PNG HUNT FOR TEN STRAIGHT WINS AS SUNSHINE COST FALCONS RETURN TO THE FIELD
The Intrust Super Cup reaches Round 17 which sees the Sunshine Coast Falcons return to the field for the first time since the death of James Ackerman, who was farewelled during the week on the same ground. More on the farewell can be found on the QRL website http://www.qrl.com.au/news/2015/07/01/james_ackerman_farew.html
Elsewhere, Round 17 sees three games in which teams will be looking for revenge after large losses first time around in the 2015 season. A replay of last year’s Grand Final is also on offer in Cairns, and finally the PNG Hunters and the Channel 9 cameras arrive at Dolphin Oval to see if the run of the PNG side can be extended to 10 games.
Here is how the teams stand after last weekend.
| P | W | D | L | B | F | A | +/- | Pts | |
| Townsville Blackhawks | 16 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 554 | 202 | 352 | 28 |
| PNG Hunters | 16 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 474 | 312 | 162 | 26 |
| Ipswich Jets | 16 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 470 | 320 | 150 | 24 |
| Wynnum Manly Seagulls | 16 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 413 | 272 | 141 | 24 |
| Easts Tigers | 16 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 422 | 245 | 177 | 21 |
| Mackay Cutters | 16 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 335 | 289 | 46 | 18 |
| Northern Pride | 16 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 327 | 318 | 9 | 18 |
| Burleigh Bears | 16 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 291 | 382 | -91 | 18 |
| Redcliffe Dolphins | 16 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 365 | 378 | -13 | 14 |
| Tweed Heads Seagulls | 16 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 350 | 352 | -2 | 13 |
| Souths Logan Magpies | 16 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 317 | 436 | -119 | 12 |
| Sunshine Coast Falcons | 16 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 226 | 408 | -182 | 11 |
| Norths Devils | 16 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 202 | 454 | -252 | 9 |
| CQ Capras | 16 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 222 | 600 | -378 | 4 |
Burleigh Bears v Townsville Blackhawks at Pizzey Park on Saturday, July 4 – 3pm
Burleigh will be smarting from their 72 point loss earlier in the season and will be very keen to turn that result around this weekend. They will need to score more than the solitary penalty they scored against Easts last week against a side who averages almost 40 points a game.
That side Townsville have won three straight since their long unbeaten run came to an end against the Hunters who are on a sizable run of their own. The Blackhawks remain on top of the ladder with a two point gap and daylight in points difference. They also remain relatively intact despite the NRL short round minus Origin stars.
It would be easy to pick Townsville to win, so we did.
Prediction: Townsville by 20
This Year: Townsville 78 Burleigh 6
Last Year: N/A
Odds: Burleigh $5.25 Townsville $1.16
Teams:
Burleigh Bears: 1. Khan Ahwang 2. Jaiden Hawkes 3. Jamie Dowling 4. Dimitri Pelo 5. Connor Broadhurst 6. Conner Toia 7. Ryley Jacks 8. Mitch Sharp 9. Tom Rowles 10. Josh Ailaomai 11. Tyron Haynes 12. Louie Fanene 13. Darren Griffiths (c) 14. Marino Allen 15. Ayden Lee 16. Shaun Maloney 17. Pele Peletelese
Coach: Jim Lenihan
Townsville Blackhawks: 1. Jahrome Hughes 2. Zac Santo 3. Kyle Feldt 4. Moses Pangai 5. Jonathan Reuben 6. Tom Humble 7. Michael Parker-Walshe 8. Lorenzo Ma’afu 9. Anthony Mitchell 10. Daniel Beasley (c) 19. Kelepi Tanginoa 12. Rhyse Martin 13. Neville Costigan 14. Samsen O’Neill 15. Noel Underwood 16. Ricky Thorby 17. Corey Jensen 18. Lenny Magey
Coach: Kristian Woolf
Northern Pride v Easts Tigers at Barlow Park on Saturday, July 4 – 5.30pm
A replay of last year’s Grand Final, and a hard fought, high quality game awaits in Cairns this weekend.
Easts took some revenge on last year’s grand final loss to the Pride, but a double over their foe will go some way to paying back the disappointment. The Tigers are also on a good run of form, having not lost since Round 10, and their solid fifth placing has them primed for a tilt of finals football.
The Pride are also building nicely at the right time of the year after an long winless start, and will be very keen to stay in touch with those above them. A loss this Saturday will see them fall 5 points behind the Tigers in fifth.
The Pride have toughed out some good wins against quality opposition lately, and will no doubt need to tough it out again this weekend against Easts. It is a game that will be close and hard to choose between the two sides.
Prediction: Pride by 2
This Year: Easts 20 Pride 12
Last Year: Pride 4 Easts 16
Odds: Pride $2.35 Easts $1.60
Teams
Northern Pride: 1. Hezron Murgha 2. Linc Port 3. Brett Anderson (c) 4. Justin Castellaro 5. Luke George 6. Ryan Ghietti 14. Sam Obst 20. Jack Svendsen 9. Jason Roos (c) 10. Sheldon Powe Hobbs 11. David Murphy 12. Graham Clark 13. Tom Hancock 15. PJ Webb 16. Nathan Wales 17. Alex Starmer 19. Keelan White
Coach: Joe O’Callaghan
Easts Tigers: 1. Donald Malone 2. Maeli Seve 3. Whetu Austin 4. Michael Kai 5. Brandon Downey 6. Shaun Nona 19. Brentt Warr 8. Foisa Peni 9. Tommy Butterfield 10. Liam McDonald 11. Dane Hogan (c) 12. Jake Foster 13. Troy Giess 14. Mathew Pitman 15. Matthew Zgrajewski 16. Brenton Horwood 17. Billy Walters
Coach: Craig Ingebrigtsen
Sunshine Coast Falcons v Mackay Cutters at Sunshine Coast Falcons on Saturday, July 4 – 6pm
The Falcons have retired the number 8 jersey in honour of their fallen prop forward James Ackerman, and there will no doubt be plenty of emotion as the Falcons return to the playing field this weekend. If the response by the Tigers after their tragedy is any sign, the Falcons will turn the sadness into great performances and maybe a winning run to a surprise finals campaign.
There will hopefully be a big crowd to lend their support to a sporting team still hurting.
On the flipside, you also have to feel for Mackay Cutters, as they were the side that played against Easts in their first home game after the passing of Grant Giess, and find themselves at the centre of an emotional return again this weekend. Whilst they’ll be playing to break a two game losing streak, it will be hard to play in these circumstances.
We think emotion will get the Falcons home.
Prediction: Sunshine Coast by 6
Last Year: Sunshine Coast 20 Mackay 28
Odds: Sunshine Coast $4.50 Burleigh $1.20
Teams:
Sunshine Coast Falcons: 1. Sam Wright 2. Suliasi Vunivalu 3. Young Tonumaipea 4. Paul Ivan 5. Rowan Klein 6. Travis Robinson 7. David Oakes 19. Jon Platt 9. Billy Brittain 10. Ryan Hansen 11. Rueben Baillie 12. Jacob Samoa 13. Tom Murphy (c) 14. Jay Lobwein 15. Johnny Vuetibau 16. Mboya Adams 17. Jye Ballinger
Coach: Glen Dreger
Mackay Cutters: 1. Sam Clune 2. Jordan Pereira 3. Ben Jones 4. Justin Tavae 5. Buchanan Rawhiti 6. Cameron Cullen 7. Liam Taylor 8. Brad Lupi 9. Josh Chudleigh 18. Pulou Vaituutuu 11. Brenden Treston 12. Tyson Martin 13. Chris Gesch (c) 14. Zack Walker 10. Ryan Kinlyside 15. Joss Boyton 16. Gavin Bennion 17. Mitch Day
Coach: Kim Williams
Redcliffe Dolphins v PNG Hunters at Dolphin Oval on Sunday, July 5 – 1.40pm*
The TV game on Sunday should get a quality game, and I will certainly be hoping so as I get to go along to watch the fun. Even as a lifelong Redcliffe fan, you can’t help but admire the way PNG play their football, and experience of watching this fixture last year, the crowd enjoyed watching both sides.
This was the ground where the Hunters made their Intrust Super Cup debut last year, and Redcliffe have yet to beat the PNG in any of the three meetings so far.
Whilst Redcliffe have now won two games at home in three after a year long drought, the arrival of a side in second place and on a run of nine straight games will test them to the maximum, and their form against the top sides has been not so good in 2015.
It all points to a PNG 10th straight win.
Prediction: PNG by 26
This Year: PNG 30 Redcliffe 26
Last Year: Redcliffe 18 PNG 24
Odds: Redcliffe $2.90 PNG $1.40
Teams:
Redcliffe Dolphins: 1. Josh Beehag 2. Oliver Regan 3. Tom Opacic 4. Aaron Whitchurch 5. Curtis Johnston 21. Trent Richardson 7. Luke Capewell (c) 8. Charlie Faingaa 9. Darcy Etrich 10. Jon Green 11. Nick Ritter 12. Anthony Cherrington 13. Tyson Cleal 14. Logan Harris 15. Tom Geraghty 16. Harley Aiono 17. Taylor Brown
Coach: Troy Lindsay
PNG Hunters: 1. Stargroth Amean 2. David Lapua 3. Noel Zeming 4. Thompson Teteh 5. Adex Wera 6. Israel Eliab (c) 7. Ase Boas 8. Henry Noki 9. Wartovo Puara 10. Esau Siune 11. Brandy Peter 12. Timothy Lomai 13. Lawrence Tu’u 14. Nickson Borana 15. Atte Bina 16. Willie Minoga 17. Enock Maki 18. Oti Bland Tony 19. Roger Laka
Coach: Michael Marum
Ipswich Jets v Souths Logan Magpies at North Ipswich Reserve on Sunday, July 5 – 2pm
Ipswich return home after a rare loss in Cairns last weekend, and they are a side that don’t often lose two in a row.
On paper the Jets should take care of the Magpies easily, given their 50-20 win earlier in the year, but the Magpies have been better in the last two months than their position on the ladder and some results show. They won last weekend against Tweed without Ashley Taylor to prove they can, and are some outside chance of doing the same this weekend. Look to year’s pointfest that fell in favour of Souths Logan.
Whilst Ipswich are no certainties to win, what will be certain is plenty of points – 152 in the last two meetings alone.
Prediction: Ipswich by 8
This Year: Souths Logan 20 Ipswich 50
Last Year: Ipswich 40 Souths Logan 42
Odds: Ipswich $1.22 Souths Logan $4.25
Teams
Ipswich Jets: 1. Carlin Anderson 2. Richard Pandia 3. Chris Walker 4. Nemani Valekapa 5. Brandon McGrady 6. Josh Cleeland 7. Dane Phillips 15. Kurtis Lingwoodock 9. Landon Hayes 10. Rod Griffin 11. Sam Martin 12. Kurt Capewell 13. Keiron Lander (c) 14. Fakahoko Teutau 16. Billy McConnachie 17. Liam Capewell 19. Haydan Lipp
Coach: Ben Walker and Shane Walker
Souths Logan Magpies: 1. Brandon Khuu 2. Josh Damen 3. Dallas Anderson 4. Scott Doyle 5. Tim Brooks 6. Jack Joass 7. Rhys Jacks 8. Tikiko Noke 9. Travis Waddell 10. Andrew Edwards 11. Joe Boyce 12. Dan Tamou 13. Phil Dennis (c) 14. Jack Anderson 15. Ben Thorburn 16. Sam Gardel 17. Leon Panapa 18. Ken Levu
Coach: Josh Hannay
Norths Devils v Wynnum Manly Seagulls at Bishop Park on Sunday, July 5 – 2.30pm
Like a few teams this weekend, Norths get the chance to get revenge on a side that gave them a hiding on the away trip earlier in the year.
The difference is for the Devils, that things haven’t really turned around for them since that loss, they haven’t won since Round 9, and they were also on the receiving end of a large loss at home against top end team Easts Tigers recently.
Wynnum Manly got back on track against Mackay last weekend, and will find this game easier this weekend.
Prediction: Wynnum by 34
This Year: Wynnum 66 Norths 4
Last Year: Norths 12 Wynnum 52
Odds: Norths $4.50 Wynnum $1.20
Teams:
Norths Devils: 1. Dylan Galloway 2. Michael Lucas 3. Joel Baily 4. Ryan Millard 5. Rogan Dean 6. Dan Murphy 7. Liam Tyson 8. Matt Mizzi 9. Will McNee 10. Billy Solah 11. Rhett Webster 12. Michael Molo 13. Krys Freeman (c) 15. Haile Rycroft 16. Kristian Wanka 20. Dylan Smith 17. Richard Tuala
Coach: Mark Gliddon
Wynnum Manly Seagulls: 1. Daniel Ogden 2. Peter Gubb 3. Matthew Grieve 4. Mitchell Buckett 5. Greg Eden 6. Patrick Templeman 7. Matthew Seamark 8. Ben Shea 9. Alehana Mara 10. Tim Natusch (c) 11. David Stagg 12. Jon Grieve 13. Mitchell Frei 14. John Te Reo 15. Brendon Gibb 16. Aaron Rockley 17. Tanu Wulf
Coach: Jon Buchanan
