The weekend is almost here and so are our Round 6 Intrust Super Cup Predictions and Preview.
Importantly, we have the CEO of main sponsor Intrust Super Brendan O’Farrell giving us his tips each week.
If you like your Intrust Super Cup make sure you have Saturday free as six of the seven games are on Saturday evening/afternoon. The lone game on Sunday is the TV game. A good one for northern Queensland fans, as all four teams from the Tropic of Capricorn north play at home.
The best game is on nice and early as both undefeated teams Easts Tigers and Sunshine Coast play the curtain raiser to the Rabbitohs v Warriors on the Sunshine Coast early on Saturday afternoon.
If you like a brief preview of the entire round, your Round 6 Intrust Super Cup Predictions and Preview awaits.
Round 6 INTRUST SUPER CUP TIPPING – ARE YOU SMARTER THAN SUPER BOF?
Fancy yourself an Intrust Super Cup tipping guru. Reckon you’re better than the CEO of Intrust Super yourself? Find out his Round 6 Intrust Super Cup tips below, and submit your via our Twitter or Facebook page.
BRENDAN O’FARRELL (CEO of Intrust Super)
SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS to beat Easts Tigers
BURLEIGH BEARS to beat Wynnum Seagulls
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS to beat Redcliffe Dolphins
MACKAY CUTTERS to beat Tweed Heads Seagulls
NORTHERN PRIDE to beat Souths Logan Magpies
PNG HUNTERS to beat Central Capras
IPSWICH JETS to beat Norths Devils
SEASON PROGRESS 23/35
Last week 4/7
THE GURGLER’s TIPS (Us)
SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS to beat Easts Tigers
WYNNUM SEAGULLS to beat Burleigh Bears
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS to beat Townsville Blackhawks
MACKAY CUTTERS to beat Tweed Heads Seagulls
SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES to beat Northern Pride
PNG HUNTERS to beat Central Capras
IPSWICH JETS to beat Norths Devils
SEASON PROGRESS 21/35
Last week 3/7
Follow our weekly Twitter post to add your selections.
Round 6 INTRUST SUPER CUP – MINI PREVIEW
Here’s a quick rundown on all things Round 6 Intrust Super Cup and our thoughts for all of the games this weekend.
The full Team Lists for Round 6 can be found at the QRL Website.
SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS v EASTS TIGERS
Saturday 12:40pm
It is a shame for one reason that this game is merely the curtain raiser for the NRL game on the Sunshine Coast. The season’s two undefeated sides battling to remain unbeaten and have first place to themselves. And there’s nothing in it right now. Same wins and points obviously, but the points difference is exactly the same. The Falcons have scored and conceded 16 more so far.
On the other hand, a game of this quality will have a crowd much bigger than usual, as the NRL should draw in a few early birds.
They will be treated to the next generation of Melbourne Storm players, the Falcons with their awesome backline, and the Tigers with arguably the best spine of the competition and a slight advantage in the forwards.
Not a bad stage for the two best teams to impress potentially a lot of first timers to the Intrust Super Cup for 2019.
2018: Falcons 24 Tigers 26 — Tigers 38 Falcons 8
BURLEIGH BEARS v WYNNUM SEAGULLS
Saturday 4pm
1st v 2nd opening up the Intrust Super Cup Round 6 action is followed up on the Gold Coast with a clash of third and fourth.
Wynnum are currently flying solo in third place, with just one loss for the 2019 season so far. They come into the game with a win in the big Flockbuster duel with Tweed Heads. Wynnum took out the game easily 32-6.
Not so easily done was the Burleigh Bears, who were 18-8 down at half time their the Souths Logan Magpies class, before going on to win 38-22. Seems they coped OK without the suspended Pat Politoni.
Half Tom Dearden continues to get wraps, and will be one to watch for the Broncos if their early form blip turns into a full slump.
2018: Burleigh 26 Wynnum 12 — Wynnum 16 Burleigh 28
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS v REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS
Saturday 4pm
Two teams coming into the game with losses last weekend, the Blackhawks the biggest shock of the weekend as they went down to the Mackay Cutters for the first time since entering the competition in 2015.
It still leaves them in the top eight mind you, with a 3-2 record.
Redcliffe have won just the once this season so far, and are one of three other teams on one win – Hunters of course have won no games yet.
You can for see a low scoring game, as Townsville are one of two top eight sides not yet passed 100 points in attack, but their defense is their biggest weapon at the moment. The Blackhawks’s defensive record is the competition’s best at just around 13 points a game. Redcliffe meanwhile have the second worst attack, averaging 13 points scored a game.
So likely to be tight in Townsville, and for Redcliffe if they lose this will find the top eight very hard work.
2018: Blackhawks 18 Dolphins 20 — Redcliffe 26 Blackhawks 14
NORTHERN PRIDE v SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES
Saturday 6pm
From a low scoring game to hopefully a high scoring game, as the Pride and Magpies meet on Saturday evening in Cairns. 124 points were scored in the two clashes last season, Both sides are conceding at over 20 points a game this season in the first five games, Souths Logan actually letting in 31 points a game. But the Magpies have nearly got to 100 points in attack, despite winning just one game.
That one win for the Magpies was on the road, as their dreadful home record continues after last weekend with nine straight home defeats.
A promising start to the season for the Pride has now seen three straight losses, and they were blown away 50-10 last weekend by the Falcons. It may well be coincidental, but the last two of those games have been without Jake Clifford.
2018: Pride 42 Magpies 30 — Pride 24 Magpies 28
MACKAY CUTTERS v TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS
Saturday 6pm
Rounding off the third of all top eight team clashes for Round 6 of the Intrust Super Cup is the clash between 7th and 8th in Mackay.
The Cutters broke their drought against Townsville last Friday with the upset of the round, and sees them sneak into the top eight on points difference being the only team on two wins with a positive for and against.
Tweed Heads are just one place ahead of the Cutters in 7th, but they could have been as high as third if they had conquered the other Seagulls of Wynnum in the Flockbuster last Sunday. Their points difference is 36 points worse than Mackay’s. Tweed Heads’ attack is the third worst of the competition.
A win for either team means some comparative over achieving on 2018 can continue.
2018: Tweed Heads 24 Mackay 22 — Malay 22 Tweed Heads 52
CENTRAL CAPRAS v PNG HUNTERS
Saturday 6:35pm
The Central Capras have become a little bit of a bogey side for the PNG Hunters, in Queensland anyway. Last season’s last round fixture ended in a 38-22 loss to the Capras, which knocked the Hunters out of the finals race when Ipswich won their final game. They also lost a few seasons prior at Browne Park.
This weekend’s clash is not in Rockhampton but at McIndoe Park in Emerald. The Capras had a great result there last season by beating the Northern Pride, and with the Hunters arriving with no wins in their first five games, and a recent average record against the Capras away, confidence must be high.
The PNG Hunters Ins and Outs once again looks like Santa’s naught or nice list with no fewer than 14 Ins and 11 Outs.
There are some notable and important inclusions for the Hunters, with captain Adex Wera returning to the centres, although not named in the starting 17 but in the reserves. Charlies Simon gets another crack at hooker, and powerhouse Moses Meninga returns.
Ase Boas has moved to five eighth and back up hooker Jerry Teme has been promoted to halfback at the expense of Justin Yoka. There will be another debut when Joe Frank comes off the bench at some stage. Another new Hunter in a season where they were always going to blood plenty of new names.
A lot of changes for the Hunters, perhaps too many every week, but you can’t complain about the quality of inclusions this weekend. A first win awaits.
2018: Central 38 Hunters 22 — Hunters 18 Capras 10
IPSWICH JETS v NORTHS DEVILS
Sunday 1:10pm
Sunday’s only game doubles as the tV game for the rest of Queensland, and the daylight savings shift sees this game being played at a more sociable hour.
Both sides enter the game with wins last weekend, Ipswich have now won two games in a row after losing their first three. Norths put the PNG Hunters away in an impressive performance at Bishop Park.
Ipswich will be without their star fullback Michael Purcell, with Denzell Burns given the big task of filling those boots. Although filling in nicely as a try scorer is Julian Christian who has crossed in each of the last four games.
You could argue that Norths look to have a small advantage in the back, as the Jets do seem to have in the forwards. And that the battle of Nixon Putt up against Billy McConnachie should be a good one.
2018: Norths 14 Ipswich 22 — Ipswich 32 Norths 25
