Intrust Super Cup Round 7 Results and Thoughts

The latest weekend of Intrust Super Cup has been completed, and we have the Intrust Super Cup Round 7 Results plus our thoughts on the major points.

Sunshine Coast Falcons remains undefeated, and their latest win continues an impressive run of form.

Easts Tigers, who the Falcons defeated last weekend in the battle of the two 100% clubs, got back to winning ways against Souths Logan.

The other two games on Thursday night went to the southern sides as Burleigh and Wynnum got past Mackay and Northern Pride respectively. In fact it was a great round for the southern sides as six of the seven southern sides beat their more northern rivals. Although only a matter of a few kms in it with Easts-Souths Logan.

Sadly for PNG Hunters that means that their winning streak was limited to one game as they went down to Ipswich at home on Easter Saturday.

Two teams remain on just the one win PNG Hunters, Central Capras, and another four just one win further ahead. Happily for those teams the top eight is just one win away with Ipswich in eight on three wins.

All of that and more below with our Intrust Super Cup Round 7 Results and Thoughts.

SUNSHINE COAST CONTINUE TO SOAR

The Sunshine Coast Falcons continue to cruise at the top of the Intrust Super Cup ladder, remaining unbeaten with a huge 52-6 win over the Central Capras in Rockhampton.

The game was one of four big Easter Thursday clashes, and the result lays down a big marker to the rest of the competition after their big top of the table clash against Easts Tigers last weekend.

They led 28-0 at half time, and by full-time had scored nine tries to one, never giving the Capras a sniff, and avenging the surprise loss against the Capras last season.

Star player Nicho Hynes moved from fullback to five eighth for the game, and he had a hand in a lot of the nine tries scored, merely confirming his quality after a top display last weekend.

Sunshine Coast are the competition leaders of scoring points, averaging 35 points a game so far this season. They are even a full 54 points clear of the next best in attack.

At the end of the day it was first v last, and those positions remain for both the Capras and the Falcons, but the manner of the win should have the competition worried. They look hard to beat right now.

MAGPIE MYSTERY

One does wonder how the Souths Logan Magpies are sitting in the bottom half of the ladders with just two wins, as on paper they have one of the strongest squads in the Intrust Super competition.

They also have a healthy relationship with the Broncos where the Magpies have been the main beneficiary of the Broncos arrangement in the past.

Not that their 28-20 loss is a terrible result. Easts have lost only once this season, but with their poor results at home, they are going to have to get past the good teams away or solve their home record.

Magpies led the game after scoring first, but then Easts Tigers scored 5 tries in 21 minutes on either side of the half break, Kelma Tuilagi  and Tom Hughes grabbing ht tricks.

Souths Logan three try burst around the midway point for the second half wasn’t enough, but did show a glimpse. A sneak peek at what they could be. The top 8 is more chance at finals football this year, so the Magpies are still a good chance to make the finals, but with nearly a third of the season gone, they’ll want to find some results quick.

HUNTERS DOWN AGAIN AS IPSWICH BREAK PNG HOODOO

Ipswich Jets got their first win in PNG as they took a relatively easy 28-10 win over the Hunters on Saturday.

The sides traded a try each in the first 10 minutes, but the Jets took over after that, taking an 16-4 lead to half time and extending that to 22-4, before each side scored once more for the full-time score of 28-10.

There was a period where the Hunters went a few seasons without losing at home, and despite missing out on the finals last season, the Hunters lost just twice at home in 2018. So far in 2019 it is three losses from three games at home. After next weekend’s big Anzac Day clash at Burleigh, the Hunters have five of their next six games at home. The perfect time to rediscover their winning ways at home.

With so much off-season movement of players, 2019 was always going to be a struggle and a slight readjustment of expectations with so many new faces to be given their chance was needed. The Hunters got lucky with the return of experience in Ase Boas, but still the results haven’t turned around, and perhaps there has been too much change week to week for the PNG side, with some weeks seeing movement of six players and more up to ten changes. 

Maybe picking and sticking will not only allow for more continuity, but confidence for the up and comers. Injuries and discipline aside.

With the expanded top eight currently seeing Ipswich in 8th on a 3-4 record and -43 points difference, all it will take in a good run of a few games to get the season back on track. It could start with an upset against the odds next weekend on the Gold Coast.

GREAT WEEKEND FOR THE SOUTHERN SIDES

The first six games of the weekend were won by the team who were the more southerly of the two sides. With Game of Thrones at its peak interest levels, perhaps there’s something in that about the North losing or something similarly prophetic.

That meant that Burleigh, Wynnum, and Norths (among the others already mentioned) all got wins over their northern foes of Mackay, Northern Pride and Townsville respectively. This saw all of those three clubs move to third, fourth and fifth respectively. Good going for Wynnum and Norths who have missed out on finals the few last seasons.

The only side to buck the trend was Redcliffe, who got their second win of the season in the TV game at Redcliffe. The Dolphins got the better of a reasonably scrappy affair, but there were a few flashes of goodness from Redcliffe, although defending their title looks a long shot on current form and ladder position. But some signs of life for the Dolphins season are evident. The game did see an awful head clash which saw the end of Cheyne Whitelaw for the afternoon.

INTRUST SUPER CUP ROUND 7 RESULTS

Mackay Cutters 10 BURLEIGH BEARS 28
Northern Pride 18 WYNNUM SEAGULLS 26
EASTS TIGERS 28 Souths Logan Magpies 20
Central Capras 6 SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS 52
PNG Hunters 10 IPSWICH JETS 28
NORTHS DEVILS 22 Townsville Blackhawks 10
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS 26 Tweed Heads Seagulls 6

INTRUST SUPER CUP ROUND 7 LADDER