Ever get a sense of deja vu? If so, then you’ve probably seen our Intrust Super Cup Round 12 Preview before….
This is of course the catch up round from a month ago when SEQ had their most recent lockdown, one that more significantly quicker than ones elsewhere. The QRL in their great wisdom had a bye round up their sleeve, so here we are. More rugby league for the current capital of rugby league.
This round features two novelties not usually seen. First is a Friday night game on the Gold Coast between Bureligh and the Tigers. The other is a book of four games on the Sunday in the fan friendly kick off of 2pm-ish. Good times.
Back to our weekly preview which features expert tips from Intrust Super CEO Brendan O’Farrell, Intrust Super Cup man of knowledge Matt Crowhurst, and us. Although we smugly point to be one of the few to pick the Capras last weekend for their first win of the season.
There’s also stats for H2H, for the 2021 season, and other points of interest and various other barely interesting facts.
Probably more than one could ever need or want.
Don’t forget you can watch two for the games these days on Kayo Freebies or via the QRL website
2021 Intrust Super Cup Round 12 Reboot 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
IPSWICH JETS to beat Sunshine Coast Falcons
PNG HUNTERS to beat Mackay Cutters
NORTHS DEVILS to beat Townsville Blackhawks
BURLEIGH BEARS to beat Brisbane Tigers
WYNNUM SEAGULLS to beat Northern Pride
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS to beat Central Capras
TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS to beat Souths Logan Magpies
MATT CROWHURST – ISC GURU
Coming soon
THE GURGLER – MEDIOCRE WEBSITE
IPSWICH JETS to beat Sunshine Coast Falcons
PNG HUNTERS to beat Mackay Cutters
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS to beat Norths Devils
BURLEIGH BEARS to beat Brisbane Tigers
WYNNUM SEAGULLS to beat Northern Pride
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS to beat Central Capras
SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES to beat Tweed Heads Seagulls
CURRENT LEADERBOARD
BRENDAN O’FARRELL – Season 69% 58/84 – Last Round 4/7
MATT CROWHURST – Season 67% 45/67 – Last Round 4/7
THE GURGLER – Season 67% 56/84 – Last Week 6/7
Note: Matt missed two and a half rounds.
2021 Intrust Super Cup Round 12 Reboot Ladder
Here is the current Intrust Super Cup Ladder. Colour coded to spot the stats.
2021 Intrust Super Cup Round 12 Reboot 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 12 Reboot Teams originally published on QRL website.
FRIDAY 7:30PM BURLEIGH BEARS v BRISBANE TIGERS
THOUGHTS & STATS
So there’s one more fun thing to do on the Gold Coast on a Friday night now? Indeed as Pizzey Park sees the Bears take on the Tigers. Still plenty of time for the nightclubs and/or casino afterwards.
Burleigh along with Wynnum are the only teams who still have a 100% record at home this season, but the Tigers do have a sneaky 3-2 advantage at Pizzey Park.
But the Tigers aren’t in the greatest of form coming into this weekend’s clash. Seven straight defeats is the current winless run. They did play some of the top teams at the start of that run but have lost to Ipswich (only 2nd win of season) and previously winless Capras in the last two weeks.
But they did hand Burleigh a flogging earlier in the season 50-10.
The Tigers have also won a game on the Gold Coast this season when they defeated the PNG Hunters at Runaway Bay when the Hunters previewed then NRL rule crackdown a week early by finishing the game with just nine players. Playing a full Burleigh team will be a much harder task.
PREDICTION
Bears by 28
SATURDAY 2:10PM WYNNUM SEAGULLS v NORTHERN PRIDE
@ Pinklands Sports Complex, Redlands
TV GAME
THOUGHTS & STATS
Wynnum come into this weekend’s clash at Redlands on the back of two straight losses and three in the last four. They have been pushed off the top of the table by Norths and are now in danger of being passed by a group of three teams below within two points. So a win is needed to get the season back on track.
The game being played at Redlands may be a good thing as the PRide actually had the better H2H at Kougari.
Wynnum have still scored the most points of any team this season, which is a good thing if you look at recent Pride results.
Northern Pride have scored between 22 and 28 in their last six games, which is terrific consistency but perhaps not a high enough number to win many games these days. Wynnum’s 429 points in 13 games comes out to 33 points a game. So on numbers it’s Wynnum. Although they have only passed 30 points once in their last four – their only win in that run.
A mild fun fact to finish on, of all the head to heads in the Intrust Super Cup since 2014 the Pride are involved five of the bottom six for total points scored.
PREDICTION
Wynnum by 10
SATURDAY 3:00PM PNG HUNTERS v MACKAY CUTTERS
THOUGHTS & STATS
Finally a win for the Hunters, and the reward is a match against a side they have already beaten this season and have a good record against.
Although worth noting is that this game is heavily titled towards the away team with only one of the last seven games between these teams won by the home side. A few draws thrown in that run.
Hopefully the win last weekend in Atherton against the Pride will install that extra bit of confidence to finish off the season well. Final eight is not impossible but they will need to win most if not all of their remaining games. The face both Seagulls sides which will make it tough.
One highlight from last weekend was another magnificent solo try from Solo Wane who is living up to his first name more than his second. The tries scored looked well constructed which happens when you leave the halves paring alone for a while. Eh Broncos?
They are still missing a bit of firepower, but a win might lift the spirits enough.
Mackay have just two wins this season and both of those were against Central Capras and were overtaken by their rivals at the bottom of the Intrust Super Cup ladder with the Capras getting their first win of the season.
PREDICTION
PNG Hunters by 16
SUNDAY 2:00PM TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS v NORTHS DEVILS
THOUGHTS & STATS
The Devils skipped four points clear at the top of the Intrust Super Cup ladder last weekend with their seventh win in a row, but a tough game awaits for them this weekend to keep their run going. If you look at stats rather than recent form.
Norths have yet to win at Jack Manski Oval, which isn’t a good stat to start with. Then you look at the Devils record on a Sunday in either Cairns or Townsville and it shows zero win. They also have lost all five games against Townsville on a Sunday.
Then look at the Blackhawks 100% win record on a Sunday at home against Brisbane teams.
Stats are important, but is leading the competition the way they are. And Norths have won the last three against Townsville including the game earlier in the season. All three on that run have been at Bishop Park though.
Townsville are on a good run themselves with five wins in a row, but none of those teams have been above their 6th ladder position.
So it comes down to historic form v current form this weekend.
PREDICTION
Townsville by 2
SUNDAY 2:00PM IPSWICH JETS v SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS
THOUGHTS & STATS
Some things have changed since this game was first meant to be played. Sydney didn’t have quite so many Covid cases, the Queensland Origin team have now won a game and this game was the TV match.
Perhaps it is the lowly position of both teams on the ladder that saw the change. Although the Falcons can still make the final eight being only two points behind at the moment.
The Sunday move is not good for the Falcons as they are yet to beat Ipswich on a Sunday.
One stat going against the Jets is they are the team with the worst points conceded record at home this season with an average of 35 per game.
PREDICTION
Ipswich by 4
SUNDAY 2:00PM CENTRAL CAPRAS v REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS
THOUGHTS & STATS
The Capras almost upset the Dolphins in the clash earlier in the season, losing out to late, late penalty goal so will be looking for revenge as well as a first victory for the season. Easier said than done against a side on who before their last start loss to Tweed Heads were on a five game winning run.
Redcliffe have won every game in Rockhampton since 2014, and in fact the worst result for Redcliffe against the Capras since 2014 is a draw back in 2014. It has been 11 wins straight since.
The Dolphins are on a great run though, winnign seven of their last eight after a patchy start to the season, and have been both high flyers Wynnum and Burleigh in recent weeks.
Tough gig on paper, but they were probably given just as much chance on paper as their last match against Redcliffe earlier in the season and they went close to an upset. And Redcliffe look more vulnerable to a loss on the road than at home this season.
PREDICTION
Redcliffe by 6
SUNDAY 2:10PM SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES v TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS
TV GAME
THOUGHTS & STATS
And so the weekend ends on a Sunday at Davies Park which feels kind of like normal.
The Magpies have seen their swoop to the top of the Intrust Super Cup ladder lose a little altitude in recent weeks, losing two games in a row. They were against top six side Townsvile and the competition leaders Norths. Who gave them a 46-4 touch up.
Tweed Heads are their opponent this weekend and the Seagulls have the recent advantage with a run of three wins breaking 40 points in each of those games in the process.
They’ll need to score plenty of points as Souths Logan are the third highest point scorers this season with an average of 30 points per game.
PREDICTION
Magpies by 4
2021 Intrust Super Cup Round 12 Reboot – Remaining Games
2021 Intrust Super Cup Round 12 Reboot – Stats Extra
Since there are more Sunday games than usual, we thought it was a good opportunity to check which teams are best on Sunday.
Sunday’s best if you will.
