Our Round 17 Intrust Super Cup Predictions and Preview awaits, and this weekend doubles as he reverse of rivalry round, as if to cheer up Queenslanders after the State of Origin series loss on Wednesday. It is also the QRL’s Indigenous Round.
Being a rivalry round all games are highlights, the TV game focusing on the battle for Gold Coast supremacy between Burleigh and Tweed Heads. The only other all top eight clash is the bayside rivals clash between Redcliffe and Wynnum.
With just seven games to go there’s still plenty to play for. Some teams it is realistically only 8th place, and for the teams currently in the top seven it would take a shocking run to fall outside. So in reality just the order of those teams needs to be decided.
Intrust Super’s Brendan O’Farrell as ever has provided his expert opinion on who will win.
And with less expertise are our Round 17 Intrust Super Cup Predictions and Preview. We appreciate the feedback from last weekend, thanks for reading.
Round 17 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 16 Intrust Super Cup tips below, and submit your via our Twitter or Facebook page.
BRENDAN O’FARRELL (CEO of Intrust Super)
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS to beat Northern Pride
WYNNUM SEAGULLS to beat Redcliffe Dolphins
CENTRAL CAPRAS to beat Mackay Cutters
BURLEIGH BEARS to beat Tweed Heads Seagulls
SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS to beat PNG Hunters
EASTS TIGERS to beat Ipswich Jets
NORTHS DEVILS to beat Souths Logan Magpies
Want to better BOF?
Follow our weekly Twitter post to add your selections. Be better than BOF. If you can with his recent form.
Round 17 INTRUST SUPER CUP – MINI PREVIEW
Here’s a quick rundown on all things Round 16 Intrust Super Cup and our thoughts for all of the games this weekend.
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS v NORTHERN PRIDE
Saturday 4pm @ Jack Manski Oval
The Blackhawks are putting together a nice run of form, they are on a run of four wins in a row at the right time of the year. They will need to maintain that run too, as they face all of the top three in the run home.
Townsville are going against trend this season to a degree, more often than not grinding out the wins instead of the big points hauls from previous season. They are only averaging 21 points a game this season, compared to their first season in 2015 where they had 200 more points at the same stage of the season.
They are still a hundred points or so in front of this weekend’s opponent – Northern Pride – who currently sit 11th with just four wins. Recent form had turned around with two wins in the last three before last weekend’s heavy loss to the Sunshine Coast. They are six points behind Redcliffe in 8th and probably running out of time for finals.
There’s some decent talent on offer for both sides, including fringe Cowboys, PNG Internationals, and two former Easts Tigers halves.
We Say: Townsville to kick off the weekend with a win, but not after the Pride take the lead around half time.
CENTRAL CAPRAS v MACKAY CUTTERS
Saturday 7:00pm @ Marley Brown Oval, Gladstone
Central Capras are still looking for their second win of the season, and their first since round 1, but this weekend represents their best chance in a while to grab a win with the Mackay Cutters joining them in a trip down the highway to Gladstone.
Mackay are on a run of three straight losses, but do have a few wins on the road this season, their two away victories coming against Townsville and the PNG Hunters, showing they prefer to play in the north.
In saying that, the Capras won their last game in Gladstone, played at the end of last season, against the Sunshine Coast no less.
The Cutters are a hard team to follow form-wise, but they remain within two wins of the Redcliffe Dolphins in 8th. And Mackay have conceded the fewest points from the sides in the bottom six.
We Say: A late field goal or penalty will decide it for the Capras for a change.
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS v WYNNUM SEAGULLS
Saturday 6:00pm @ Dolphin Stadium
The Dolphins made it three in a row last weekend, and in dramatic fashion with three tries in the last eight minutes to steal an unlikely win after Ipswich dominated most of the game. Justice Utatao laying down the law with all three tries on the left wing. Almost all on the same spot.
That cements Redcliffe’s spot in the top eight for now, one win and a healthy points difference in front of the chasing pack.
It’s two big rivalries in two weekends for Wynnum, who saw off Tweed Heads again in the Flockbuster to keep their great recent record against Tweed Heads and remain in the top three for now.
Prior to last season’s 50-18 loss to Redcliffe, Wynnum had a very good record against Redcliffe at Dolphin Oval, winning four in a row from 2014-2017,. The 2015 and 2016 versions decided by a point. And this Wynnum side is going a lot better in 2019.
We Say: The Dolphins continue their charge up the Intrust Super Cup ladder, with a rivalry round upset, perhaps by four to six points only
TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS v BURLEIGH BEARS
Sunday 1:10pm @ Piggabeen
TV GAME
The TV game picks up the clash of the Titans backed clubs with Tweed Heads looking to grab a rare win over their 2nd place rivals.
Tweed Heads are on a run of four straight losses, but that record is a little harsh as they have played three of the top four and the PNG Hunters in Port Moresby. The run has seen them drop to seventh, and giving Redcliffe a sniff of further progress up the ladder.
Burleigh are going a little better in 2nd place, and have only one loss since round five, and that was against the red-hot Falcons.
They have plenty to cover the Seagulls on paper, and their recent form advantage should see them continue their recent dominance. Tweed Head’s last win over Burleigh was a big 50-4 win in 2015.
We Say: Burleigh by a few converted tries.
SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS v PNG HUNTERS
Sunday 2:35pm @ Sunshine Coast Stadium
The Falcons have got over their one game losing streak by belting the Northern Pride 52-8 last weekend in Cairns, and next up is their 2017 grand final conquerors the PNG Hunters.
PNG Hunters have a woeful record on the Sunshine Coast, winning just once in their first season in 2014 when the Sunshine Coast had no NRL alliance and were the competition’s easybeats.
A lot has changed since, as the Falcons are now the trendsetters, four points clear at the top, and scoring at nearly 40 points a game while only conceding 11 points.
Sunshine Coast will be without our favourite player Nicho Hynes, but his absence has opened the door for a Cory Parker to join the side, in a mildly interesting sidenote to the game.
The season is effectively over for the Hunters in terms of making the finals, but progress has been made in the past month as the side has become a little more settled.
Last weekend’s performance against the Norths Devils should give them heart, but it probably won’t be enough against the competition heavyweights. It is the first game on a tough run of playing all of the top three plus sixth placed Easts.
We Say: Sunshine Coast should win by plenty, and probably will.
NORTHS DEVILS v SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPES
Sunday 3:00pm @ Bishop Park
Norths proved they are the real deal this season with a fine come from behind win in Port Moresby last weekend. Trailing 12-0 at half time, they piled on six second half tries to win 30-18, one try to former Hunter Nixon Putt who is proving quite the off season acquisition. And without a number of players called into the baby Broncos.
The Devils sit fifth, but on equal points as fourth placed Townsville, and there’s not much in the points difference, so they could be fourth at the end of Round 17. Their run home isn’t too bad either with the Falcons and Seagulls bookending their run home after this week, and a pile of bottom six teams in between.
Souths Logan have a decent recent record at Bishop Park, only going down by 2 points last season, and avoiding defeat from 2014 before that, and the Magpies are a lot more lethal on the road than at home. The games are often close too, with 4 of the last 6 games decided by 2 points, 1 point, and a draw.
We Say: Our tipping of Norths is quite poor, so we apologise to Norths fans in advance by picking them to win by 2 points, with a late try to Connor Broadhurst.
EASTS TIGERS v IPSWICH JETS
Sunday 3:00pm @ Langlands Park
A rare traditional Sunday afternoon kick off at Langlands Park see the clash of two SEQ rivals who usually produce good contests. It should be tight with the last five games decided by 6 points or less (3 games by two points). The away side has won four of the last five too, giving Ipswich some hope of an upset.
Ipswich must have thought they would head into the clash this weekend with a win under their belt, leading by 16 points with under 10 minutes to go, but Redcliffe surprised them with three late tries to ruin their afternoon. Redcliffe stole Ipswich’s potential eighth place in the process.
The Jets played some good football, and looked deserving of their win, so bringing that into this weekend’s game will make life tough for Easts.
Easts Tigers have been hot and cold this year, but it follows a trend. Usually defeating the teams below them, but losing to the teams above. So being currently in sixth place they will beat the Jets. They had a good win ob the road last weekend in Rockhampton where new recruit via Melbourne Solomone Kata scored twice and a hat trick to Jarrod McInally saw them run our 42-18 winners. Their try scoring winger Curtis Dansey Smaller also returns this weekend.
We Say: Easts by 4 points, after an afternoon of entertainment.
