The new season of the Queensland Cup is just a week away, and our coverage of the commences for the new year with our 2021 Intrust Super Cup Draw Preview & Stuff.
With just the one round of the 2020 competition played before the Coronavirus halted the season, there is even more excitement going into the new season than usual. That may well be thanks to the PNG Hunters having moved into the Gold Coast for the season ahead. But we’ll try and keep our bias to ourselves.
Our 2021 Intrust Super Cup Draw Preview & Stuff will give enough information on the new season ahead, what’s new, rediscover what some NRL players are doing these days, and some analysis on the 2021 Intrust Super Cup Draw.
There’s no big, bold prediction for the season ahead: it’s hard enough in normal times let alone with a pandemic wiping out 2020. Call us cowards but we are no fool, as it is hard enough to pick a top eight before the season starts, let alone with one game played last season.
Our weekly preview will feature weekly predictions and stats heading into each round, so stayed tuned for more weekly coverage.
2021 Intrust Super Cup – What’s New
2021 Intrust Super Cup Coverage – the QRL are now in charge of the broadcasting, and while that means the Sunday afternoon game won’t be on regular TV, the upside is that there will be so many more games on offer this season. The traditional Sunday TV game will be available on 9Now, but there’s also deals with Kayo Sports, and games available on the QRL website and various other methods. More on the broadcasting is available here. More is more in 2021.
The PNG Hunters’ New Home – like the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL, the PNG Hunters have relocated to their new base at Runaway Bay (Gold Coast) for the 2021 season. Just in time too, as the Coronavirus situation get a little worse back in PNG. The upside of Coronavirus is having the Hunters in SEQ for more than a handful of games in 2021.
New Feeder Team Arrangements – a few teams have changed their feeder club deals for 2021, or it changed in 2020 and we’re just catching up. The Redcliffe Dolphins are now a feeder team for the NZ Warriors in the NRL, and another former Broncos feeder club – the Ipswich Jets – are now aligned with the Newcastle Knights. Hopefully an NRL team will pick up the Hunters as a feeder team. They’d probably inherit a few million new fans overnight.
New NRL Team – possibly call it the elephant in the room for 2021, but the talk of a new team for the NRL based in SEQ will loom over a couple of the ISC teams in 2021 as they all make their cases to be the 17th team. There won’t be any verdict given on who should get that get here, as the bias as a boyhood fan of Redcliffe, and occasional visitors and well-wishers of Easts and Ipswich negates any decision yet.
A Tiger by Any other Name – after over 100 years as Eastern Suburbs, Easts will be known as the “Brisbane” Tigers from 2021. Is it designed to help the Firehawks’ NRL bid, or is it just a general rebranding? We could have lived with a small adjustment like “Eastern Brisbane” or “Brisbane Easts” Tigers, but plain old “Brisbane” sounds too generic and may invite confusion/anger with Broncos fans.
It also brings to mind the switch from the New South Wales Rugby League to Australian Rugby League in 1995: the ARL were so desperate to shed their old suburban Sydney image that they rebranded three clubs – the Eastern Suburbs Roosters (Sydney City Roosters), the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (Sydney Bulldogs), and the Balmain Tigers (Sydney Tigers). While the Bulldogs and Tigers soon returned to their traditional names, the Roosters re-rebranded as the Sydney Roosters, and have kept that name ever since, though they’ve reclaimed the “Easts” moniker on their training gear and on social media. As for the Brisbane Tigers, how many old-school fans will still call them Easts out of stubbornness or pure habit?
2021 Intrust Super Cup – Ah, So That’s Where They Are
The Intrust Super Cup has always been a great pathway into the NRL, the Broncos team currently the best example of the opportunities available for ISC players, but occasionally it allows a second chance for a former NRL player to shine again, or at least have another few seasons in the sun.
One of the best examples of that in recent years was Benji Marshall in Redcliffe Dolphins colours, who is still playing in the NRL for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the opening round of the NRL.
2021 has a new class of second chances on offer.
JARROD MULLEN – SUNSHINE COAST
The former Newcastle Knight of over 200 games has has an interesting off field time since his last game for the NRL side in 2016, but the announcement of his return to rugby league for the Sunshine Coast Falcons for 2021 was met with some surprise, but it seems a genuine hope that it works.
He may dream of the NRL again, which will be a hard task at 33, but which better team/NRL feeder system to play for than the Falcons/Storm? Even adding one more NRL game to his tally would be a success.
Plenty of rugby league players have been given second chances, and third and fourth ones as well.
Hopefully the comeback will go better than his NSW Origin career, where he was one of the originals to be blamed for Origin losses for NSW, and featured just once for the Blues.
KARMICHAEL HUNT – SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES
Triple threat Karmichael Hunt has done a lot of things in his football life: NRL premierships, match-winning goals in the AFL, and playing for the Wallabies, but as far as our records show he has yet to win an Intrust Super Cup title.
Initially just training with the Magpies, Hunt is now up for playing in the 2021 Intrust Super Cup and is another big name who will be welcomed and his progress followed through the season. And he’ll likely add a few more faces to Davies Park every second week.
KURT BAPTISTE – SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS
Obviously keen to stay in the game ahead of the Rugby League World Cup at the end of the season, the PNG international has linked up with the Sunshine Coast Falcons for 2021.
Whether the move to the Sunshine Coast will end in more than his current tally of 79 NRL games, it does give a name you know to follow for the 2021 season.
OTHER NAMES YOU KNOW
Gerard Beale – Brisbane/Easts Tigers – former Broncos, Warriors and NZ International.
Luke Bateman – Wynnum Seagulls – former Canberra Raider of 70-odd games.
Isaac Luke – Wynnum Seagulls – current Broncos but likely to feature at Kougari regularly.
Zeb Taia – Wynnum Seagulls – former NRL players and winner of the Super League in the UK.
OTHER PLAYER MOVEMENTS
There has been a lot of player movement, some which happened in 2020 which have been forgotten about, some are fresh for the 2021 season.
The best place for all the Ins and Outs is via the QRL website, and they have been recently publishing each team’s list.
2021 Intrust Super Cup Draw – Bits and Pieces
Here are some points of interest from the 2021 Intrust Super Cup draw for 2021. We have assembled a few key points for the season ahead and a few quick reference pieces for those with just a fleeting interest.
Of course you can always get the full draw courtesy of the QRL Website.
2021 INTRUST SUPER CUP DRAW – HOME AND AWAY SEASON PLANNER
Trying to plan your football supporting season around kids parties, wedding, or family functions you need to find an early excuse to get out of? Well here is your quick reference guide to when your team is playing home and away this season.
2021 INTRUST SUPER CUP DRAW – FIRST SIX GAMES
A good start sets the season up nicely, and is critical for the teams who have top four ambitions given the reduced amount of rounds in 2021. So here is every team’s first six fixtures.
2021 INTRUST SUPER CUP DRAW – LAST THREE GAMES
Further to the above, the last three games could decide those crucial finals berths or even a minor premiership. So to know who your team has to play we have the last three matches below.
2021 INTRUST SUPER CUP DRAW – SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOOTBALL
Given it looks like Sunday afternoon rugby league is the domain of Sydney/NSW as ever, the only place you can get regular Sunday afternoon rugby league action is the Intrust Super Cup.
So for your relaxing Sunday afternoon pleasure, we offer up our guide to Sunday afternoon games for 2021.
2021 INTRUST SUPER CUP DRAW – PREMIUM GAMES
We’ve hand-picked a bunch of a games that look like premium clashes for the 2021 season. The QRL has identified a bunch of them for rivalry rounds, but here is our full lists as the games to follow in 2021.
2021 INTRUST SUPER CUP DRAW – WHO PLAYS WHERE
For no good reason really we’ve included where each team plays in 2021. As in do they play in SEQ or Regional.
For regional we mean north of Sunshine Coast and have excluded Country Week.
ADOPT AN INTRUST SUPER CUP TEAM PERSONALITY QUIZ
First of all, for the neutral, is picking a team to follow if you don’t already have one.
Haven’t got a team for the 2020 Intrust Super Cup Season? Or would like a second or third team?
Then take the personality test below and find out who your rugby league match is.
[…] OUR FULL 2021 SEASON PREVIEW IS AVAILABLE HERE […]