Remember the Intrust Super Cup? Well it is a rugby league competition that was played what seems like many months ago. To celebrate its return we offer our regular Intrust Super Cup Round 19 Tips and Preview.
Now to get up to date with all the recent Covid interruptions here is what has happened. This week is Round 19, with next week the original Round 16 followed by original Round 17. The most recent round played was Round 12 as a catch up to a previous lockdown. Round 15 and 18 have been cancelled. The finals start in the week beginning September 18 and the Grand Final will be at Redcliffe on October 10. Covid permitting.
Easy to follow then.
The biggest disappointment of the missing rounds for us was the wasted Mary Poppins puns used in the preview for Round 15 when the PNG Hunters were meant to play Wynnum in Maryborough.
With the reduction in rounds it means there are nine teams playing for eight finals positions. PNG Hunters and below are out of contention. And the Norths Devils need just one win from their last three games to seal a Minor Premiership. The race for second and sixth to eighth should be a good one. As will last place with four potential teams trying to avoid a spoon.
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.
There’s also stats for H2H, for the 2021 season, and various points of interest and barely interesting facts.
Probably more than one could ever need or want.
Don’t forget you can watch two of the games these days on Kayo Freebies or via the QRL website
2021 Intrust Super Cup Round 19 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 Sunshine Coast Falcons
IPSWICH JETS to beat Burleigh Bears
NORTHERN PRIDE to beat Tweed Heads Seagulls
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS to beat Mackay Cutters
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS to beat Tigers
PNG HUNTERS to beat Souths Logan Magpies
NORTHS DEVILS to beat Central Capras
MATT CROWHURST – ISC GURU
Coming soon
THE GURGLER – MEDIOCRE WEBSITE
WYNNUM SEAGULLS to beat Sunshine Coast Falcons
BURLEIGH BEARS to beat Ipswich Jets
DRAW – Northern Pride v Tweed Heads Seagulls
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS to beat Maclkay Cutters
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS to beat Tigers
PNG HUNTERS to beat Soiuths Logan Magpies
NORTHS DEVILS to beat Central Capras
CURRENT LEADERBOARD
BRENDAN O’FARRELL – Season 68% 67/98 – Last Round N/A
MATT CROWHURST – Season 69% 51/74 – Last Round N/A
THE GURGLER – Season 66% 65/98 – Last Week N/A
Note: Matt missed three and a half rounds.
2021 Intrust Super Cup Current Ladder
Here is our home-made current Intrust Super Cup Ladder. Colour coded to spot the stats and for extra enjoyment.
2021 Intrust Super Cup Games to Come
So this week is Round 19, and the remaining rounds are 16 and 17. Simples.
2021 Intrust Super Cup Round 19 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 15 Teams originally published on QRL website.
SATURDAY 2:10PM WYNNUM SEAGULLS v SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS
TV GAME – KAYO FREEBIES / QRL WEBSITE
THOUGHTS & STATS
The Intrust Super Cup returns and what a place to start with the Chook Pen no doubt ready to go after the lockdown layoff.
Perhaps the break in the season will be a good thing for Wynnum.
They come into this round on the back of four losses out of their last five games, prior to that they were the competition’s benchmark along with Norths.
It helps they have beaten the Falcons already this season, but their record at Kougari against the Falcons is surprisingly poor. Just one win from five matches.
They do even up the ledger almost on a Saturday.
Wynnum have played three home games on a Saturday this season, and two at BMD Kougari. In those two games they put on a combined 90 points. Although the Falcons won 46-0 on their last away trip at Ipswich.
PREDICTION
Wynnum by 8
SATURDAY 5:00PM IPSWICH JETS v BURLEIGH BEARS
THOUGHTS & STATS
The H2H record since 2014 for Ipswich isn’t great reading whichever way you look at it, but your silver lining is that they have one win at home and on a Saturday. Which is exactly where and when this game is.
Burleigh are locked in a four way battle for second place with Redcliffe, Wynnum and Tweed Heads with just one point separating them.
One concern for Burleigh is that they have the worst away form out of the four sides with two wins from six away games. They also have scored the fewest points away out of the top nine sides.
And as luck would have it with all the moved and cancelled rounds that Burleigh play away for the rest of the regular season.
Still, it’s hard to argue against that H2H. And that one of the two away wins this season for Burleigh was competition leaders Norths’ only loss this season….
PREDICTION
Burleigh by 12
SATURDAY 5:30PM NORTHERN PRIDE v TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS
THOUGHTS & STATS
Anyone for a draw?
This match has draw written all over it, with two of the last five games ending all square, and both of these sides have shared the points this season already. Northern Pride have done it twice.
It should be tight though with just one match of the last eight decided by more than six points. And half of the Pride’s games have been decided by four points or less.
Worth pointing out that the Pride did have a big win over Wynnum in Brisbane last start (42-12)
The Pride have scored between 22 and 26 points in their last five home matches. Tweed Heads have scored between 24 and 28 points in five of their seven away games this season.
PREDICTION
Draw
SATURDAY 6:00PM MACKAY CUTTERS v TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS
THOUGHTS & STATS
Another one of a bunch of lop sides fixtures this weekend based on historical H2H.
Townsville have avoided defeat against Mackay just twice since their 2015 inception and are unbeaten in Mackay in four games. They also haven’t lost to the Cutters on a Saturday.
The Cutters though have secured two vital wins in the last three rounds, moving off the bottom at the expense of one of those teams – Central Capras. An upset win here would almost guarantee avoiding last place.
Despite just the win this season at home this season the Cutters have been reasonably competitive with mostly losses by smallish margins. Except for a bigger loss to Norths and a Milford inspired Magpies thrashing.
The Blackhawks are on 16 points and in a group of four teams for the last three spots in the top eight.
Townsville are also on a four game streak of away wins, so going looks tough for the Cutters.
PREDICTION
Townsville by 12
SATURDAY 6:00PM REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS v BRISBANE TIGERS
THOUGHTS & STATS
The Dolphins and Tigers may be forgiven for being a little distracted with the NRL Bid for 2023 ongoing, so bragging rights for that will be on hold for now with a clash at Redcliffe awaiting.
The Dolphins are fighting for second place, while the Tigers are surprisingly needing a win to avoid finishing last. Thy are just two points from bottom.
A good stat above shows that Redcliffe are unbeaten this season at home to fellow Brisbane sides, while the Tigers have a 50% for Brisbane away games.
Redcliffe have won five home games in a row, while the Tigers have lost their last four on the road.
Tigers are actually on an eight game losing streak across all grounds, and have won just two of their last 12 away games to Brisbane sides.
With slightly more to play for it looks like a Redcliffe win.
PREDICTION
Redcliffe by 18
SUNDAY 2:10PM PNG HUNTERS v SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES
TV GAME – KAYO FREEBIES / QRL WEBSITE / NINE NOW
THOUGHTS & STATS
What a shame it has taken until now to have one of the better Hunters line ups for the season.
There is genuine excitement as seeing the Hunters team sheet, except for the lack of Watson Boas and Jokadi Bire who we hope is still recovering well.
The team line up has Terry Wapi at fullback, the Ase Boas-Charlie Simon combo in the halves, the premium prop pairing of Enoch Maki and Stanton Albert, Edwin Ipape where he is best (in our opinion_ with his spark off the bench, and finally the return of captain Ila Alu and Epel Kapinias. Not forgetting some of the great try scorers on the wing and other great players in the team.
Along with the departure of Watson Boas, the loss of Kapinias has been the biggest effect on the Hunters this season. He has shone in the forward pack and PNG will be all the better for his return.
The Hunters have an incredible record against Souths Logan, although they did lose their first ever game since their inception at Davies Park this season.
Although they don’t have much to play for with the finals too far away for this season, playing well and winning will be all important leading into next season which wil hopefully be a World Cup season.
With the Kumuls more competitive than ever, there will be fewer spots available to the Hunters players, so why not start making the case to Michael Marum for 2022 with three wins from their last three to give him something to think about.
Not forgetting Souths Logan with our PNG Hunters bias, they are sitting seventh and need to keep winning to guarantee some finals football this season.
They may not have an Anthony Milford, but they don’t really need him with the uncovering of Ezra Mam, who has scored 10 tries and is only one away from topping that chart despite only starting part way through the season.
Souths Logan haven’t won on the Gold Coast since 2018, and that along with our PNG bias is enough for us to tip an upset here.
PREDICTION
Hunters by 2
SUNDAY 2:30PM NORTHS DEVILS v CENTRAL CAPRAS
THOUGHTS & STATS
The final game of the Intrust Super Cup reboot is perhaps the most lop sided game possible.
Looking at the 2021 stats to start with, this is a match up of first v last. First being the Norths Devils with just one loss to their name this season and the last placed Capras with just one win. (And two draws).
And in a nice little turnaround of numbers the Capras have conceded around the same amount of points as the Devils have scored, and same for the Capras attack and Devils defence.
Going further back to 2014, when our records can be bothered starting, Norths Devils have the upper hand on H2H too.
Norths have beaten the Central Capras 12 times without loss. Although worth noting is that the Capras got within 8 points of the Devils earlier this season, which is a lot closer than quite a few teams have been able to manage.
Then look at the Quick Stats and Norths’ home record v North and Central Qld sides and the Capras away record in Brisbane since 2014.
Everything points to a Norths victory.
And good on them too, as a win will seal the Minor Premiership with the next best teams six points away.
PREDICTION
Devils by 34
