After a two week break it is time to get back into some local rugby league and our 2021 Intrust Super Cup Round 6 Preview & Tips is here to get you in the mood.
Both Wynnum and Norths remain unbeaten and both have winnable games to continue that this week. In a nice little nod for the stats fans, not only are both teams 5/5 but they have identical for and against.
In a good season for Seagull related teams, Tweed Heads are outright third with a single loss so far this season.
With Ipswich getting their first win of the season last round only Central Capras are winless after five games. Their task is hard this weekend facing Wynnum at Kougari Oval.
There’s plenty more though with our run through of all seven games.
In a mother’s Day special for Round 6 as four of the games are on a Sunday this weekend. Why not spoil your mother by attending an Intrust Super Cup, with her of course.
So enjoy the stats and barely interesting facts in our Intrust Super Cup Round 6 Preview.
2021 Intrust Super Cup – Round 6 Tips
As ever we have attempted to get some expert tips to accompany each weekly preview.
This season we feature no less than the CEO of competition sponsor Intrust Super Brendan O’Farrell for another season. We also have tips from Intrust Super Cup guru Matt Crowhurst who knows a lot more than most about Queensland’s premier rugby league competition.
Less interesting is that we also supply our own tips.
BRENDAN O’FARRELL – CEO INTRUST SUPER
WYNNUM SEAGULLS to beat Central Capras
IPSWICH JETS to beat Tweed Heads Seagulls
SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES to beat Northern Pride
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS to beat Redcliffe Dolphins
SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS to beat Mackay Cutters
NORTHS DEVILS to beat Burleigh Bears
EASTS TIGERS to beat PNG Hunters
MATT CROWHURST – ISC GURU
WYNNUM SEAGULLS to beat Central Capras
TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS to beat Ipswich Jets
NORTHERN PRIDE to beat Souths Logan Magpies
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS to beat Townsville Blackhawks
SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS to beat Mackay Cutters
NORTHS DEVILS to beat Burleigh Bears
PNG HUNTERS to beat Easts Tigers
THE GURGLER – MEDIOCRE WEBSITE
WYNNUM SEAGULLS to beat Central Capras
IPSWICH JETS to beat Tweed Heads Seagulls
SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES to beat Northern Pride
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS to beat Townsville Blackhawks
SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS to beat Mackay Cutters
NORTHS DEVILS to beat Burleigh Bears
EASTS TIGERS to beat PNG Hunters
CURRENT LEADERBOARD
BRENDAN O’FARRELL – Season 66% 23/35 – Last Round 4/7
THE GURGLER – Season 60% 21/35 – Last Week 2/7
MATT CROWHURST – Season 57% 16/28 – Last Round N/A
2021 Intrust Super Cup – Round 6 Stats & Preview
Here is where we go through each game on offer this weekend with the teams, stats and points of interest to get into your local team this weekend.
Round 6 Teams originally published on QRL website.
SATURDAY 2:10PM WYNNUM SEAGULLS v CENTRAL CAPRAS
(GAME ON KAYO FREEBIES)
THOUGHTS
Unbeaten Wynnum v winless Capras, the weekend’s first clash looks to be the one one-sided yeah? Maybe not.
The win and loss record may not look like an improvement on some of their lean recent seasons, but the Capras in with a shout in their games this season. Sure the final score got away from them against Ipswich last start but they were ahead at half time. And they could have beaten Redcliffe and that first round loss to Tweed looks pretty good now you see how they’re going.
Standard PNG player mention now, but who’s to argue with the impact of Nixon Putt at the Capras. two tries last weekend, four in total for the big second rower, the Rockhampton side got one of PNG Kumuls best players from last few seasons.
Despite talking up the Capras, it’s hard to argue with a 5/5 start, and the Seagulls have seen off local and bayside rivals in consecutive weeks. And while the Capras have a PNG International, the Seagulls have NRL experience including Richie Kennar who played in the NRL this season. Wynnum’s halves have been sensational this season and will likely be one of the big reasons their unbeaten run will continue.
One for the stats nerds before we go, the Capras have scored exactly 16 points in their last three games v Wynnum and five times in the 11 matches from 2014.
PREDICTION
Wynnum by 20
BETTING (2021 Season)
Wynnum $4.50 fav (-$1 change from last round) Central $151 (+$0)
SATURDAY 5:00PM IPSWICH JETS v TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS
THOUGHTS
A 1-4 record meets a 4-1 record this weekend at North Ipswich Reserve, Ipswich should be bouncing after their first win of the season, and Tweed Heads Seagulls are flying with three consecutive win over good opposition.
Ironically given the Jet and the defence force links, Ipswich have the worst defence in the Intrust Super Cup so far in 2021 but the 24 points conceded last round is an improvement and is on a downward trend. The Seagulls too are averaging over 20 points a game, so perhaps there’s some entertainment to be had on Saturday evening.
As the above visual points out, Ipswich have a great winning record of 70% at home to either Seagull team, while the Seagulls winning rate in Brisbane against Brisbane sides is the reverse. But Tweed Heads have won three of their last four v Ipswich and three of their last four trips to a Brisbane side. Ipswich have lost four of their last five to Gold Coast based sides.
PREDICTION
Ipswich by 2
BETTING (2021 Season)
Ipswich $67 (-$34) Teed Heads $7 (-$2)
SATURDAY 5:30PM NORTHERN PRIDE v SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES
THOUGHTS
A North Queensland-Brisbane rivalry in Cairns as a long distance curtain raiser for the Cowboys-Broncos NRL clash in Townsville which starts straight after this game finishes. Not that any fans will be able to attend both without the aid of a portal, but the game still does have significance over this one.
That is because these teams have lost a star NRL half each, with Jake Clifford returning to the Cowboys line up for this weekend, and Anthony Milford’s contribution to the Magpies 60-10 win over Mackay last start was good enough to get him back in Broncos colours for Round 8 of the NRL. Although a cynic may also think a certain Broncos to Cowboys signing may also have helped find space for Milford.
The Pride were done last start by a 78th minute field goal by the unbeaten Devils and prior to that had a good win away in Townsville. Only a blow out at home to the other unbeaten side Wynnum is a poor result. That makes their home record 0/2 but at least they have easier opposition to come?
Looking at the stats there’s a lot to like about the Magpies chances. They have won six of the last seven against the Pride and have the advantage against the Pride at Barlow Park and on a Saturday since 2014.
And even more impressively the Magpies have lost just six of their last 26 away games from Rockhampton north going back to 2016. So the Magpies appear to like flying. Which shouldn’t be a surprise we guess.
PREDICTION
Souths Logan by 8
BETTING (2021 Season)
Pride $26 (+$0) Magpies $12 (-$5)
SUNDAY 2:10PM REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS v TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS
(GAME ON KAYO FREEBIES)
THOUGHTS
Big week for Redcliffe with the NRL announcement over the second NRL side, and they must think they are in with a big chance of securing that NRL berth for 2023. We think they are are the best candidate with hopes the Redcliffe name is kept and they don’t go dumbing down by calling themselves the Brisbane Dolphins. That argument is for another place and time though.
On field winning has not been happening lately for both of these sides with Townsville on a losing run of three, and Redcliffe are a late penalty goals against the Capras from a four game winless run.
Looking at the stats above Redcliffe have a very good record at home to the northern Queensland sides and on a run of three straight wins over Townsville at home, but the Blackhawks 50% winning rate in Brisbane is still reasonably impressive. And they have won six of their last seven away trips to Brisbane sides on a Sunday.
A rare Sunday afternoon game at Redcliffe should be rewarded with great weather and a big crowd. One that may want to prove they are an NRL Standard crowd.
PREDICTION
Redcliffe by 6
BETTING (2021 Season)
Redcliffe $12 (+$1) Blackhawks $8.50 (+$0.50)
SUNDAY 3:00PM SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS v MACKAY CUTTERS
THOUGHTS
This Sunday afternoon clash on the Sunshine Coast appears to be heavily weighted in the Falcons favour looking at the recent stats.
The Falcons have won five of their last six against the Cutters, and the Falcons are also on an eight game winning run at home to the Central Qld sides (Mackay and Capras in this case) with the last loss at home to either coming in 2015 to the Cutters.
Mackay will be smarting after their 50 point loss to the Magpies last start, and their recent away record isn’t great winning just two of the last 16 trips to SEQ.
Jarrod Mullen has been bumped up from 18th man to the bench, so it would be great to see him getting a run this weekend against Mackay.
PREDICTION
Falcons by 12
BETTING (2021 Season)
Falcons $7.50 (-$1.50) Cutters $101 (+$50)
SUNDAY 3:00PM NORTHS DEVILS v BURLEIGH BEARS
THOUGHTS
Norths remain on 100% for the 2021 season but that success is coming at a cost as they have lost two of their better players this season – Danny Levi and Tyson Gamble – in recent weeks. Still there’s plenty of talent there to get the job done against Burleigh.
Burleigh won their annual clash on Anzac Day against the Hunters which was a great result against a side going well. But their away record this season is the concern with the Bears 0/3 so far this season. They are also only 1-4 at Bishop Park which is advantage Devils.
Some may notice an inclusion for the Bears with long time hooker Pat Politoni returning from an extended break.
One impressive stat on Norths’ side for this weekend is their home record against non Brisbane sides. The Devils are currently on a nine game winning streak at Bishop Park going back to July 2018.
Good enough for our tip to finish the weekend preview.
PREDICTION
Devils by 8
BETTING (2021 Season)
Devils $7.00 (+$0) Bears $7.50 (-$0.50)
SUNDAY 3:00PM PNG HUNTERS v BRISBANE TIGERS
THOUGHTS
The Hunters went down to Burleigh in a thrilling Anzac Day clash and will be looking to bounce back against a side they don’t have a great record against away from PNG. And when we say not great it is 0/4 for away games to the Tigers. Yes this weekend it technically a home game at the temporary new home of PNG rugby league, the Hunters are still to beat Easts in Australia.
They will have to do it without the very experienced Watson Boas who is off to resume his English based career, and the keys to five eighth have been placed in the hands of the exciting 19 year old prospect Judah Rimbu. More on Rimbu can be found in this pre season article from PNG.
Some big ins and outs for the Hunters this week, with their most experienced player hooker Wartovo Puara returning, and arguably their best player this season forward Epel Kapinias returning. However the loss of the previously mentioned Boas and their impact player Edwin Ipape will hurt.
Yes there is another side playing as we drop the PNG Bias for a moment, the Tigers impressive two game winning run came to a halt against their eastern rivals last start. Looking at the Tigers line up there’s a load of Intrust Super Cup and NRL experience to challenge the relatively inexperienced Hunters, and this may end up being the difference with the changing of the halves. Brayden Torpy also returns for the Tigers to give them even more experience.
One barely interesting stat revolves around these sides’ poor Sunday form. The Hunters have lost their last four Sunday home games and the Tigers five of their last six away trips on a Sunday
PREDICTION
Tigers by 8
BETTING (2021 Season)
Hunters $12 (+$1) Tigers $10 (+$1)
