Intrust Super Cup Round 4 Results and Thoughts

The latest weekend of Intrust Super Cup has been completed, and we have the Intrust Super Cup Round 4 Results and our thoughts on the major points.

At the end of Intrust Super Cup Round 4, there remains just one team without a win and two teams without a loss.

Two teams got their first win of the season – recent Premiers Ipswich and Redcliffe, and there are a lot of feathers in the top half of the ladder.

All of that and more below with our Intrust Super Cup Round 4 Results and Thoughts.

PNG HUNTERS – WINLESS BUT NOT HOPELESS

The PNG Hunters are now the only winless side in the 2019 Intrust Super Cup after Round 4, and despite being outclassed on the day by the Easts Tigers, there is plenty of hope for the rest of the season. A first win isn’t far away.

First of all, the return of Ase Boas after his departure from UK Club Featherstone is a major positive for the side. Sure, the PNG Hunters should always be about promoting new talent, but having that experience in being no less than a premiership winning captain an only benefit the team. Boas grew into the game, and was key in the PNG Hunters second half comeback with some key plays that led to tries. There will no doubt be more to come as he gels with the current playing group, and he has barely been in the country before being quickly added to their side. Early signs are good. 

One thing that did stick in the mind as the Hunters got back into the contest, was a little more of the ad lib rugby league which has been missing in recent years. It coincided with the only time the Tigers looked uncomfortable during the match. Perhaps just a little more Pacific flair could be added to the Hunters game.

Moses Meninga looked one of the Hunters’s best from the forward pack, and the occasionally maligned Oti Bland Tony was quite good at the back. 

On the negative, some of the Easts Tigers tries were relatively soft, most scored within the Hunters 20m. Defence was the key to the Hunters 2017 title success, and has been at the backbone of many a win in the Intrust Super Cup, so to see the easy tries was surprising. It was a wet day out, and Easts halves Billy Walters and Josh Ralph, and feisty hooker Aaron Booth were having a very good day out.

At the end of the day, they were competitive against a very professional outfit, who are currently unbeaten and leading the competition. With a finals series extended to eight teams, there’s plenty of time yet.

Full game review of the match by friend of the website Matt Crowhurst can be found here.

REDCLIFFE AND IPSWICH BREAK THEIR DUCKS ON A WET SATURDAY

Recent Premiers Redcliffe and Ipswich both got their first 2019 Intrust Super Cup season wins this weekend, the Jets easily denting the Pride, and Redcliffe were made to work hard for their victory at home to the Souths Logan Magpies.

Ipswich’s win was timely, as it was the celebration of the Walker brothers 200th game in charge. Shane and Ben Walker have introduced many different things in their time in charge, some have even made it to the NRL. Sadly it will probably be the closest the Walker brothers will get to coaching in the NRL. Plenty have suggested it over the years, and recently, but no club has taken the chance yet, some could be pointing to this season’s struggles of the Jets as a reason why. Maybe despite all the ad-lib, other teams have worked out what to do, and the Jets have been on the end of some big losses recently.

Although having a speed machine and try scoring Hunter like Michel Purcell, means at least some of the mystery will remain.

The reigning premiers Redcliffe Dolphins hadn’t won a match going into Round 4, but can now claim at least two competition points thanks to a one point win on Saturday night. 

In a game which saw South Logan skip ahead and be hauled back by Redcliffe three times, it took a late field goal in the 76th minute by Bryce Donovan to seal the win for Redcliffe. That leaves both them and the Souths Logan Magpies with a record of 1-3, and work to do.

ALL GOOD FOR SEAGULLS SO FAR IN 2019

Heading into the big Flockbuster next weekend between the Wynnum Seagulls and Tweed Heads Seagulls, it is nice to see the two clubs heading into the match in the thick of the top eight, with a 3-1 record, a win for either side will see them in the hunt for the sharp end of the Intrust Super Cup, so the game next weekend is bigger than usual. A shame Channel Nein used their consecutive Wynnum games for Round 3/4 and not next weekend.

Talking of those TV games, Wynnum have seen off teams from the opposite ends of the 2018 Intrust Super Cup in consecutive weeks, their only loss coming in Round 1 in a tight two point loss on the Sunshine Coast. They have also beaten 

Tweed Heads meanwhile may not have defeated Burleigh in their local derby, but have seen off Townsville for the first time ever and the PNG Hunters 10-0 at home before this weekend’s win in Rockhampton.

There’s still a long way to go, but ahead of the Flockbuster it is a good time to be a Seagull.

GOOD TIMES FOR MELBOURNE STORM

A quick one, to remind of the good times currently for the Melbourne Storm. The NRL side is currently 3-0 and leading the competition with authority, and in the Intrust Super Cup, their two feeder clubs are undefeated after four rounds.

Load up on the Storm-Tigers/Falcons doubles now then.

BAD NEWS FOR BEARS

You just know when a piece of Intrust Super Cup news pops up on the Fox Sports website that you know it isn’t going to be good news. Despite their home of league status, they barely report on Queensland’s premier competition unless it is to update on an NRL player out of luck or a nasty incident.

Sadly it is the latter, and this incident involves their excellent hooker Pat Politoni. The video from Fox Sports shows the details here, but essentially it was Pat Politoni reacting to some hair ruffling after giving away a penalty in his Burleigh Bears clash with Townsville Blackhawks. The punch knocked out Michael Parker-Walshe, and unsurprisingly started a major scuffle from which more players were sent to the sin bin. It was as brutal a blow as you would see in any one punch can kill, and the Burleigh hooker will no doubt regret it for the rest of his career.

Politoni has probably seen the last Intrust Super Cup game for a few months, and thankfully Parker-Walshe hasn’t seen his last match full stop. It is a shame that an extended leave from the Bears for Politoni isn’t for a call up for the Titans.

It does highlight a few things in general rugby league. One is anyone who wants to bring back the biff needs to rewatch the footage a few times before going on with any more garbage. But on the flip side, perhaps opposition players should leave players alone after a mistake or penalty. It certainly wouldn’t have happened as much before the punch was banned. You can’t penalise bad sportsmanship, but you can coach it out. None justifies punching another player mind you.

INTRUST SUPER CUP ROUND 4 RESULTS

IPSWICH JETS 28 Northern Pride 16
EASTS TIGERS 30 PNG Hunters 14
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS 19 Souths Logan Magpies 18
Central Capras 12 TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS 26
WYNNUM SEAGULLS 16 Mackay Cutters 8
SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS 32 Norths Devils 20
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS 16 Burleigh Bears 10

INTRUST SUPER CUP ROUND 4 TABLE