We head into another month, and we have our Round 9 Intrust Super Cup Predictions and Preview ready to attack the first week of May.
More importantly than our predictions, we have the CEO of main sponsor Intrust Super Brendan O’Farrell giving us his tips each week.
The highlight of the weekend is the local rivalry between 2nd and 4th between Wynnum and Easts on Sunday afternoon, there’s also the match up between the competition’s two newest teams which rarely disappoints in PNG, and the Intrust Super Cup makes an appearance in Woorabinda for the Jets-Capras clash.
If you like a brief preview of the entire round, your Round 9 Intrust Super Cup Predictions and Preview awaits.
Round 9 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 8 Intrust Super Cup tips below, and submit your via our Twitter or Facebook page.
BRENDAN O’FARRELL (CEO of Intrust Super)
NORTHS DEVILS to beat Tweed Heads Seagulls
IPSWICH JETS to beat Central Capras
BURLEIGH BEARS to beat Redcliffe Dolphins
NORTHERN PRIDE to beat Mackay Cutters
SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS to beat Souths Logan Magpies
EASTS TIGERS to beat Wynnum Seagulls
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS to beat PNG Hunters.
SEASON PROGRESS 38/56
Last week 5/7
THE GURGLER’s TIPS (Us)
TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS to beat Norths Devils
IPSWICH JETS to beat Central Capras
BURLEIGH BEARS to beat Redcliffe Dolphins
MACKAY CUTTERS to beat Northern Pride
SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS to beat Souths Logan Magpies
WYNNUM SEAGULLS to beat Easts Tigers
PNG HUNTERS to beat Townsville Blackhawks
SEASON PROGRESS 33/56
Last week 6/7
Follow our weekly Twitter post to add your selections.
Round 9 INTRUST SUPER CUP – MINI PREVIEW
Here’s a quick rundown on all things Round 9 Intrust Super Cup and our thoughts for all of the games this weekend.
The full Team Lists for Round 9 can be found via our friends at Nothing But League.
TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS v NORTHS DEVILS
Saturday 2pm
@ Piggabeen
Two sides going slightly better than usual at this stage of the season, Norths have lost just twice and sit with Burleigh and Wynnum in 3rd to 5th, Tweed’s 7th placing sees them in finals contention for the first time in a while, and given the form of the teams outside the top 8, will do badly not to remain.
Norths seemed to have enjoyed playing against Gold Coast based sides lately, having won four of their last five against either of the teams from the Gold Coast.
Both teams welcome back key players. Tweed Heads get Cheyne Whitelaw, who was knocked out against Redcliffe two weeks ago, and former Storm half Ryley Jacks. He’ll be up against a strong halves combination of the Devils in O’Sullivan and Dargan.
Norths welcome back PNG big man Nixon Putt, who on current form should be one of the first picked for the Kumuls in the upcoming international.
IPSWICH JETS v CENTRAL CAPRAS
Saturday 3pm
@ Woorabinda
A familiar Saturday afternoon kick off for the Ipswich Jets in a very unfamiliar location as the Jets take their home game to Woorabinda in Central Queensland.
It is all about a Deadly Choices Community Day, more of which can be discovered via this link. Preston Campbell will be there, and is it a coincidence that a nearby street is called Cressbrook given that ISC legend Reggie Cressbrook played for the Ipswich Jets among other clubs?
The game in Woorabinda is good for Ipswich’s opponents this weekend – Central Capras – as Woorabinda is a mere 172km away, instead of the long haul to Brisbane.
Both teams need a win, Central more so, sitting at the bottom of the Intrust Super Cup ladder with just one win. Ipswich’s 3-5 start is good enough for 8th. These two sides have the worst and 4th worst defensive records this season, so there should be some points in it. Central scored 28 points in both games last year, only good enough for 1/2 wins.
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS v BURLEIGH BEARS
Saturday 6pm
@ Dolphin Oval
Redcliffe face their 2016 Grand Final adversary this weekend, after facing their 2018 Grand Final opponent in Easts last weekend.
Whilst the Tigers were able to get revenge on the Dolphins last weekend, it is hard to see Redcliffe overturning their 2016 loss to Burleigh this weekend, given the form of each side.
Burleigh thrashed PNG Hunters in the Anzac Day clash, and are on a four game winning streak. They sit third, have scored the second most amount of points, and in Jesse Arthars and Troy Leo have two of three leading try scorers. Leo and Arthars are also in the top five for line breaks.
Redcliffe are a full 141 points behind in attack, amounting to nearly three converted tries per game. They are only above the PNG Hunters in attack. Hard task ahead for Redcliffe.
MACKAY CUTTERS v NORTHERN PRIDE
Saturday 6pm
@ BB Print Stadium
Mackay may only have two wins so far this season, but happily for them, given their opponents this week, they have both come against northern Queensland teams.
The Cutters have beaten both the Capras and the Blackhawks so far in 2019, so can complete the set against the Northern Pride this weekend.
Their opponents are coming into the game on the competition’s longest winless streak, having not won since Round 2.
A decent battle at the back awaits, as Carlin Anderson takes on Gideon Gela-Mosby in the fullback position. A good performance is possibly timely too, given the unfortunate circumstances around Cowboys fullback Te Maire Martin.
SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES v SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS
Sunday 1:10pm
@ Davies Park
TV GAME
To cement the fact the Magpies are having no luck in home fixtures, not even changing the scenery to Stradbroke Island could make the difference last weekend against Wynnum.
They head back to Davies Park, where they haven’t won in their last eight home games, a run stretching back to halfway through last season.
So the last thing they probably need to get back to winning ways at home is the arrival of the competition’s only undefeated team – the Sunshine Coast Falcons. Who seem to be getting better every week, a worry for the rest of the competition.
The Falcons have Justin Olam returning, who has the equal second most line breaks in the competition this year, and needs to keep that form going for around Origin time where the Storm may have a few extra spots open.
We were super impressed by Nicho Hynes against the Tigers on the Sunshine Coast, and this being the TV game, we get another chance to see him shine. Perhaps he could fill in during Origin time too.
It is the backs that look the advantage for the Falcons, as the forward packs seem quite evenly matched.
WYNNUM SEAGULLS v EASTS TIGERS
Sunday 2:15pm
@ BMD Kougari
The pick of the weekend’s clashes, with the fourth placed Wynnum Seagulls taking on the Easts Tigers who are two places and one win ahead.
This is only the third home game of the season for Wynnum, but they are 2/2 so far, by contrast the Tigers have played five at home so far in 2019 with a record of 2-1 on the road.
Wynnum star half Tom Dearden has earned a call up to the Broncos this Thursday, so reward for his efforts so far in 2019. They still have former player of the year Pat Templeman and the ever reliable Sam Scarlett in the halves.There’s also the Intrust Super Cup’s Running Man – Edene Gebbie – who is over 500 metres and 30 runs ahead of the next best, and leading the tackle breaks by 15 too.
While Wynnum were impressive on Stradbroke Island, the Tigers are quietly going about their season, suffering just the one loss to their Storm stablemate Sunshine Coast. They beat Redcliffe 16-12 last weekend to maintain second on the ladder.
Quality clash awaits for those lucky enough to be there, or grab a live stream.
PNG HUNTERS v TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS
Sunday 3pm
@ Oil Search Stadium
This clash of the Intrust Super Cup’s newest teams have been mostly classics since both teams joined in the competition. We can recall games where the Hunters held out the Blackhawks for what seemed like the entire second half, sadly that backbone of previous sides has gone missing. Their defence was poor against Burleigh last weekend.
PNG have only ever lost twice to the Blackhawks, both in Townsville, one of them was a major semi final mind you. You could argue both squads are slightly weaker this year than last, but Townsville are still sitting sixth with a 5-3 record, a much better number to look at than the Hunter’s 1-7.
Joe Frank and Joe Joshua have reportedly had contracts terminated due to team protocols, adding another negative to a squad that hasn’t had many good times in 2019. Although given their current predicament of just one win, the Hunters should be commended for their strong stance on player behaviour.
On the plus side, captain Adex Wera rejoins the team in the centres, and Justin Yoka appears to have been given a second chance on the interchange bench, after spending some pre-Boas time in the halves.
Whilst we’ve always supported coach Michael Marum, and rightly so as a premiership winning coach just two seasons ago, but if the Hunters is all about developing playing talent, it should also be about the coaches too.
Perhaps it is time to allow Michael Marum to continue his tremendous work with the Kumuls and hand over the reigns of the Hunters to someone new. If he 2019 season keeps going the way it is, then they have nothing to lose by doing a handover during the season, allowing for a fresh attack on 2010.
In saying that, 2019 isn’t over yet, but wins need to come soon.
Yes Townsville do exist, and they will probably be too strong for the Hunters given current form. Michael Parker-Walshe and Dan Beasley return t the squad.
