The Intrust Super Cup expands back to a full seven game card this weekend after stretching the games over two weekends in Round 8, so our Intrust Super Cup Round 9 Preview is ready to handle the extra workload.
Our weekly preview features expert tips from Intrust Super CEO Brendan O’Farrell, Intrust Super Cup man of knowledge Matt Crowhurst, and us. It’s tight at the top with all tipsters around the two-thirds mark and not a single one wrong last round.
There’s also stats for H2H, the 2021 season, points of interest and various other barely interesting facts.
2021 Intrust Super Cup Round 9 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
NORTHS DEVILS to beat Tweed Heads Seagulls
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS to beat PNG Hunters
WYNNUM SEAGULLS to beat Mackay Cutters
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS to beat Sunshine Coast Falcons
BURLEIGH BEARS to beat Central Capras
IPSWICH JETS to beat Souths Logan Magpies
NORTHERN PRIDE to beat Brisbane Tigers
MATT CROWHURST – ISC GURU
TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS to beat Norths Devils
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS to beat PNG Hunters
WYNNUM SEAGULLS to beat Mackay Cutters
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS to beat Sunshine Coast Falcons
BURLEIGH BEARS to beat Central Capras
SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES to beat Ipswich Jets
NORTHERN PRIDE to beat Brisbane Tigers
THE GURGLER – MEDIOCRE WEBSITE
NORTHS DEVILS to beat Tweed Heads Seagulls
PNG HUNTERS to beat Townsville Blackhawks
WYNNUM SEAGULLS to beat Mackay Cutters
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS to beat Sunshine Coast Falcons
BURLEIGH BEARS to beat Central Capras
SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES to beat Ipswich Jets
BRISBANE TIGERS to beat Northern Pride
CURRENT LEADERBOARD
BRENDAN O’FARRELL – Season 66% 37/56 – Last Round 7/7
THE GURGLER – Season 66% 37/56 – Last Week 7/7
MATT CROWHURST – Season 65% 30/46 – Last Round 4/4
2021 Intrust Super Cup Round 9 Stats & Match by Match 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 9 Teams originally published on QRL website.
SATURDAY 2:10PM TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS v NORTHS DEVILS
THOUGHTS & STATS
An almost top of the table clash here with 3rd v 2nd and both sides suffering just the one loss this season, the Devils ahead because the Tweed have an extra draw to their name.
Tweed’s only loss of the season was a long time ago in Round 2 against the table topping Wynnum Seagulls in the Flockbuster. Norths suffered their first loss in Round 6 but interestingly in the only game thus far against a Gold Coast side? A omen for this weekend.
Some more barely interesting facts are that these two sides have conceded exactly the same amount of points as of last round working out at 20.5 points per game. For the record Tweed have scored my points.
Norths have also conceded exactly 22 points three times this season.
Tweed Heads are unbeaten at home this season and Norths still have a 100% away this season. So find a stat you like out of those two to try and find a winner.
Maybe it is that the Seagulls are unbeaten against Norths on a Saturday.
Or that Tweed have lost players because of State of Origin and the Devils get the NRL experience of Dale Copley in their backline. Not that Norths have needed too much NRL experience this season.
PREDICTION
Devils by 4
SATURDAY 2:10PM PNG HUNTERS v TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS
(GAME ON KAYO FREEBIES)
THOUGHTS & STATS
Fair to say that both of the 2021 seasons aren’t quite working out for these two sides. The PNG Hunters fans seem the less happy given the promising start to the season. Premiership winning captain Ase Boas says for fans to stick with the side.
They haven’t been the same since Watson Boas left for the UK, and similar to previous seasons of struggle are searching for the right combinations in the halves. And it is harder than any other team to adjust as no other team in the Intrust Super Cup need to consider quarantine to freshen up the squad. There’s some interesting inclusions into the squad for this weekend which may solve a problem or two. Albeit they are only named as reserves not even on the bench.
Fullback Terry Wapi is there and given his try scoring prowess could move straight back to the number one jersey. Charlie Simon is named too, and should be given another crack in the halves which could then move Edwin Ipape back to his best spot in the squad which was his excellent impact to the game from the bench with his electric speed. That’s not to say he doesn’t deserve to start, it’s just the Hunters were looking best he was came on as a sub.
There are two sides here so time to discuss the rest of the game.
Townsville are also currently just outside the top eight with the same 3-5 record as the Hunters with one win since Round Two. They have a better defensive record than every team except for leaders Wynnum and 5th placed Northern Pride, and their positive for and against suggests they haven’t been far away in every game this season.
The Blackhawks also have some key inclusion with Joe Boyce returning with the NRL experience of Josh Hoffman, and a certain Moses Meninga just in time time to play his fellow countrymen from PNG.
An advantage for the Hunters is the Townsville’s away record this season isn’t great at 1-3 so far, and the Hunters have been quite good at home. You could almost write off the last home loss due to sending off and multiple sin bins which seemed like an entree to the NRL crackdown a week later. Prior to that they had two two in a row and were very competitive against Wynnum, which is looking a good line since considering no one has been them yet.
An important game for both sides to get their season back on track before it’s too late.
PREDICTION
Hunters by 2
SATURDAY 3:00PM WYNNUM SEAGULLS v MACKAY CUTTERS
THOUGHTS & STATS
What a glorious prospect – a 3pm kick off on a Saturday afternoon at Wynnum. Sun is out, the Chook Pen in full voice, some good rugby league on offer. Unless you’re Mackay Cutters trying to get your second win of the season against the undefeated Seagulls we guess.
The stats aren’t on the Cutters side, in addition table position.
Wynnum have won the last three clashes between these sides. The Cutters record away to Brisbane sides isn’t great – less than 20%. And they haven’t beaten a Brisbane side in Brisbane since May 2018 against the Devils. They are also just shy of scoring half the points of Wynnum and conceding twice as much.
The Seagulls are also on a five game winning streak at home to non SEQ sides and beat Central Capras 50-0 in their visit earlier in the season.
One thing in the Cutters favour is the 5-2 Saturday record. Perhaps they may just enjoy the Saturday afternoon sunshine this weekend too.
PREDICTION
Wynnum by 20
SATURDAY 4:00PM SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS v REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS
THOUGHTS & STATS
Redcliffe are slowly climbing the ladder after a run of three straight wins, and they are one win and two places higher than this weekend’s opponent the Falcons who played the top two sides in the last two weeks and lost both.
The Dolphins had their biggest win of the season so far last weekend against the Hunters – the margin of 12 points was first win of the season that wasn’t by two points. One of their losses was by two points as well so safe to say this game will be tight.
Maybe the Dolphins like congested highways, which seems unlikely given Dolphins usually like water, but they have won their last four trips to either coast.
And Redcliffe have the upper hand in the H2H for Saturday games, games at Sunshine Coast Stadium, and the last two matches.
Sunshine Coast have won nine of their last 11 home games on a Saturday though.
PREDICTION
Dolphins by 2
SATURDAY 4:00PM BURLEIGH BEARS v CENTRAL CAPRAS
THOUGHTS & STATS
Aside from a thrashing at the hands of Wynnum a few rounds ago Central have been quite competitive this season, and a little unlucky to remain winless. Although they do have a draw against a Pride which looks good on paper.
Speaking of on paper, the Capras task looks a tough one this weekend. Away to the Bears.
Burleigh started off the season slow but are now on a four game winning streak and are undefeated in four games this season at Pizzey Park.
Going even further back, the Bears have lost just twice in 17 home games going back to 2019. Interestingly both of those losses came in August 2019 and both were 20-14 losses to Redcliffe and Sunshine Coast.
Back to 2014 and Burleigh have an impressive record at home to non SEQ sides at home as above winning 80% which is a Melbourne Storm at Suncorp like winning %.
A further piece of time travelling going back to 2017 will show that the Capras haven’t won an away game since April 2017 – 28 games without a win on the road.
PREDICTION
Bears by 30
SATURDAY 5:00PM IPSWICH JETS v SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES
THOUGHTS & STATS
Anthony Milford returns for the Magpies after receiving another scapegoating for a Broncos loss. Which is bad timing for the Jets looking for a second win for the season. But aside from being involved in a thrashing of Mackay 60-10 Milford hasn’t exactly set the world on fire with Souths Logan either.
More likely to affect on field performances in the return of Karmichael Hunt who has been good for the Magpies this season and returns this week. But how how long after another Broncos loss in the NRL on Thursday night. The Broncos are due to change their halves again given the one week in a row for the Kelly-Gamble combination.
It looks like they’re be plenty of points in this game. One way at least as the Magpies have the second best attack despite lying 7th and Ipswich have conceded the most points by 30 to second worst.
Looks hard for the Jets with seven straight home losses to Brisbane clubs with the last win coming in May 2018 back when something called Corona only gave you a headache if you drank too many because it was served in a bucket and you had no friends to share with.
PREDICTION
Magpies by 8
SUNDAY 2:10PM NORTHERN PRIDE v BRISBANE TIGERS
(GAME ON KAYO FREEBIES)
THOUGHTS & STATS
Sunday’s solitary game is an interesting contest between some teams in the middle of the pack looking for finals action.
Both of these teams have better away records this season than at home, which in this case helps the Tigers. But their 2-2 record shows wins against the Jets and the Hunter who are both currently struggling, and their two away games v higher opposition (Townsville/Tweed Heads) ended in losses for a combined 84-12.
The Tigers have a better than 50% away record from Rockhampton north, and if you exclude Townsville that increases to 2/3 games they win. And to be honest, who wouldn’t love a trip up north in winter.
The Pride have the H2H record on a Sunday, but the only game at Barlow Park on a Sunday between these sides since 2014 was in 2016 that ended in a Tigers win. The Pride have only played two home games on a Sunday since 2017 for added barely interesting knowledge.
Hard one to pick with form and stats. You could go lazy and declare the match draw-ready given the Pride have already had two in eight games.
PREDICTION
Tigers by 6
