With State of Origin game 1 over, and the state of Queensland celebrating, hopefully there is enough enthusiasm left for the Queensland Cup and our Round 13 Intrust Super Cup Predictions.
Not only do we have our preview and tips, we have the CEO of main sponsor Intrust Super Brendan O’Farrell on board with selections each week.
As always there are plenty of highlights for the weekend ahead, the best of which sees the in form Tweed Heads Seagulls take their shot at the undefeated Sunshine Coast.
Elsewhere Easts and Burleigh is always a good contest, and the northside rivalry between Norths and Redcliffe resumes at Bishop Park. And plenty more.
For those inclined there are five Sunday afternoon games on offer in the Intrust Super Cup this weekend.
A shame the Sunday boost coincides with a rare Broncos Sunday afternoon home game
If you like a brief preview of the entire round, your Round 13 Intrust Super Cup Predictions and Preview awaits.
Round 13 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 13 Intrust Super Cup tips below, and submit your via our Twitter or Facebook page.
BRENDAN O’FARRELL (CEO of Intrust Super)
WYNNUM SEAGULLS to beat Ipswich Jets
NORTHERN PRIDE to beat Central Capras.
BURLEIGH BEARS to beat Easts Tigers
SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS to beat Tweed Heads Seagulls
NORTHS DEVILS to beat Redcliffe Dolphins
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS to beat Souths Logan Magpies
PNG HUNTERS to beat Mackay Cutters
SEASON PROGRESS 58/84
Last week 4/7
THE GURGLER’s TIPS (Us)
WYNNUM SEAGULLS to beat Ipswich Jets
NORTHERN PRIDE to beat Central Capras.
BURLEIGH BEARS to beat Easts Tigers
SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS to beat Tweed Heads Seagulls
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS to beat Norths Devils
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS to beat Souths Logan Magpies
PNG HUNTERS to beat Mackay Cutters
SEASON PROGRESS 54/84
Last week 6/7
Follow our weekly Twitter post to add your selections. Be better than BOF.
Round 13 INTRUST SUPER CUP – MINI PREVIEW
Here’s a quick rundown on all things Round 13 Intrust Super Cup and our thoughts for all of the games this weekend.
WYNNUM SEAGULLS v IPSWICH JETS
Saturday 5:00pm @ Kougari
The weekend kicks off with the most in form team outside of the Sunshine Coast Falcons, with Wynnum soaring up to second on the back of six straight wins.
Saturday’s game will be the second of a five game run at home for Wynnum, and they are currently 4/4 at home in 2019, so it will take a big performance to knock off the Seagulls by the Jets. Ipswich have won four of their last five away from home though. So perhaps not as one sided as the odds say.
Last round saw Wynnum hold off the Townsville Blackhawks, and Ipswich bounced back from a 54 point loss to the Falcons the week before to win in Mackay.
The most entertaining head to head will be of the two number ones. Ipswich’s Marmin Barba’s speed and quality is well known through Intrust Super Cup circles, but despite showing promise with the Hunters, few could see Wynnum’s PNG fullback Edene Gebbie offering as much as he has in 2019. Surely he is putting himself in a Kumuls jersey for the upcoming test.
Wynnum have a lot of class in the backline, but Ipswich go close to matching them in the forwards.
We Say: Wynnum will continue their 100% home record despite the Jets best efforts.
NORTHERN PRIDE v CENTRAL CAPRAS
Saturday 6:00pm
@ Barlow Park
This game will provide a drought breaking win for one of these two teams, unless the game cruelly ends in a draw.
Northern Pride haven’t won since Round 2, and the Capras have only one win this season, that was in the first round at Davies Park against Souths Logan.
The Pride have lost a few players to the Cowboys as cover for the Origin stars and injuries, giving the Capras a golden opportunity for an upset in Cairns. The Capras were quite good last weekend in the TV game against Norths in the first half, but faded badly in the second half.
We Say: Surely this is the game where the Pride kickstart their season.
BURLEIGH BEARS v EASTS TIGERS
Sunday 1:10pm
@ Pizzey Park
TV GAME
Burleigh were the latest team to be brushed aside by the Sunshine Coast Falcons last weekend, Easts know a thing or two about that, as they were undefeated until meeting their Melbourne Storm stablemate.
The Bears were second heading into last weekend’s game, and only fell to third with the loss. Easts meanwhile halted the slide of three straight losses against the Northern Pride, but it did take four tries in 10 minutes from the 66th minute to storm home and win.
Both sides are unchanged from the previous week, and the Tigers side features the electric Scott Drinkwater for the second week, who is returning from the injury that cost him a chance to be Melbourne’s number 1 for 2019.
A great TV game for a Sunday afternoon.
We Say: Burleigh will bounce back against the Tigers, but only just. Even a field goal might decide it.
TWEED HEAD SEAGULLS v SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS
Sunday 2:00pm
@ Piggabenn.
The premium clash of the weekend sees fourth placed Tweed Heads, who are on a run of five straight games, take on the seemingly unbeatable Sunshine Coast.
Question is can anyone beat the Falcons in 2019? Surely someone can, and Tweed Heads with their form were a great chance to do what the Gold Coast rivals couldn’t do last weekend. But the loss of Ryley Jacks to the Titans will hurt their chances.
The Falcons themselves have names missing from their line up as call ups for the Storm in Origin period, so perhaps it evens out. Few could argue against Falcons players Justin Olam and Sandor Earl gets another decent crack at the NRL.
It is hard to see the Falcons being beaten in 2019, they have seen off every challenge thrown their way by some very good sides thus far in 2019.
We Say: Sunshine Coast are just too good right now, and will probably win by 30.
NORTHS DEVILS v REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS
Sunday 3pm
@ Bishop Park
The first of a trio of Sunday 3pm kick offs with a northside rivalry between Norths and Redcliffe Dolphins, perhaps a creative title could be the Deagon Deviation Derby. Or just Norths v Redcliffe.
For a change the Devils are travelling much better than the Dolphins, as Norths sit in fifth on the Intrust Super Cup ladder, but are a full four wins ahead of the Dolphins. Redcliffe are one spot outside the top right, but unfortunately for them and the teams lower, they are already two wins further back.
Redcliffe need a good run of wins, and they were impressive enough against the Hunters at home, winning 48-8, and there has been a few impressive wins this year, namely the PNG match, and good wins over Central 52-10 and Tweed Heads 26-6. The problem is the heavy losses either side of that
Norths meanwhile put on a second half masterclass against the Capras last weekend, showing how dangerous they can be if they make the top few this year.
We Say: Redcliffe to sneak home against the Devils.
SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES v TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS
Saturday 3pm
@ Davies Park
Another weekend, another chance for the Magpies to break their drought at Davies Park. One that stretches over a year now.
Hard gig too against the Townsville Blackhawks who win every second game away. Bad news for the Magpies is that Townsville lost last weekend to Seagulls on the bayside.
It is still hard to see why the Magpies are struggling when you look at the team list, but struggling they are, down in second last with two wins away from home.
The Blackhawks themselves are having an underwhelming season by their lofty standards, currently down in seventh place and full five wins from the top spot on the Intrust Super ladder they seemed to own for years.
A couple of ex NRL inclusions, one for each side which sees Shaun Fensom line up for the Magpies, and Jaelen Feeney for the Blackhawks.
We Say: Townsville Blackhawks to continue Magpies misery at home
PNG HUNTERS v MACKAY CUTTERS
Saturday 3pm
@ National Football Stadium
A very disappointing weekend for both teams last weekend, as Mackay were well beaten by the Ipswich Jets at home on a rare Friday night, and PNG Hunter’s ordinary record at Dolphin Oval since 2015 continued.
The manner of the 48-8 loss is a concern for a side, because despite the lack of wins this season for the Hunters, the defence has at least been up to the job.
Of course there’s more changes to the Hunters team, a loss like that always requires a response, but it has been the same every week with 8-10 changes every week.
The most interesting of the changes sees Ase Boas return to the starting side, installed back at five eighth, as the halves combinations is changed once again.
Charlie Simon is a welcome inclusion back again, taking on the interchange hooker role again. There’s also the move for former fullback/winger/centre Bland Abavu into the lock position. He is plenty tall so it might work out.
As for Mackay, they have more than enough quality to win the game in Port Moresby, but they are a little inconsistent, often best to tip the alternative result that you think will happen, so perhaps this is the change of scenery will mean a change in results.
We Say: PNG Hunters to bounce back against the Cutters.
