to Gold Coast rivals Burleigh last weekend. They will fancy beating the Capras in Rockhampton on Saturday night.
An exciting addition to the team to help the Seagulls beat the Capras is Christian Hazard, the former Redcliffe star who has landed at Piggabeen after his attempt in cracking into he NRL stalled. He has plenty to offer and is a great addition for the Seagulls.
Central Capras peaked early, thrashing the Magpies at home in Round 1, but have suffered two 20+ losses in the last two weeks. They did do well in pre season, so perhaps a winning run will start soon and Tweed Heads must be one game they would mark down as a potential two points.
2018: R14 Tweed Heads 13 Central 12
WYNNUM SEAGULLS v MACKAY CUTTERS
Sunday 12:10pm TV GAME
The TV cameras return to BMD Kougari Oval for the second weekend in a row, for a second TV game for both sides already this season.
Wynnum did the job last weekend against Redcliffe in the heat, which saw them creep up to fifth on the Intrust Super Cup ladder. There wasn’t much in the game, but the 80 metre try for former PNG Hunter Edene Gebbie was a match sealer and entertainment.
Happy news for Mackay Cutters though from Round 3, as they registered their first win of the season, over their nearest neighbour too in Central Capras. A welcome relief for the Cutters, who finished last in 2018, who now have three teams below them after three rounds. Interestingly, Mackay have scored almost twice as many points as Tweed Heads who sit just bove them in 8th place, and the last of special treatment.
2018: R13 Mackay 20 Wynnum 34
SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS v NORTH DEVILS
Sunday 3:30pm
The Falcons are currently undefeated in the 2019 Intrust Super Cup season, making it a great start to the season for Melbourne Storm, as the Sunshine Coast and fellow Storm feeder club Easts and the NRL Storm side are all without a loss this season.
The Sunshine Coast have one of the Intrust Super Cup’s most interesting backlines, full of Pacific Nation Internationals, sons of former rugby league greats and in Nicho Hynes and Jonathon Rueben some of the best talent in the competition. No wonder the Falcons have scored a lot of points.
Norths have probably exceeded expectations so far a little, but their current ladder position of 5th is deserved after good wins at home to Burleigh and away to Souths Logan. The Devils of course have their own PNG International in Nixon Putt, who has impressed plenty already, and has scored two out of three weeks.
It should be an interesting contest, as the Falcons have scored the second highest amount of points so far in 2019 with 84, Norths are next up and just two points further back. To further cement the potential for lots of points, no team inside the current top 8 have conceded more than the 68 points let in by the Devils in three rounds.
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS v BURLEIGH BEARS
Sunday 4:00pm
A great 3rd v 4th clash to end the weekend, and trying to guess the winning team is proving near impossible.
Burleigh have scored the most points in the competition thus far with 96 points, and Townsville have the tightest defence with 34 points in three games, Burleigh though aren’t find behind with 40 points. The two teams are first and second for for and against.
Both sides are full of talent, some very good ex NRL players among them, and some great ISC players who will hopefully get another crack at the NRL.
Case in point, Townsville welcome fullback Zac Santo into their star-studded backline, and up front will be the tough Dan Beasley, the man who led the Blackhawks to their 2015 Grand Final before heading overseas.
Hard to tell who could win, perhaps just rugby league.
2018: R9 Townsville 13 Burleigh 6 — R23 Burleigh 22 Townsville 23
