As we reach the end of the regular season of Queensland Cup football, it’s time for one final preview from our friends at Nothing But League.
They’ll tell you all about the battle for the minor premiership between Townsville and Gurgler favourites PNG Hunters.
There’s also information about the battle for third, fourth and fifth between Ipswich, Wynnum and Easts. The ugly duckling of that trio are the ones to miss out on a home final.
For all the fans of the clubs not playing for anything there’s a preview of your game too.
For fans of croquet and rugby union, there’ll be f*** all for you there.
Once you’re done with that, why not place a mutli of all your selections. Or follow and/or avoid our suggested multi below:
QCUP SUPER MULTI
$1 gets you $36
IPSWICH to beat Sunshne Coast
NORTHERN PRIDE to beat Central
SOUTHS LOGAN to beat Mackay
TOWNSVILLE -14.5 start v Redcliffe
WYNNUM +4.5 start v Easts
TWEED HEADS to beat Norths
PNG HUNTERS -18.5 start v Burleigh
As exciting as the performances of Jarryd Hayne are in NFL preseason, isn’t it a sad picture of the NRL that the number one story about its competition is about an ex-player in another sport. All this when the focus should be on the finals series with just two rounds to go.
I guess looking at a glass half full, the Hayne focus is better than last week’s focus of the joke that has become the shoulder charge.
Maybe the NRL has become predictable, and slightly tedious. People tiring of wrestle-mania at every tackle, same plays over and over again. Maybe some of us are just going to miss Supercoach which gave a reason to care about teams you normally wouldn’t.
Maybe this is the week to get the public back into the NRL, and we’re thinking about it below. Including our super multi for the week ahead.
THURSDAY 7:45pm-ish
SOUTHS v BRISBANE
Souths have been cold, luke warm, and on the very rare occasion this year hot. Yet somehow they still lie 4th, which shows either the openness of this year’s comp or the shape of teams earlier in the season. Broncos have also been on a little slide of late with 3 losses in 4, but that still leaves them in second spot and on the same amount of points as first placed Roosters. This would have been some game a month or so ago, but somehow the fizz just isn’t there this time.
GURGLER MULTI TIP: BRISBANE to WIN
FRIDAY 7:45pm-ish
MANLY v ROOSTERS
Manly, with their season on the line, were underwhelming against Parramatta last weekend, but who wouldn’t be with the try scoring juggernaut that is Semi Radradra on the opposing side. The Roosters couldn’t have been more impressive last weekend beating Brisbane, taking the top spot all with two of the best players out. Although missing Mitchell Pearce hasn’t worked out too bad for NSW in the past.
GURGLER MULTI TIP: ROOSTERS to WIN
SATURDAY 3:00pm
PARRAMATTA v SHARKS
Parramatta are back where they belong – on Fox Sports so Warren Smith can enjoy saying the name Semi Radradra for his and the viewers enjoyment. It’s hard not to enjoy Smith’s joyous description and Semi’s play in general, and is the only reason Parra are still worth watching at this stage of the year. Sharks meanwhile continue to fly under the radar, and can still get that fourth place that looked relatively unlikely at the start of the year.
GURGLER MULTI TIP: SEMI RADRADRA to score of course
SATURDAY 5:30pm
NEWASTLE v BULLDOGS
Newcastle choked the life out of Melbourne on Monday night and are now looking for an unlikely third straight win. The Bulldogs beating Souths was the stand out performance of last weekend, and there are quite a few jumping on the Dogs bandwagon betting wise. They look the only side out of the bottom 4 that could win a premiership. But is there next stinker just around the corner?
GURGLER MULTI TIP: NEWCASTLE +14.5 start
SATURDAY 7:30pm
MELBOURNE v NQ COWBOYS
Maybe Melbourne will be happy to play at home on a day other than Monday, they would probably be less thrilled meeting the Cowboys who rediscovered their mojo against NZ last weekend turning around a three try deficit after 12 minutes into a 50 point score and no further points for the Warriors either. Cowboys also have a great away record. None of it sounds like good news for the Storm.
GURGLER MULTI TIP: COWBOYS to WIN
SUNDAY 2:00pm
WEST TIGERS v NZ
The big news from the NRL the last couple of days, other than a pile of NRL players wanting fingers in the NFL pie (and who could blame them?), was the Tigers advising Robbie Farah that his services aren’t required for next year. He didn’t look very happy about it today, but he never seems to be happy about anything. He looks like a real 1/4 glass empty kind of guy. No doubt different away from the field. Talking of 1/4 that’s all you got from the Warriors last weekend – a decent first quarter of football. NZ scored three tries by in 12 minutes to look like blowing away the Cowboys. Instead NZ died in the arse and ended up conceding 50. A shame that Johnon injury stopped another NZ finals tilt.
GURGLER MULTI TIP: NZ +10.5 start
SUNDAY 4:00pm
GOLD COAST V DRAGONS
When the last five weeks of the year were decided on July 4, how on earth did this game ever look like a game of the round worthy of a FTA slot. Anyway it is, and both of these sides looked good in victory last weekend, so this one might be hard to tip. Dragons have a top eight spot to hold onto, the Gold Coast are one of a bunch of teams trying to avoid the wooden spoon.
GURGLER MULTI TIP: GOLD COAST +10.5 start
MONDAY 7:00pm
CANBERRA v PENRITH
Monday night football in Canberra, both sides out of finals contention, get your magnifying glasses out to count the crowd. It will at least provide one more opportunity for the referees to ruin Canberra’s season and annoy Ricky Stuart. Canberra have been unlucky with decisions, Penrith unlucky with injuries. No luck at all in this game, so flip a coin.
GURGLER MULTI TIP: Either side to win by 12 or less.
The second last round of the Queensland Cup aka Intrust Super Cup played out over the weekend, and it ended the runs out any team outside the Top 6 for a chance at the finals as the top 6 before the weekend became the top 6 for the finals. Mackay drew and Redcliffe lost, both were academic anyway as the Northern Pride won anyway.
The final series is shaping up to be a cracker with all teams capable of winning the competition, from the dominant Townsville, the unpredictable attacking Ipswich Jets, the ever present finals competitors Easts Tigers and Wynnum Seagulls, and the reigning premiers Northern Pride, even Gurgler favourites PNG Hunters.
You would have guessed by now visiting here that we have a sweet spot for the Hunters and their infectious style of rugby league. If you don’t know about the Hunters, here’s a piece from Nothing But League on them.
Not enough gambling for you on the weekend? Looking for something is an early Wednesday morning form to view at and/or on your way to work? Well we have just what you’re looking for.
The League Cup kicks off with Round 2 tomorrow morning with the remaining 36 Football League Teams, and the addition of the least successful EPL teams from last year. With 15 games going to the lower division teams last round, upsets are ripe, and with the EPL big guns joining there’s surely an early season embarrassment awaiting one of those teams.
Here for your street money consideration is our Midweek League Cup Street Money Tips.
POTENTIAL UPSET MULTI
$1 for $60
SHEFFIELD UTD to beat Fulham
GILLINGHAM to beat Birmingham
PRESTON to beat Watford
OVER 2 GOALS – Bury v Leicester
SLIGHTLY CHICKENED OUT UPSET MULTI
$1 for $51
OXFORD or DRAW v Sheffield Wednesday
PORTSMOUTH or DRAW v Reading
HARTLEPOOL or DRAW v Bournemouth
GILLINGHAM or DRAW v Birm City
DONCASTER or DRAW v Ipswich
BURY or DRAW v Leicester
SHOULD WIN BUT WON’T NOW I HAVE MONEY ON THEM MULTI
$1 for $87
NORWICH to beat Rotherham
CHARLTON to beat Peterboro
CRYSTAL PALACE to beat Shrewsbury
HULL to beat Rochdale
WOLVES to beat Barnet
ASTON VILLA to beat Notts Co.
SWANSEA to beat York
QPR to beat Carlisle
STOKE to beat Luton
NEWCASTLE to beat Northampton
The mid year summer break gives the teams a break, and also for the F1 enthusiasts, all of which leads to some kind of withdrawal symptoms by the time F1 resumes, especially after the last two classic races at Silverstone and Hungaroring.
At least the season reconvenes at Spa, a real F1 connoisseur’s track that has yet to be wrecked too much by modern motor racing circuit design. The races often deliver random weather events to spice up boring races, and if not, the sight of cars going through Eau Rouge is enough to keep you awake for an hour and a half.
This year’s edition was a little light on action, with the predictable silver lining of a finish, but as ever here’s our GP review…in point form.
– The changing of the start appeared to enhance the prospects of Daniel Ricciardo as he gained spots off the start instead of the usual Webber-like minus two or three start. Perez got a flyer too which provided an interesting change of scenery up front, but ultimately handed the Ham an easy win as Rosberg bogged down.
– The Sesame Street song – One of these things is not like the other one – was playing in the mind as Bottas was driving around on different compound tyres. Can happen anywhere I guess where it takes less than 3 seconds to change tyres. Interesting to see how he takes the Ferrari snub, and how he can climb back into bed with Williams after his love interest ended.
– Talking or love, reports about Red bull and they are out of love with Renault and looking for a way out. Heading towards an ugly divorce. Renault already looking for a new partner in Lotus and Force India.
– Nico Hulkenburg surely confirms himself as the new Webber after he failed to make the start in his Force India despite looking good throughout the weekend. He missed out on the Ferrari drive during the week, and maybe a move to a Ferrari powered car is a roundabout way of lining up a seat for 2017.
– Max Verstappen either didn’t see the huge accident in GP2 on the Blanchimont stretch of the Spa circuit on Saturday or he is simply so confident that he doesn’t care. Either way it was some kind of move and maybe he’s lining up a bigger move to Ferrari as well.
– Good news story on the track for Lotus-Renault with a podium to Grosjean. A great drive was rewarded and some progress from some of his previous misdemeanours which saw him dropped from Renault in 2009 and banned for a race a few years later. Bad news for Lotus Renault off the track as their cars were impounded due to legal action.
– Sad news was the death of Guy Ligier who found his eponymous Formula 1 team. The name has been missing since 1996 when Prost GP bought and trashed the team. Winners of a handful of GPs, and almost a Championship in 1981 and were front runners early in 1979. The team saw quality drivers like Jacques Laffite, Rene Arnoux, Didier Pironi, Olivier Panis, Piercarlo Ghinzani, and other drivers like Pedro Diniz, Shinji Nakano, Andrea de Cesaris. Only Sauber remains as a modern day version,
EPL
Manchester City’s habit of winning the EPL every other year is on track as they disposed of Chelsea last weekend, much to the delight of Jose Mourinho. They could hardly look more impressive with 2 x 3-0 wins. Their cross town rivals Man Utd are also undefeated with a pair of 1-0 wins. The others are lagging behind, but with the transfer window still open who knows what the squads will look like in just over a week’s time.
Sunderland look specials for relegation, and have even been made odds-on by their shirt sponsor who is a betting company.
The three promoted teams look OK, but Bournemouth will need to start scoring goals soon if they don’t want to go straight back down. Previous EPL visitors Norwich and Watford look comfortable already. That means some of the established clubs may have to watch out this year.
UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS ARSENAL v LIVERPOOL
EVERTON v MANCHESTER CITY
GURGLER’S EPL MULTI
MANCHESTER UTD to beat Newcastle
MANCHESTER CITY to beat Everton
NORWICH to beat Stoke
LEICESTER to beat Spurs
SWANSEA to beat Sunderland
$1 for $29
GURGLER’s ROUGHIE EPL MULTI
DRAW – Arsenal / Liverpool
DRAW – WBA v Chelsea
WATFORD to beat Southampton
$1 for $37
CHAMPIONSHIP
Ipswich Town are top of the Football League pyramid on goals scored and they share a 2 win 1 draw record with Hull City and Brighton. Two of the promoted teams Milton Keynes and Preston have started off well and sit in the top 7, as do surprise packets Charlton and expected Middlesbrough.
11 teams have yet to win a game from the first three rounds – the best of them are still unbeaten with Cardiff, Leeds and Derby all recording three straight draws. The worst are Bolton, who have only a draw to their name and not even a goal scored yet in three attempts. 18 draws from the first 35 fixtures shows what everyone already knows – the Championship is one of the toughest and most equal divisions in European football.
UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS
BOLTON v NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Can Bolton win? Can Bolton score? Only early days of course but a loss here and an early exit in the League Cup is a bad start to the year. Forest have only scored two themselves in three. A tense battle or blowout awaits.
CHARLTON v HULL
Both undefeated so far, one surprising, one sort of expected. The loftiest clash of the weekend in the Championship.
LEEDS UNITED v SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
Both clubs have semi-recent memories of both EPL and League One, and this clash get the lunchtime UK Time special treatment. With Leeds on just three draws, how long until their owner wields the axe on another manager? 41 managers sacked in 23 years as an owner for Massimo Cellino. Leeds already onto their fifth.
GURGLER CHAMPIONSHIP MULTI
IPSWICH to beat Preston
QPR to beat Rohterham
MIDDLESBROUGH to beat Bristol City
BRENTFORD to beat Burnley
$1 pays $21
LEAGUE ONE
Coventry lead the way in the third tier with 3 wins from 3 games, and an already healthy +7 goal difference. The top 6 has some surprising names amongst it with the likes of Gillingham, Walsall, Rochdale and Burton all over achieving if pre-season odds are to be believed.
9 teams are yet to win in League One, and at the bottom of the pile are four teams with just a point – Shrewsbury, Blackpool, Crewe and Bradford.
UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS
BARNSLEY v BRADFORD
High hopes for Bradford for promotion this year, but they sit last on one point in three games. Barnsley have now won two in a row.
PORT VALE v DONCASTER
Both team have started the League season with three draws from three games. What price a fourth? $3.10 actually.
WALSALL v COVENTRY
Two Midlands teams and as close to a geographic derby as we get in League One this week. Both undefeated, and a clash of first v third. Sells itself really.
GURGLER’S LEAGUE ONE MULTI
DRAW Port Vale v Doncaster
SHEFFIELD UTD to beat Blackpool
GILLINGHAM to beat Wigan
BARNSLEY to beat Bradford
$1 pays $25
LEAGUE TWO
Three teams remain with perfect records for 2015-16, and whilst Leyton Orient and Wycombe are no surprise, the team that appeared doomed for relegation for most of last season – Hartlepool – certainly are. With only 12 draws from the first 36 games it has the lowest total of drawn games of the three leagues.
Two big names managers for League Two – Terry Butcher and Teddy Sherringham are finding the start to the season tough, as they have just a draw each to show for their efforts and sit 21st and 22nd.
Propping up the Football are Dagenham & Redbridge and Yeovil Town. Two teams that have spent plenty of time in Non League football, looking like they may just sample more of that next season if the wins don’t come soon.
UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS
WYCOMBE v DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE
Wycombe are 3 from 3, and have yet to concede a goal. The Daggers are one of two teams in the Football League with zero points. A mismatch on paper, or a continued bad start to the season for Dagenham & Redbridge?
PLYMOUTH v NORTHAMPTON
Two teams with two wins and a loss, both looking for bigger and better things. An early win over a team they are most likely to be fighting with for promotion will be a good start to the campaign.
GURGLER’S LEAGUE TWO MULTI
PORTSMOUTH to beat Morecambe
WYCOMBE to beat Dag & Red
CAMBRIDGE to beat Crawley
WIMBLEDON to beat Carlisle
$1 pays $11
Just two rounds to go of the regular season in the Intrust Super Cup, and still plenty to play for.
The battle for the minor premiership is on between Townsville and PNG Hunters. Then there’s the fight for third and fourth and a home finals in the first is on between Wynnum, Ipswich and Easts. Northern Pride just need one more win to hold off Redcliffe and Mackay for the final spot. Plus there’s always something to play for in other games in the Queensland Cup.
But if that’s not enough excitement for you, here’s The Gurgler’s super multi for this weekend.
SUNSHINE COAST +18.5 start v Townsville
MACKAY +9.5 start v PNG
CENTRAL to beat Souths Logan
REDCLIFFE to beat Easts
NORTHS to beat Northern Pride
TWEED HEADS +10.5 start
Three rounds to go, and another edition of Kick to Come.
The announcement last week of the NRL TV deal makes a lot of sense now, given the bonanza AFL deal announced this week, the NRL had to get something out before then.
The NRL can only hope for those kind of numbers, and without a few new teams, a decent fair draw (has been promised but we’ll see), removal of the tedious play the ball wrestling, and finding some consistency in the rules making and enforcing. The way the shoulder charge has been handled of late is deplorable, but in line with the NRL’s previous efforts. For all the good of the NRL TV deal, if the running of the day to day and games aren’t improved, it’ll be a dud product. Still better than rugby union, but still a dud.
Anyway that’s way too far in the future to care about right now, let’s run the rule over this week’s action.
THURSDAY – 7:45pm-ish
ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA V PENRITH
Woolongong get their taste of NRL football this weekend as Penrith come to town. Penrith beat busted arse NZ last weekend, whilst the Dragons looked busted arse against the Broncos. Benji Marshall’s absence could explain some of that, and that excuse will be invalid this week as he is playing. Why the backup halfback was left on the bench until the loss was guaranteed is hard to figure.
GURGLER MULTI TIP: PENRITH +10.5 start
FRIDAY – 7:45pm-ish
SOUTH SYDNEY v BULLDOGS
A home game for both sides and a return to the scene of ugliness earlier in the season. That game ended in arguments, one good enough to send Bulldogs to the sin bin, bottle throwing, punching of Souths fan which has since earned a ten year ban for one fan, and somehow a Souths win despite being outplayed throughout. Hopefully everyone plays nicely this time.
GURGLER MULTI TIP: SOUTHS to win
SATURDAY – 3:00pm
CRONULLA SHARKS V WESTS TIGERS
If Mick Fanning had of encountered the Sharks from Monday Night he may have not even left the water, but it was against a bogey side in Melbourne who had to get cabs to the game after team bus broke down. The Sharks face another bogey side this weekend in the Wests Tigers who have a very good record against the Sharks. A loss could see them looking down towards 8th instead of being within reach of fourth.
GURGLER MULTI TIP: WESTS TIGERS to win
SATURDAY – 5:30pm
NEW ZEALAND v NORTH QLD COWBOYS
Both of these teams are on a late season slide – NZ at least have an excuse – they are missing their star playmaker Shaun Johnson. Cowboys are at full strength but are not quite firing at the moment. That Top 4 spot they need to reduce a controversial finals exit in Sydney is starting to look less certain than it did a few weeks ago.
GURGLER MULTI TIP: NZ +16.5 start
SATURDAY – 7:30pm
ROOSTERS v BRONCOS
You have to wonder that with Channel 9 insistence of having the Broncos on as many Friday nights as they can, how this blockbuster was deemed not good enough for FTA selections. Channel 9’s loss is everyone else’s gain, as the no ad break coverage of Fox Sports, and the lack of Channel 9 will make a better night for all. Some key match up are on offer too. In addition to Round Two of the Thaiday-JWH battle from earlier in the season, there is RTS v Boyd, Hodges v Jennings, and the future of origin Ben Hunt v the past of origin Mitchell Pearce. Can’t wait for this one.
GURGLER MULTI TIP: ROOSTERS to win
SUNDAY – 2:00pm
GOLD COAST V CANBERRA
One for the fans this game. Canberra will at least be happy to be somewhere that doesn’t have minus Four degree starts to the day, and given their home record in 2015, anywhere is better. Gold Coast weren’t too bad last weekend against the Bulldogs, surely their many fan deserve something to cheer about.
GURGLER MULTI TIPS: GC +8.5 start
SUNDAY – 4:00pm-ish
MANLY v PARRAMATTA
Manly continue their charge to the finals, and will be one to worry the other teams if the current form remains. Probably lucky to Canberra last weekend though. For Parramatta it’s all about Semi Radradra at this point. He is the only interesting thing that happens in a Parra game, and is well worth the effort put in to watch an Eels game. And don’t the commentators love saying his name. Who doesn’t.
GURGLER MULTI TIP: Manly to win.
MONDAY – 7:00pm
Hopefully a more upbeat experience for all than the last time this game was played in Melbourne, and hopes that 60 minutes aren’t there for the follow up. Highly unlikely given Channel 9’s reluctance to show them on FTA, although giving the constant wrestling in the play the ball who can blame them.
GURGLER MULTI TIP: MONDAY NIGHT KINGS (Melbourne) to beat Newcastle Knights
SUPER GURGLER NRL MULTI for all 8 legs above:
$74 from $1 spent.
With the two positions in the Intrust Super Cup sorted, and the PNG Hunters assured of one of those, it’s time to get a little bit excited about the Hunters chances of a finals appearance at minimum. Those of you who visit The Gurgler and / or our twitter page @gurgler_the will know we’re a big fan.
The Intrust Super Cup sent itself out around the state to spread the good word of Queensland Cup rugby league last weekend, and the fans in Innisfail, Dalby, Stanthorpe, Bundaberg, Charters Towers and Blackall were treated to the usual quality on offer each week.
But no fans were more excited about this round than the PNG Hunters fans in Port Moresby. For the second time this year it was a sell out for a Hunters game with long lines waiting to get in. They weren’t disappointed either with the home side storming home in the second half to beat Wynnum and secured a top two spot along with Townsville Blackhawks.
But more on all the games is ready for your perusal courtesy of our good friends at Nothing But League. Catch up with it all here.
