The Intrust Super Cup’s Round 8, which also doubles as BHP Indigenous Round is so good it has to be split over two weekends. The same can’t be said for our 2021 Intrust Super Cup Round 8 Preview & Stats but here it is anyways in full for both weeks.
The split round brings one bonus, and that is that four of the seven games will be broadcast, so happy days for ISC fans.
Our weekly preview features expert tips from Intrust Super CEO Brendan O’Farrell, Intrust Super Cup man of knowledge Matt Crowhurst, and us. It’s tight at the top with all tipsters on 60%.
There’s also stats for H2H, the 2021 season, points of interest and various other barely interesting facts.
2021 Intrust Super Cup Round 8 Tips
As ever we have attempted to get some expert tips to accompany each weekly preview.
This season we feature no less than the CEO of competition sponsor Intrust Super Brendan O’Farrell for another season. We also have tips from Intrust Super Cup guru Matt Crowhurst who knows a lot more than most about Queensland’s premier rugby league competition.
Less interesting is that we also supply our own tips.
BRENDAN O’FARRELL – CEO INTRUST SUPER
NORTHERN PRIDE to beat Mackay Cutters
TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS to beat Brisbane Tigers
SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES to beat Central Capras
NORTHS DEVILS to beat Sunshine Coast Falcons
BURLEIGH BEARS to beat Townsville Blackhawks
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS to beat PNG Hunters
WYNNUM SEAGULLS to beat Ipswich Jets
MATT CROWHURST – ISC GURU
NORTHERN PRIDE to beat Mackay Cutters
TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS to beat Brisbane Tigers
SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES to beat Central Capras
NORTHS DEVILS to beat Sunshine Coast Falcons
More next week for Part Two…
THE GURGLER – MEDIOCRE WEBSITE
NORTHERN PRIDE to beat Mackay Cutters
TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS to beat Brisbane Tigers
SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES to beat Central Capras
NORTHS DEVILS to beat Sunshine Coast Falcons
BURLEIGH BEARS to beat Townsville Blackhawks
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS to beat PNG Hunters
WYNNUM SEAGULLS to beat Ipswich Jets
CURRENT LEADERBOARD
BRENDAN O’FARRELL – Season 60% 30/49 – Last Round 4/7
MATT CROWHURST – Season 60% 26/42 – Last Round 5/7
THE GURGLER – Season 60% 30/49 – Last Week 5/7
2021 Intrust Super Cup Round 8 Stats & Match by Match Preview
Here is where we go through each game on offer this weekend with the teams, stats and points of interest to get into your local team this weekend.
Round 8 Teams originally published on QRL website.
SATURDAY 22ND 2:10PM MACKAY CUTTERS v NORTHERN PRIDE
(GAME ON KAYO FREEBIES)
THOUGHTS
The visitors have the upper hand here.
Northern Pride (W2 D2) are unbeaten in four away games this season. They won just one of their 11 away games in the previous full season of 2019.
Mackay have lost nine in a row at home going back to May 2019. They are also 0/2 at home this season. The Cutters also conceded 60 at their last home game. No Milford this round.
The last time Mackay played the Northern Pride at home they won 22-6 in May 2019 it was the first win over the Pride at home from 2014.
Pride have the upper hand on a Saturday (W5 D2 L1). Speaking of those two draws there’s a big chance of a repeat here as the Pride have two draws already this season.
PREDICTION
Pride by 8
SUNDAY 23RD 2:00PM TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS v EASTS TIGERS
THOUGHTS
Stats are favouring the Seagulls on this one on paper.
Tigers have one win at Piggabeen in five games since 2014 and the Seagulls are ahead on H2H on Sundays (4-3).
Tweed have also won three of the last four clashes.
Tweed Heads have also won four of their past five games at home to Brisbane sides while the Tigers are one win from the last five away to Burleigh or Tweed.
Tweed are unbeaten at home this season (W2 D1)
PREDICTION
Tweed Heads by 2
SUNDAY 23RD 2:10PM CENTRAL CAPRAS v SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES
(GAME ON KAYO FREEBIES / 9NOW / QPLUS)
THOUGHTS
Despite being down overall in the H2H against Souths Logan the Capras have a good recent record over their opponents.
The Capras are unbeaten in their last three games against Souths Logan with the most recent game a draw and two wins preceding that.
But in a quirk, the Capras haven’t beaten the Magpies at Browne Park in the three games played there since 2014.
These two teams have met at seven different grounds since 2014.
The Capras however haven’t won a home game since August 2018.
Souths Logan have been hit and miss on the road this season with losses at Piggabeen and in Cairns mixed in with a 60-10 win in Mackay.
Although not named, the Magpies could line up Milford and Dearden in the halves.
Despite their 3-4 record this season, the Magpies are just two points behind Wynnum in the points scored tally.
PREDICTION
Souths Logan by 12
SUNDAY 23RD 3:00PM NORTHS DEVILS v SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS
THOUGHTS
Norths won last round to get back on track after losing their 100% record for the season when flogged 36-0 at home to Burleigh. Another team from another coast await this weekend to spoil the party.
Sunshine Coast have a decent stats advantage over Norths in recent seasons, leading the overall H2H and have won six of the last seven meetings including the last two at Bishop Park.
The Falcons have won their only away game in Brisbane this season, and have an enviable Brisbane away record from the last full season in 2019. Sunshine Coast won all four Brisbane away games in 2019, and there were some big scores among them. In fact, the total for and against from those four wins was 194-38.
The Devils still have a good record at home, and an impressive run of games at home to clubs outside Brisbane. The Devils have won 12 of their last 14 home games v non-Brisbane teams going back to 2018.
PREDICTION
Norths by 4
SATURDAY 29TH 3:00PM BURLEIGH BEARS v TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS
THOUGHTS
Reigning Premiers Burleigh Bears are back on track for 2021 with a run of three straight wins, while Townsville find themselves outside the finals places in ninth for a rare occasion.
In a twist on the expected teams that are 8th, 9th and 10th still have a positive for and against. In fact the Magpies (8th) and Townsville (9th) have the second and third best points difference respectively.
The home side has won the last five games in this H2H.
Burleigh are currently unbeaten at home this season in three games, while Townsville have lost their last two away trips after beating Ipswich easily in the first away trip of the season.
Burleigh’s record at home against sides from North and Central Queensland is very good, with just three losses at home in 19 matches going back to 2014.
PREDICTION
Burleigh by 6
SATURDAY 29TH 6:00PM REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS v PNG HUNTERS
THOUGHTS
The Hunters-Dolphins clashes were initially dominated by the PNG team but Redcliffe have taken over as the dominant team The Dolphins have won five of the last six.
PNG Hunters are going through a mini rebuild with Watson Boas’ departure to the UK leaving the halves undecided, and injuries and other unavailability start to affect the squad. Being on foreign soil and in camp art Runaway Bay is limiting the options. Hopefully the young, rookie halves will be given the chance to shine.
PNG also lost their invincibility tag at Davies Park last weekend with their first loss ever at the ground since entering the competition.
Grim reading the past few seasons on the road for the Hunters in Brisbane, with just one win of their last nine matches in Brisbane (excluding the Magpies) going back to 2018. The Hunters have only passed 10 points once in the last five of those games.
The game should be pretty tight with 5/7 Redcliffe’s games this season being decided by two points.
Redcliffe’s only loss to the Hunters came back in 2014 when the PNG Hunters were making their competition debut in front of a big crowd.
PREDICTION
Redcliffe by 2
SUNDAY 2:10PM IPSWICH JETS v WYNNUM SEAGULLS
(GAME ON KAYO FREEBIES / 9NOW / QPLUS)
THOUGHTS
The biggest mismatch on paper for Round 8 is the last game where competition leaders Wynnum with their 100% record visit Ipswich who have just one win from their seven games so far in 2021 and have conceded the most points so far. For the record Wynnum have the best attack and defence this season.
The Jets home record recently isn’t great with a winning record of just 25% in the 16 home games since the start of the 2019 season.
Wynnum have a 100% record away from home this season.
The Seagulls also seem to enjoy playing on Sundays, with their record from the 2019 season onwards seeing Wynnum lose just three of the 21 Sunday games.
PREDICTION
Wynnum by 18
