The new season of local rugby league is here, and our weekly look forward returns for 2022 with our HostPlus Cup-Queensland Cup Round 1 Preview featuring as many barely interesting stats as we could muster for the opening weekend.
If you hadn’t noticed, the competition itself has a new name for this season, with the competition called the HostPlus Cup for 2022.
But back to the games now, and our weekly preview also features some predictions. Not just our but some guest tipsters of note. More on that below.
Enjoy the return of local rugby league and our HostPlus Cup-Queensland Cup Round 1 Preview.
Queensland Cup Round 1 Predictions
With the return of the HostPlus Cup for 2022 comes our regular weekly tipping.
The merge of Intrust Super and HostPlus may have seen the competition name change from Intrust Super Cup to HostPlus Cup, but we still have Intrust Super’s Brendan O’Farrell joining us for the 2022 season again. He is the multiple reigning champion after all for our website.
New for 2022 is the main man of the local independent rugby League website Nothing But League. They have outstanding rugby league coverage and still have time for Queensland Cup here too.
And then there’s our tips….Anyways, here they are.
BRENDAN O’FARRELL
REIGNING GURGLER QLD CUP TIPPING CHAMP
FORMERLY OF INTRUST SUPER
TIGERS to beat Tweed Seagulls
PNG HUNTERS to beat Mackay Cutters
IPSWICH JETS to beat Northern Pride
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS to beat Sunshine Coast Falcons
WYNNUM SEAGULLS to beat Burleigh Bears
SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES to beat Central Capras
NORTHS DEVILS to beat Townsville Blackhawks
MATT PRITCHARD
NOTHING BUT LEAGUE EDITOR
TIGERS to beat Tweed Seagulls
MACKAY CUTTERS to beat PNG Hunters
NORTHERN PRIDE to beat Ipswich Jets
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS to beat Sunshine Coast Falcons
WYNNUM SEAGULLS to beat Burleigh Bears
SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES to beat Central Capras
NORTHS DEVILS to beat Townsville Blackhawks
THE GURGLER (US)
TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS to beat Tigers
PNG HUNTERS to beat Mackay Cutters
IPSWICH JETS to beat Northern Pride
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS to beat Sunshine Coast Falcons
BURLEIGH BEARS to beat Wynnum Seagulls
SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES to beat Central Capras
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS to beat Norths Devils
QUEENSLAND CUP ROUND 1 GAMES
SATURDAY 3:30PM
TWEED HEADS V TIGERS
POINTS OF INTEREST
Tweed Heads have won their last three opening round games.
Tigers will be the first team to play at Piggabeen in a while in Round 1. It’s not a happy hunting ground, they have lost five of the six games there since 2014.
The Tigers have lost their last five away trips and last four to the Gold Coast.
Tweed Heads only lost once at home in 2021 – to the eventual Premiers Norths. Although, there were two draws.
PREDICTION
Tweed Heads by 2
SATURDAY 4:30PM
MACKAY CUTTERS v PNG HUNTERS
POINTS OF INTEREST
Mackay have the worst record for Round 1 games – no wins since 2014.
The Hunters along with Norths have the second best record for Round 1 since 2014 with a 75% win rate.
Hunters have won their last three games in Mackay.
The PNG Hunters won all three of their away games from Rockhampton north last season.
PREDICTION
Hunters by 2
SATURDAY 5:00PM
IPSWICH JETS v NORTHERN PRIDE
POINTS OF INTEREST
Ipswich have a very solid record of six win from seven games at home to the Pride.
Ipswich have lost their last four first round games. Their overall strike rate is only 25%.
Ipswich won one of six games v North and Central Queensland teams last season.
The Pride actually won five of their last six games v Brisbane teams last season. The last two games saw them beat Redcliffe and Wynnum.
Ipswich played 15 times on a Saturday last season – they won three and drew once.
PREDICTION
Pride by 6
SATURDAY 6:00PM
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS v SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS
POINTS OF INTEREST
Falcons have won just one of their last five opening round fixtures.
Redcliffe have won four in a row v Sunshine Coast. Three in a row on a Saturday.
Redcliffe nine of their 11 games on a Saturday last season. Falcons won just two of their nine Saturday games.
PREDICTION
Redcliffe by 10
SUNDAY 2:10PM
WYNNUM SEAGULLS v BURLEIGH BEARS
POINTS OF INTEREST
Burleigh’s first round results follow a pattern. From 2014 it goes WLWLWLWL.
Wynnum last start win over Burleigh broke an eight game losing run. Wynnum haven’t won at Burleigh since 2017.
Burleigh have won their last four home games v Brisbane teams. Two of those wins are against Wynnum. And nine of their last ten games. Burleigh have scored 26 or more points in all of those nine wins.
PREDICTION
Burleigh by 4
SUNDAY 3:00PM
SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES v CENTRAL CAPRAS
POINTS OF INTEREST
Souths Logan have won their last six games at home on a Sunday.
They have lost just one game at home on a Sunday to Capras/Cutters/Pride since 2014.
Capras have won two of their last four trips to Souths Logan’s home.
Going back to 2018, the Capras have secured just two away wins against any opposition in 35 matches. At least one of those two wins was against Souths Logan.
PREDICTION
Souths Logan by 30
SUNDAY 3:30PM
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS v NORTHS DEVILS
POINTS OF INTEREST
The record for reigning premiers in the first game of the new season is W3 L4.
Norths lost just once on the road last season.
They also had a 100% record v clubs Cairns to Rockhampton either Home or Away.
Norths have won eight in a row on a Sunday, including the 2021 Grand Final.
Norths have also won eight in a row on the road against teams from Rockhampton north. Their last loss was back in 2018.
Townsville lost all three games v Brisbane teams on a Sunday last season.
Townsville are unbeaten in the first round of the season since they joined in 2015. The only team with a 100% record. Norths have won their past four Round One games going back to 2018.
PREDICTION
Townsville by 4
