The 23 course entree has now been finished, and it is time for the main meal of Intrust Super Cup, starting with our Intrust Super Cup Finals Week 1 Predictions and Preview.
2019 has seen the top six expanded into a top eight, and that is great news for Redcliffe and Easts, who would have missed out previously, but also Queensland Cup in general as there are now nine finals games. And two of them are televised now in a long overdue recognition of the quality.
But what will Intrust Super Cup Finals Week 1 bring? Is there an upset lurking? Surely no one can beat the Falcons. Or could they? We have a go at all of that below.
Read On: Our 2019 Intrust Super Cup Finals Series Guide
Intrust Super Cup Finals Week 1 – Brendan O’Farrell Predictions
Intrust Super’s Brendan O’Farrell stays on to provide his expert selections for all of the finals game.
And here are the potential winner for Week 1.
SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS to beat Townsville Blackhawks
WYNNUM SEAGULLS to beat Burleigh Bears
NORTHS DEVILS to beat Easts Tigers
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS to beat Tweed Heads Seagulls
Intrust Super Cup Finals Week 1 Match by Match Guide
A quick rundown of each game awaits, with a handful of stats, and our very own selection.
SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS v TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS
Sunshine Coast Stadium – Sunday @ 2pm
2019 HEAD TO HEAD RESULTS
R14 Townsville 10 Sunshine Coast 34
R21 Sunshine Coast 40 Townsville 18
HEAD TO HEAD RECORD SINCE 2015
Townsville 6 — Sunshine Coast 3
RECORD AT GROUND SINCE 2015
Townsville 3 — Sunshine Coast 2
2019 RECORD v TOP EIGHT
Sunshine Coast – 10 Wins 1 Loss
Townsville – 7 Wins 5 Loss
FORM
SUNSHINE COAST – 4 Wins 1 Draw
TOWNSVILLE – 3 Wins – 2 Losses
OUR THOUGHTS
It’s so hard to see anyone beating the Falcons to the Intrust Super Cup premiership, although Redcliffe have beaten them, and Ipswich came very close last weekend.
The Falcons have easily accounted for the Blackhawks twice this year, but the worry for us not seeing the name of Nicho Hynes in the side, who with Harry Grant and Todd Murphy has been one of the very best for the Falcons this season. Happily for the Falcons both Grant and Murphy are named to play. Also named to play is Curtis Scott, who can’t seem to find his way back into the NRL side, being kept out by fellow Falcon Justin Olam, who is doing a super job.
Sunshine Coast also don’t have their speed machine Jon Rueben, so they are missing just a little bit of attacking power.
Can Townsville take advantage? They certainly have enough players to do so. And a former premiership in Shaun Nona steering them around. And their starting front row looks more than a match for the Falcons. Especially interesting will be the battle of the hookers between Josh Chudleigh and Harry Grant. The Blackhawks can also look to their bench for impact, from the likes of hard charging Dan Beasley and Krys Freeman.
But, it is hard to argue against the Falcons superior Head to Head and season form for this game. The Falcons did lose five less games in 23 rounds.
Prediction: Sunshine Coast to win by 16.
BARELY INTERESTING STAT
The Sunshine Coast broke the record for points scored per game this season in total with 37.2 points for per game.
WHERE TO AFTER THIS GAME?
The Winner is just one game from the Grand Final. The loser will play either Norths or Easts.
WYNNUM SEAGULLS v BURLEIGH BEARS
BMD Kougari Oval – Sunday @ 2pm
2019 HEAD TO HEAD RESULTS
R6 – Burleigh 26 Wynnum 18
HEAD TO HEAD RECORD SINCE 2014
Burleigh 7 Wynnum 4
RECORD AT GROUND SINCE 2014
Burleigh 4 Wynnum 1
2019 RECORD v TOP EIGHT
Wynnum – 8 wins – 5 Losses
Burleigh – 6 wins – 6 Losses
LAST FIVE FORM
WYNNUM – 4 Wins – 1 Loss
BURLEIGH – 3 Wins – 2 Losses
OUR THOUGHTS
Wynnum have scored some impressive wins in the final rounds, the thrashing of PNG Hunters and the final round win over Norths, and they have an impressive home record this season, losing just once to the Sunshine Coast Falcons. and that alone is enough to think they will get the job done against Burleigh in the Intrust Super Cup Finals Week 1.
Burleigh’s late season form has been OK, losing against a few top eight contenders, and beating a few non contenders. But arguably, their six point loss to the Falcons a few weeks ago was one of their more impressive performances despite the defeat. And it showed they are up for the fight of a finals series.
The Bears have a lot of the experience that took them to a premiership not long ago, but there is plenty of experience in the Wynnum side too.
No try scoring dynamo in Troy Leo for Burleigh, but they do have Anthony Don named from the Titans. No surprise that our favourite player to watch for the Seagulls is Edene Gebbie.
The worry for tipping Wynnum is the Bears excellent recent record at Kougari, where they hold a 4-1 advantage. We’ll overlook history for 2019 home form this time.
Prediction: Wynnum by 8
BARELY INTERESTING STAT
Back in 2010, these two sides met in Round 1 to kick of the Queensland Cup season, and the game finished 0-0.
WHERE TO AFTER THIS GAME?
The winner is a game away from the grand final. The loser will face either Tweed Heads or Redcliffe.
NORTHS DEVILS v EASTS TIGERS
Bishop Park Sunday @ 1:05pm
TV Coverage on Nine Gem
2019 HEAD TO HEAD RESULTS
R2 – Norths 12 Easts 30
R15 – Easts 26 Norths 36
HEAD TO HEAD RECORD SINCE 2014
Easts 6 Norths 3 Drawn 2
RECORD AT GROUND SINCE 2014
Easts 5 Norths 0
2019 RECORD v TOP EIGHT
Norths – Won 4 Lost 7
Easts – Won 2 Lost 10
LAST FIVE FORM
NORTHS DEVILS – 4 Wins – 1 Loss
EASTS TIGERS – 5 Losses
OUR THOUGHTS
Based purely on form, you’d have to give this one to the Devils, they finished 5th and won five more games than the Tigers over 23 games. There’s also a solid 200 point in for and against between the sides over the 2019 Intrust Super Cup season.
But there’s a couple of nagging concerns, not least is the Tigers recent record at Bishop Park. Since 2014, the Tigers have won all five clashes at Bishop Park, and by the average of 37-11.
Of course these sides change so frequently, and both of these sides have had a few coaches across that period, but still the stat remains.
2019 is then the time to break away from that history, and surge towards the finals. Norths do have their first choice halves combination, now that Sean O’Sullivan is surplus to requirements at the Broncos this weekend. Point scoring machine Herbie Farnworth also returns. And of course our favourite Devil Nixon Putt will continue his outstanding 2019 form.
For all of Easts winless run to end the season (not won since 16th July) they have only been given one real flogging, at the hands of Redcliffe 43-0. And Easts did go on a great finals run last season, getting all the way to Suncorp Stadium before the puff ran out in the second half.
Tigers captain Brett Grienke plays against his former side, and the Tigers line up still includes a few notable players. Five eighth Billy Walters and hooker Aaron Booth have impressed every time we’ve seem them play, and in Solomone Kata the Tigers have some big name/game experience. Although that didn’t quite work out with Sam Kasiano last season.
A classic old Brisbane clash is the TV game, and a classic old Brisbane ground. With the Broncos struggling in the NRL, these are the last chances to see some live rugby league in Queensland before the season ends.
Our Prediction: Masterclass from Dargan and O’Sullivan lead Norths to a comfortable 20 point win.
BARELY INTERESTING STAT
Going back to 2014, the home side has won this fixture just once. The home team (both sides) has just one win from 10 games, with 2 draws and 7 losses.
WHERE TO AFTER THIS GAME?
The Winner will travel to face either Townsville or the Sunshine Coast.
TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS v REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS
Piggabeen – Sunday @ 11:40am
TV Coverage – Fox Sports
2019 HEAD TO HEAD RESULTS
R19 – Redcliffe 26 Tweed Heads 6
HEAD TO HEAD RECORD SINCE 2014
Tweed Heads 4 — Redcliffe 4
RECORD AT GROUND SINCE 2014
Tweed Heads 1 — Redcliffe 1
2019 RECORD v TOP EIGHT
Tweed Heads – Won 4 – Lost 7
Redcliffe – Won 5 – Lost 6Sa
LAST FIVE FORM
Tweed Heads – 4 Wins – 1 Loss
Redcliffe – 5 wins
OUR THOUGHTS
A combined one loss between these two sides from the last five rounds heading into this game provides a quick insight that this game should be competitive and quality.
It is the Tweed Heads Seagulls return to the finals since 2014, and they come into the finals on the back of a good run, after almost throwing away their season mid way through the season.
Tweed Heads are lucky enough to have Titans star Ashley Taylor steering them around this weekend, as he has of late. He needs to continue to impress to get back to the NRL via the Titans or someone better. And so the longer the Seagulls play, and the better he does, the more he can justify getting back to the NRL in 2020.
But it is not all Ashley Taylor, as Tweed Heads have been quite capable of winning without him. Our favourite is Lindon McGrady, relative of former Dally M winner Ewen McGrady, who we saw a couple of years back in a Warwick v St George legends game, and he still had all the moves.
The worry for Tweed Heads if they beat Redcliffe is that either Burleigh or Wynnum are waiting at the next stage, sides they haven’t beaten this year, and who they traditionally don’t beat often.
It’s not just the fact that Redcliffe are on a good winning streak, but it is who they’ve beaten, and how they’ve turned it up a notch in the final weeks of the season that impresses. Since the middle of June, only Souths Logan in Pittsworth have beaten Redcliffe. A run that includes beating all of the top three finishers from the regular season.
They have also won their last four games by a combined total of 195-14, proving a ruthless streak heading into the finals that few teams may be able to compete with.
Sadly for Redcliffe, they will be without Izaia Perese who has been named to play for the Broncos in Sydney this weekend. But they have more than enough to cover that absence as the form side heading into the finals.
With a rare chance to win a premiership in front of a packed new Dolphin Oval on the line, and a chance at redemption for last year’s State Championship win, there’s plenty to play for at Redcliffe. Although, under the old top six, the Dolphins wouldn’t have made the finals at all.
Our Prediction: Redcliffe to sneak home by 4 points
BARELY INTERESTING STAT
This game should be closer than the 74-6 drubbing Redcliffe handed to Tweed Heads in 2016. That is stil lshort of the largest victory, by four points.
WHERE TO AFTER THIS GAME?
The winner will face off against either Burleigh or Wynnum. Ooh, a third Flockbuster could await.
