An entertaining regular season has concluded and it is now time for the serious business of the 2018 Intrust Super Final Series.
Four action packed weeks lie ahead, with the big Grand Final day on Sunday September 23.
Minor Premiers Redcliffe Dolphins and Burleigh Bears are in the hot seat, having the first week of the 2018 Intrust Super Final Series off as a reward for finishing in the top two, and the victor goes straight into the Grand Final.
The remaining four teams are made up of the Townsville Blackhawks and the Northern Pride, the north Queensland duo having home finals in week 1 against the Ipswich Jets and Easts Tigers respectively.
Can one of the bottom four sneak into the Grand Final? Of course they can, all four of those teams with great claims to make it all way in September.
We have a preview of the 2018 Intrust Super Final Series, with some expert predictions on who will make the Grand Final and why.
2018 INTRUST SUPER CUP FINAL SERIES EXPERT TIPS
We have assembled some expertise to guide you through the Intrust Super Cup Finals Series.
BRENDAN O’FARRELL – CEO Intrust Super
Congratulations to all the teams for providing some great weekly entertainment for the community throughout the season and for the final 6 teams who will fight it out to see who will hold the trophy aloft on Sunday September 23.
Redcliffe will be hard to knock off and have been consistent all year and the difference could come down to their outside backs who have been strong in defence while also highlighting their attacking potential over the last view weeks. Will the week off stifle their momentum or provide the extra bounce required in the last 10 min of a final? That’s the question that seems to get asked each year of the top two teams. I think their opponent will either come from the unpredictable speedy Ipswich Jets or the Easts Tigers who with a full strength team could make things interesting over the coming weeks.
At the end of the day, whoever plays in the Grand Final will provide some exceptional entertainment with the added incentive of playing off for the Intrust Super Championship in the curtain raiser to the NRL Grand Final.
Best of luck to the top 6, the season is just beginning!
MATT CROWHURST – TIGERS TV
SHANNON MEYER – INTRUST SUPER CUP CONTRIBUTOR
Sadly there’s no PNG Hunters this year, but nothing could top the joy of Willie Minoga’s winning try last year, so one can’t be greedy.
With the same lack of confidence that I approached the entire 2018 Intrust Super Cup season tipping, I’m going for a Redcliffe Dolphins v Townsville Blackhawks Grand Final.
Redcliffe have the best second half of the season form of the top three sides, and have beaten all of the top six sides since Round 18 except for the Ipswich Jets, so get the tick for the express route to the Grand Final.
The other spot goes to the Blackhawks, on the basis of their NRL experience, and the home ground advantage at Jack Manski Oval. They will get two home finals in a row if they win in the first week, a big advantage.
That’s of course disregarding the Easts Tigers competition best second half season form, and Burleigh’s four straight win finish to the season including a big win over the Tigers in the last round. It is also forgetting the Northern Pride’s home ground advantage and excellent roster and form at home this season, plus the Ipswich Jets momentum, different style of play which took them to 2015 Grand Final glory, and the speed merchants and try scoring machines in the backline.
What would I know anyway.
2018 INTRUST SUPER CUP FINAL SERIES FIXTURES
WEEK 1
Game 1 – SATURDAY Sept 1 1:10pm
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS v IPSWICH JETS
Match Preview Coming Soon – Match Review Coming Soon
Game 2 – SATURDAY Sept 1 3:00pm
NORTHERN PRIDE v EASTS TIGERS
Match Preview Coming Soon – Match Review Coming Soon
WEEK 2
Game 3 – SATURDAY Sept 8 1:10pm *
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS v BURLEIGH BEARS
* Best guess only
Game 4 – DAY / TIME TBA
Townsville/Ipswich v Northern Pride/Easts Tigers
WEEK 3
Game 5 – DAY / TIME TBA
Redcliffe/Burleigh v Winner Game 4
WEEK 4 – GRAND FINAL
Sunday Sept 23 – Time TBA
Redcliffe/Burleigh v Winner Game 5
