Shannon Meyer

gurgler_the

820

PREDICTIONS | 2018 Intrust Super Cup Finals Series

August 28, 2018

820

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.

Embed from Getty Images

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

I was recently asked to predict which two teams will play in the 2018 Intrust Super Cup Grand Final. It’s a near impossible task, such is the tightness of the competition that it is possible to make a compelling argument for any of the teams in the finals.

Before I go any further let me remind everyone that I am an Easts Tigers supporter and am not going to make any attempt to hide that below.

I believe that finishing first and second virtually guarantees one of these teams a spot at the big dance. Comparing Redcliffe and Burleigh I believe that Redcliffe are the slightly better team. So, for the purpose of this discussion let’s say that they will be in the big dance. Now we only have to work out who will be their partner.

Burleigh, my pre season dark horses and they have had a great season. I’m worried about depth though.

Townsville, pre season favourites but they’ve been up and down. They really have to win it all, if they can not win it this year, with the roster and coaching staff they have, you have to ask when they will win it.

Northern Pride, have had a fantastic second half of the season and with players of the quality of Bowen, Clifford, Bugden and Clark only a fool would underestimate them. Hosting a home elimination final is a massive boost too them.

Ipswich and Easts, two teams who are definitely tough enough, dynamic and potent enough to launch a Hunters style run to the GF.

It goes without saying that a lot depends on the outcome of this weekends games.

However, I think this years Intrust Super Cup Grand Final will be a replay of the epic 1997 game between Easts and Redcliffe, hopefully with a different result.

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

Shannon Meyer

2018 INTRUST SUPER CUP FINAL SERIES EXPERT TIPS

2018 INTRUST SUPER CUP FINAL SERIES FIXTURES

Other Articles

PREVIEW | Newcastle Knights vs St. George Illawarra Dragons

Farah and Marshall remain at West Tigers in 2019