Our Round 14 Intrust Super Cup Predictions and Preview awaits, in a week where the competition revisits the Round 1 fixtures, and interesting to see where the teams have ended up in the meantime.
There’s another top of the table clash, as the Sunshine Coast take on Wynnum to keep their 100% record, plus a bonus 3rd v 4th battle too, as the top four play each other.
Just for balance, there is a clash featuring second last and last in Biloela.
And plenty in between, so here are our Round 14 Intrust Super Cup Predictions and Preview.
Round 14 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 13 Intrust Super Cup tips below, and submit your via our Twitter or Facebook page.
BRENDAN O’FARRELL (CEO of Intrust Super)
BURLEIGH BEARS to beat Norths Devils
CENTRAL CAPRAS to Souths Logan Magpies
EASTS TIGERS to beat Mackay Cutters
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS to beat Ipswich Jets
NORTHERN PRIDE to beat Redcliffe Dolphins
SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS to beat Wynnum Seagulls
TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS to beat PNG Hunters
SEASON PROGRESS 64/91
Last week 6/7
THE GURGLER’s TIPS (Us)
BURLEIGH BEARS to beat Norths Devils
SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES to beat Central Capras
EASTS TIGERS to beat Mackay Cutters
IPSWICH JETS to beat Townsville Blackhawks
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS to beat Northern Pride
WYNNUM SEAGULLS to beat Sunshine Coast Falcons
TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS to beat PNG Hunters
SEASON PROGRESS 59/91
Last week 5/7
Follow our weekly Twitter post to add your selections. Be better than BOF. If you can with his recent form.
Round 14 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.
BURLEIGH BEARS v NORTHS DEVILS
Saturday 4:00pm @ Pizzey Park
3rd plays 4th to kick off Round 14 in a replay of the first weekend’s clash at Bishop Park where the Devils got the better of Burleigh 28-22, since then both sides have been in or around the top four,
Both sides come into the weekend on the back of decent wins last round, Burleigh saw off the Easts Tigers 36-4 at home, while Norths got the job done against Redcliffe at Bishop Park.
It’s going to be tough going for Norths based on the Bears home record this season which stands at 6-0, and they have conceded just 8 points on average, and only two sides have broken double figures. The Devils also have to deal with losing their star half Sean O’Sullivan to the Broncos this weekend. Although Zach Strasser is a handy replacement.
We Say: Burleigh, but only just.
CENTRAL CAPRAS v SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES
Saturday 5:30pm
@ Biloela
The Capras roadshow heads to Bileola, about 150km from their usual Rockhampton base for this weekend’s clash against the Souths Logan Magpies which doubles as the battle between second last and last placed sides.
Perhaps playing the Magpies will bring about a change in fortunes for the Capras, as their only win to date in 2019 was against Souths Logan in the opening round fixture at Davies Park. They missed out last weekend against the Pride, a side who had only won one more game than them in 2019.
Talking of playing the Pride, the Magpies last win was against the Cairns side back in Round 6, so not much joy for Souths Logan either. Although their only two wins have been on the road this season.
Some team news is that the Magpies half Tanah Boyd has been snared by the Titans for the rest of the season. They still have Gurgler favourite Guy Hamilton at fullback, and NRL names like Shaun Fensom and Sam Tagataese, so on paper should be too strong.
We Say: Souths Logan to win Willie Nelson style (on the road again)
MACKAY CUTTERS v EASTS TIGERS
Saturday 6:00pm
@ BB Print Stadium Mackay
TV GAME
Interesting to note that in a weekend where the Sunshine Coast take on another second placed team, that the early season front runner with the Falcons was the Easts Tigers who now find themselves in 7th place. The Tigers were undefeated going into that Round 6 clash, but recently have lost four of their past five games.
Three of the last four games have seen the Tigers cross for just one try, although the 40-22 win in the middle offered more than a few.
Mackay got a good win last weekend in Port Moresby against the Hunters, and have closed within two points of eighth placed Ipswich, and have a much better points difference at the moment than Ipswich. They are only 3-4 at home this season though, but Easts have lost their last four on the road after wining their first two.
A few changes for the Tigers this weekend which sees Jack Walters, Patrick Kaufusi, Shane Neumann and Tom Eisenhuth all return among others. No changes for the Cutters. And a great battle of the fullbacks awaits with Carlin Anderson v Scott Drinkwater.
We Say: Mackay tend to do the opposite of what you’d expect, so we’ll take Easts for no good reason.
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS v IPSWICH JETS
Saturday 7:00pm
@ Jack Manski
A replay of the 2015 Grand Final, and although both teams are currently in the top eight, neither are looking like genuine premiership contenders in 2019. Of course we could be proven massively wrong with a good run of wins to start now, but both sides have been hot and cold this season so far.
Townsville got the first round fixture pretty easy at North Ipswich Reserve in Round 1 by 34-6, and they have a decent 4-2 record at home in 2019. However Ipswich seem to win every second away game, and they went down to Wynnum away last weekend.
Ever reliable Krys Freeman is an inclusion for the Blackhawks, and there are a few changes for the Jets as well. Interesting to see speedstar Michael Purcell back in the side, and playing in the centres. He would have to be one of the smallest centres in the competition, but he would also probably be the fastest too. He is not called the Kangaroo Catcher for nothing.
We Say: Why not an Ipswich upset in Townsville. Perhaps a double from Michael Purcell.
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS v NORTHERN PRIDE
Sunday 1:10pm
@ Dolphin Oval
TV GAME
The Northern Pride broke a string of losses last weekend, but beating the similarly down on luck Central Capras in Cairns. Good news for the Pride, who edged away from the bottom of the ladder, and are within a win of this weekend’s opponents. Although there is a whopping almost 100 point difference in for and against.
Speaking of this weekend’s opponents Redcliffe went down to their north side rivals Norths last weekend in the Deagon Deviation Derby, continuing their inconsistent results pattern. The Dolphins are 3-3 at home this year, but are 1/1 when the TV cameras arrive, perhaps leading one to think they like to show off.
No changes to either side heading into the clash. Worth noting is that the Pride upset Redcliffe in this fixture at Dolphin Oval last year 26-24 in the Dolphin’s premiership year.
We Say: Redcliffe to get back to winning ways.
WYNNUM SEAGULLS v SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS
Saturday 2:00pm
@ Kougari
It is time for the Seagulls to take their shot at the Falcons, the Sunshine Coast however have played a few 1st v 2nd clashes this season and have seen them all off. And convincingly so.
Are Wynnum going better than the Tigers or Bears were at the time they took on the Falcons as second placed sides? The answer is not really, as the Bears and Tigers had been on unbeaten runs before playing the Sunshine Coast too, like Wynnum currently are.
The only difference is that Wynnum get to play the Falcons at home, and the Seagulls are undefeated at home this year, and they have seen off some decent opposition too. There wasn’t much in the first round clash between these two either, with the Falcons getting home 26-24 courtesy of a late 74th minute try.
As you’d expect with two front running teams, there are key battle everywhere, but our favourite is the fullbacks. Both teams number 1’s have been sensational this year, the Falcon’s Nicho Hynes good enough to snare a Storm contract, and Edene Gebbie will surely get the nod for the Kumuls in the upcoming test. Both will star for their respective future teams if given the chance. Speaking of Kumuls and Storm, fringe NRL player Justin Olam scored a hat trick in last weekend’s win for the Falcons at Piggabeen.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg, with two in form halfbacks, solid forward packs, try scoring machine Delouise Hoeter playing opposite Olam, Falcons wingers Sandor Earl and Jon Rueben always attract attention, and more. A good Sunday after of rugby league awaits on the bayside.
We Say: Wynnum with a late try to Gebbie.
PNG HUNTERS v TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS
Saturday 3pm
@ National Football Stadium
An improved performance if not result for the Hunters last weekend at home to the Mackay Cutters, but sadly PNG might have to start looking forward to the next season, as it appears unlikely that they will play finals football this season. So why not use the rest of the season to build for a strong 2020.
As ever the weekly ins and outs for the Hunters is a long read, and this week appears to have the name of Ase Boas as out of the team. Jerry Teme appears to have been given another chance in the halves, and Roy Elison is a new name onto the wing.
With PNG Kumuls test spots on the line, you would expect a little lift from the Hunters this weekend, and despite their current form woes in the Intrust Super Cup, they still should supply a number of players.
Tweed Heads meanwhile were the latest to feel the wrath of the Sunshine Coast Falcons last weekend, going down 36-0. That ended a five game run of wins for the Tweed, so one would expect them to get back to winning ways this weekend. Especially given the Seagulls have become a bit of a bogey side for the Hunters in better seasons.
We Say: Tweed Heads to win low scoring affair.
