Shannon Meyer previews the 2019 Intrust Super Cup Grand Final between Wynnum-Manly Seagulls and Burleigh Bears in a neutral type of way.
Queensland Rugby League’s big day out is here this Sunday – the 2019 Intrust Super Cup Grand Final. Despite our attempts to cover most of the 2019 season we have still been stopped in the street by fans and friends of the website who needed to catch up ahead of the weekend’s Grand Final.
This year’s Intrust Super Cup Grand Final will be contested between the Burleigh Bears and the Wynnum Manly Seagulls, who both met in the first week of the finals, will no doubt put on a decent show this Sunday. And if you’ve ever been to the Chook Pen at Kougari Oval you know there’s going to be some noise.
So with interest in the Intrust Super Cup at an all time high for the season, we put the call out for a Q and A session for the 2019 Intrust Super Cup Grand Final via our email – contact @thegurgler.com. The results of which are below.
Q. Hasn’t Intrust Super’s Brendan O’Farrell been doing tips for you this year? So where is his selection?
Jack, Hemmant
A. Of course. Brendan O’Farrell is expecting a close, tough game this Sunday at Dolphin Oval and selects the Wynnum Seagulls as the 2019 Premiers.
Q. I’ve missed most of the Intrust Super Cup finals, so what has happened since the end of the regular season?
Jeff, Bowen Hills
A. Essentially the Grand Final sees 2nd and 3rd meet for the second time in the finals, with Burleigh taking the shorter route after winning the week 1 finals game, although they did have to beat the Sunshine Coast Falcons to make the Grand Final, after the Falcons stumbled in week one to the Townsville Blackhawks.
Talking of the Blackhawks, the week off after beating the Sunshine Coast didn’t help them progress, as Wynnum flew up to Townsville to seal the Grand Final spot last weekend.
In between Wynnum saw off their bay side rivals Redcliffe who had previously taken care of the other Seagulls – Tweed Heads.
Easts surprised a few by turning around a terrible late season losing streak to beat the Devils in Week 1 of the finals despite finishing 8th, and they pushed the Falcons all the way in Week 2.
Overall, it has been a super competitive finals series with Week 1 seeing wins by just 1,2,4 and 8 points. Having the two televised games for Weeks 1 and 2 was a refreshing new addition. And probably safe to say the top eight worked a treat this year. Despite our early reservations.
Q. I thought the Falcons were going to be unstoppable?
Jeff, Bowen Hills again. Anticipating the above reply for some reason.
A. Ahh, the glorious uncertainty of sport.
Yes the Sunshine Coast Falcons did look invincible throughout most of 2018, and they were actually invincible until Redcliffe beat them for the first time in Round 14.
They scored at nearly 40 points a game in 2019, and ended the season with a for and against of +564, and have some real potential new superstars for the Storm in Nicho Hynes and Tino Faasuamaleaui, but all that meant nothing come finals time.
Much like the Blackhawks in their early years, where regular season floggings were handed out but premierships passed them by, the Falcons could have missed their chance if their best move onto Melbourne, or another NRL club.
Although, with rugby league’s best production line of talent through Melbourne at their disposal, and a great league nursery on the coast, the Sunshine Coast will never be far away.
Q. I’m taking my mates to the game, I want to impress them by reeling off a few names to watch despite being reasonably ignorant for most of the season.
Dave, Doboy
A. There’s plenty to choose from.
First up you could talk up the halves battle which should be a ripper.
Dylan Phythian won Man of the Match last weekend for Burleigh and his partner in crime Jamal Fogarty led Burleigh to their 2016 premiership, and has returned to the Bears after an attempt to break into the NRL with Parramatta.
The Wynnum halves are no slouches either, with Sam Scarlett and Pat Templeman in super form and leading the Seagulls through the finals so far.
But picking halves are easy, so we reckon to impress your mates more, you could tell them to follow on the Intrust Super Cup’s most reliable scorers in Delouise Hoeter or workhorse hooker Mitch Cronin who has made over 900 tackles this year. Throw in try scoring machine Troy Leo and the much experienced Blake Leary for the Bears, and you’ll be impressing all your neutral friends in no time.
And there’s two excitement machines that play for the PNG Kumuls – lively fullback and running man Edene Gebbie and the one man centre-field tornado that is prop Luke Page.
Q. I’m a PNG Hunters fan who is still a little sad that they aren’t in the finals this season. Is there any PNG link to this years 2019 Intrust Super Cup Grand Final?
Shannon, Forest Lake.
We’re glad you asked as above there are two great PNG stories ahead of the 2019 Intrust Super Cup Grand Final.
The first good story is Edene Gebbie, whose outstanding season has been rewarded by a Rabbitohs contract. And after seeing what that team and this player could do this season, they could do much worse than giving the PNG Number 1 a go in the NRL next year.
Gebbie has run a full 500 more in run metres this season than the second placed player from Redcliffe, and another 500 metres to third. He also topped kick return metres, all runs, and tackle breaks. Although he disappointed just a little in the PNG Test v Samoa earlier in the season, every time we have seen him play he looks real deal.
Luke Page continues to barnstorm his way through the Intrust Super Cup this season, and will be hard done by if he misses out on top prop for 2019. Not forgetting he was at the heart of the previous 2016 title after a powerhouse performance that day.
So all is not lost as a PNG fan, even if the 2019 Intrust Super Cup Grand Finals see no Willie Minoga in 2019.
Q. Why is the Grand Final being played at Dolphin Ovsal?
Karen from Indoroopilly
A. Perhaps the QRL like the sea breeze offered by the peninsula. Or perhaps it is a better look having a nearly full ground rather than the usual empty stand on camera.
Maybe the food is better. They used to serve the finest, hottest Chiko Rolls in Australian sport before the Oval became a Stadium. The beer in a can certainly is better. And there’s the Bee Gees walk nearby.
But we will say though that the pricing for reserved seating seems just a little cheeky. Considering the usual prices at Suncorp Stadium.
You should still go though, and tickets can be bought here.
Q. I love stats, so gimme a couple of useful ones for the game.
Barry from Kallangur
A. Well here are our finest for your consumption Barry….
2019 HEAD TO HEAD RESULTS
R6 – Burleigh 26 Wynnum 18
Finals Wk 1 – Wynnum 32 Burliegh 34
HEAD TO HEAD RECORD SINCE 2014
Burleigh 8 Wynnum 4
2019 RECORD v TOP EIGHT (Incl Finals)
Wynnum – 10 wins – 6 Losses
Burleigh – 8 wins – 6 Losses
ALSO….
Burleigh scored just 11 more points than Wynnum in the regular season, but conceded a massive 58 points fewer.
Burleigh played one less home game this season than Wynnum.
Both teams have won their last games at Suncorp Stadium.
Last weekend was the first time either of these sides had beaten the Sunshine Coast this season.
Wynnum scored between 16 and 26 sixteen times this season. And they scored 16 points exactly six times.
Q. I need to bet to be interested. What are the odds?
Sir Betsalot from Albion
A. Currently the odds are Burleigh $1.55 and Wynnum $2.45. Correct as of Monday night. The value is in Wynnum in our opinion.
Q. Will they still have a reward for the player who scores a try closest to the Old Boys Can Bar.
Peter, Milton.
A. Not sure, but we would still like to think so. But we’re not sure what happened with that since the Can Bar got upgraded.
Q. Enough of all the above, I need to know who to put my street money bet on….
Albie, Sunshine Coast
A. Form lines point to Burleigh having already beaten Wynnum earlier in the Finals Series, and taken down the Falcons last weekend.
And they have the most recent experience of their 2016 Grand Final win, of which of a good number of former winners are still in the team. Although Wynnum’s Grand Final success isn’t too far further in the past.
But we rarely listen to logic, and have been super impressed with Wynnum every time we have seen them this season. Their dismantling of the PNG Hunters in the last round showed a real ruthlessness.
So we say the 2019 Premiers will be Wynnum, with a close, hard fought game decided by a late penalty goal.
