Our Round 15 Intrust Super Cup Predictions and Preview awaits, in a week where all of Queensland needs a bit of a pick-me-up after the recent State of Origin hiding.
The best place to do that is follow some Intrust Super Cup this weekend. And who else to supply tips for you than Intrust Super’s Brendan O’Farrell.
There’s a few decent clashes this weekend, but the highlight for us is the return of the PNG Hunters to the TV screens against the Northern Pride in Cairns. For the first time since their 2017 Grand Final heroics. Hard to believe that it could be the case. Not hard to believe that if rugby league is involved it is either political or commercial or both. Either way, we finally get to see them. About bloody time.
That isn’t the only game this weekend of course, but we won’t spoil the surprise just yet.
So here are our Round 15 Intrust Super Cup Predictions and Preview.
Round 15 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 15 Intrust Super Cup tips below, and submit your via our Twitter or Facebook page.
BRENDAN O’FARRELL (CEO of Intrust Super)
EASTS TIGERS to beat Norths Devils
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS to beat Tweed Heads Seagulls
SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS to beat Redcliffe Dolphins
WYNNUM SEAGULLS to beat Central Capras
BURLEIGH BEARS to beat Ipswich Jets
NORHERN PRIDE to beat PNG Hunters
MACKAY CUTTERS to beat Souths Logan Magpies
Want to better BOF?
Follow our weekly Twitter post to add your selections. Be better than BOF. If you can with his recent form.
Round 15 INTRUST SUPER CUP – MINI PREVIEW
Here’s a quick rundown on all things Round 14 Intrust Super Cup and our thoughts for all of the games this weekend.
EASTS TIGERS v NORTHS DEVILS
Saturday 3:00pm @ Langlands Park
An all-Brisbane, all Top Eight clash kicks off the weekend in style, with both of these sides on 18 and in a group of four teams chasing the final top four spot.
Both of these sides have been in the top four at some stage this season, but a recent run of losses (Easts 4/6 and Norths 3/6) has seen them fall just outside the top places.
It will be interesting to see how the recent acquisitions by the Melbourne Storm will benefit Easts, as you wouldn’t think the Falcons need anymore palyers. The flip side is that the Tigers have lost Scott Drinkwater to the Cowboys. Although it has only been a short partnership.
Special mention to Norths’ PNG international Nixon Putt, who we think was the best Kumul on ground against Samoa on Saturday night. Why not find out more about our thoughts on the Kumuls v Samoa here.
We Say: Easts to tough it out at home by a few points. Perhaps a late try after 75th minute to win it.
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS v TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS
Saturday 4:00pm @ Jack Manski Oval
Townsville are going along all right this season, their current position sees them in 4th with a 9-5 record. Not quite as high flying as previous seasons, but the quality in their squad means they’ll be a factor until and through September. They have won their last two games, but they have failed to go one better throughout the season, so hope for Tweed Heads then.
The high flying Seagulls have come back to earth with two straight losses, but they did beat Townsville for the first time earlier in the season. Tweed Heads have the same amount of points as Townsville in the tight four team group in the midfield of the top eight.
We Say: Tweed Heads are starting to dip, although Townsville aren’t going much better. But good enough for an 8-12 point win here.
WYNNUM SEAGULLS v CENTRAL CAPRAS
Saturday 5:00pm @ BMD Kougari Oval
Wynnum lost their most recent game, but arguably put up the best fight to the undefeated Falcons in 2019, but relinquished their unbeaten home record in the process.
They will surely bounce back against the bottom placed side this weekend, and have named as strong a side as ever.
One of those players is Edene Gebbie, who played for the Kumuls on Saturday night against Samoa. He struggled under the high ball, and was moved to the wing, but did make some positive contributions after that. He still leads the ISC run metres stat by over 500m to the next best.
The Seagulls had two other Kumul internationals playing on Saturday – Rhadley Brawa who ran strong and Edwin Ipape, who was quite good at five eighth, yet will struggle to get a game with Wynnum’s strength in the halves right now.
The visiting Capras haven’t won since Round 1, but they did draw with Souths Logan in the previous round in Biloela, but still sit last on the Intrust Super Cup ladder. They can say however, that they are undefeated against the Magpies in 2019.
We Say: Wynnum by plenty – 30 points and beyond.
SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS v REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS
Saturday 5:00pm @ Sunshine Coast Stadium
In most recent seasons this would be a top six clash, and be game of the round. While it will no doubt still be a good match, the seemingly invincible Sunshine Coast are making it hard to see who can beat them this season.
The Falcons have become the Mercedes F1 team of the Intrust Super Cup, but unlike the boredom that is current Formula 1, at least the Falcons put on an entertaining show. And their team doesn’t feature Lewis Hamilton which is always welcome. It does feature star players like Harry Grant, who has been rewarded for an outstanding season with a contract with the Melbourne Storm in the past week. It also features our favourite Nicho Hynes who was rewarded with a Storm contract a month ago. Good things happening for the Storm and the Falcons.
Redcliffe aren’t travelling quite as well as the Sunshine Coast, but have won three of their past five games. However they have all been against teams lower than them on the ladder, and being 9th means it is a big step up to turn those results into Falcon busting wins.
We Say: Is anyone going good enough to beat the Falcons. They have seen off every challenger thus far. Won’t be Redcliffe this weekend.
IPSWICH JETS v BURLEIGH BEARS
Saturday 6:00pm @ North Ipswich Reserve
A Saturday night experience at North Ipswich Reserve this weekend, and a good game is on the cards too.
Some of the more exciting back three combinations are on show in this clash, with Ipswich’s Michael Purcell and Marmin Barba providing the zip and speed, and Burleigh NRL quality of Philip Sami and Kurtis Rowe, and surely the soon-to-be-tested Troy Leo.
The props battle is pretty good too, with PNG Kumuls Luke Page (who did his usual great job against NRL opposition) facing off with the ever reliable Nat Neale and Billy McConachie aka The Madness. Halves is where Burleigh will probably get the job done, and the Phythian-Fogarty is a good one.
Ipswich are yet to beat SEQ opposition at home this season, and prior to losing to the Sunshine Coast, the Bears had won two games in a row to nil away.
We Say: Should be entertaining enough, but Burleigh should be too good by about 10 points. Possibly in a surprisingly low scoring game.
NORTHERN PRIDE v PNG HUNTERS
Sunday 1:10pm @ Barlow Park
TV GAME
As moaned about earlier, the PNG Hunters are back on the small screen this weekend, and not before time. But enough about that for now.
The Hunters come into the game on the back of a win over bogey side Tweed Heads at home, and they have now won 2/4, and were competitive in one of those 2 losses. The corner appears to have been turned, but it does look too late to save their 2019 season, as they are three wins and 100 points difference in for and against away from 8th placed Ipswich.
It was always going to be a rebuilding year for the Hunters after much off season movement, so to see the positives pop up at this stage of the season shows promising times ahead. IF they can settle on a side, which hasn’t happened this season yet.
Ase Boas returns to five eighth, and Terry Wapi (who mostly impressed on debut for the Kumuls) deserves to keep the fullback spot. Junior Rau returns to the side on the wing after doing nothing wrong in the test too. And Charlie Simon gets a return to bench for his utility skills. With Adex Wera still fit, and the three Kumuls forwards all named (Meninga, Maki, Albert) it looks like one of the strongest Hunters line ups this season.
The Northern Pride are in a similar position to the Hunters with three wins, but their points difference is much better off. The Pride broke an 11 game losing streak two rounds ago, but lost last time out at Redcliffe, which was also in front of the Channel 9 cameras. Although, one of the Pride’s only wins was against the Hunters 24-0 in Port Moresby.
Brayden Torpy returns to the more familiar surroundings of halfback and should form a dynamic partnership with Jordan Biondi-Odo. The halves battle is shaping up nicely.
We Say: The PNG Hunters to ride on the back of some improving form, and a decent showing of the Kumuls against Samoa on Saturday. Hunters win by 4 points.
SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES v MACKAY CUTTERS
Sunday 3:00pm @ Davies Park
Talking of losing streaks, the Magpies will be desperate to break their losing home record, which stretches back to last May. They’ll struggle to have too many more chances on current form, as even the Capras have won there this season (Capras only win).
Mackay’s away form in SEQ isn’t any better, giving the Magpies a real opportunity on Sunday. Mackay haven’t won in SEQ since May 2018. Their two wins on the road this year have come in the warmer climates of Townsville and Port Moresby.
No major team news going into the game, one highlight is Fanitesi Niu being named at fullback for the Magpies, and he goes up against Carlin Anderson, who has been shuffled down the Cowboys fullback order again following the recruitment of Scott Drinkwater.
We Say: It’s time. Souths Logan to get that elusive win at home. And why not by 12-16 points.
