Time for the Best of the Intrust Super Cup Round 15, a quick rundown of the highlights of the big weekend of rugby league.
It was a weekend where the lead of the competition changed for the first time in months, Friday night football returned at North Ispwich Reserve, and the 3rd to 9th teams are covered by just 4 points.
The best bits of Intrust Super Cup 15 is below, so read on.
CHANGE AT THE TOP OF THE INTRUST SUPER CUP
Townsville Blackhawks needed to win their Saturday evening game against Mackay and Burleigh to lose at home on Sunday to the Falcons to claim the lead of the Intrust Super Cup, and happily for fans in Townsville that is exactly what happened.
The Blackhawks did their job on the Saturday, but it didn’t go all their own way. Townsville and Mackay were deadlocked at half time 12-12, and went 22-12 ahead after 51 minutes, but Townsville finished off strongly with three unanswered tries to hand the last placed Cutters another loss, and to take the competition lead.
Burleigh completed the job for Townsville on the Sunday as they suffered a second consecutive home loss, this time to the Sunshine Coast Falcons. Burleigh was not the same side that comfortably led the competition for so long, and the Falcons were in control throughout. The Sunshine Coast led 12-4 at half time, and scored the only points of the second half with a penalty goal. The Falcons have now risen to 7th.
TWEED’S NRL CONENCTIONS GET THEM OVER THE LINE AGAINST DEVILS
It’s not a bad Intrust Super Cup side that can feature Konrad Hurrell, Kane Elgey, and the newest recruit with NRL experience – former next big thing Bryce Cartwright.
Cartwright would hardly have believed at the start of 2017 that he’d be playing for another rugby league team in black and white in 2018, but his form for the Titans has made to relegation to the Tweed Heads Seagulls almost inevitable. He did well on the day for the Seagulls, but so too did Konrad Hurrell who scored two tries for the Seagulls.
The big names though, were pushed all the way by a tenacious Norths Devils, who sadly for their fans dropped out of the Top 6 for the first time this season. They led early too, racing out to a 12-0 lead early on, but were pegged back and overtaken by half time at 16-12. From there the second half yo-yoed, and Norths made it interesting by scoring in the 77th minute, but that margin of four points remained.
WHEN DID THE PRIDE GET UP TO FOURTH?
If you haven’t been playing close attention to the Intrust Super Cup this year you may find it hard to believe that the Northern Pride are up to fourth, and importantly, sitting just 2 points behind leaders and rivals Townsville Blackhawks.
Since the Pride lost to the Central Capras in Round Seven in Emerald, they have lost just once more, and in the process have beaten Redcliffe, and Burleigh away, and can now add the Wynnum Seagulls to that list.
It was a game of two halves as Wynnum, who finally registered a home win last weekend, led 16-0 at the break and it looked like the Seagulls were going to double down. Not the case as the Pride did all the scoring of the second half, the last try coming in the 63 minute, to win the match which sees the them now just two points form the lead.
PNG MIGHT BE HOPING FIJI AREN’T AS GOOD AS IPSWICH JETS
Or that the NRL / ISP experience will help them too….
The Hunters, unsurprisingly, supplied the bulk of the PNG International side for the Pacific Test v Fiji, and have Hunter coach Michael Marum in charge of the national side too. So of course there were plenty of Hunters selected, but after the Hunters were unable to get past Ipswich in a low scoring affair, perhaps there is a worry about the depth of Kumuls.
The PNG Hunters have looked better in recent weeks with the return of some experience, but they will be disappointed to have only scored one try in the rare Friday night at North Ipswich Reserve. Their try came in the 23rd minute, and the only other four pointer in the match went to the Jets even earlier in the 17th minute.
There were no more points in the second half, a bit of a worry if the Hunters can’t find a way past the Ipswich Jets.
ELSEWHERE
Redcliffe remain third on the Intrust Super Cup ladder after inflicting a third straight loss on the Souths Logan Magpies at Davies Park. Redcliffe leading all the way on Sunday afternoon.
Easts Tigers scored two tries in the last three minutes to overtake the Central Capras and snatch a 26-22 win. It wasn’t the first time the Capras have let a lead go. Easts are 10th but the result at home-made up for the 32-0 loss on the road against Townsville last weekend.
INTRUST SUPER CUP ROUND 15 FULL RESULTS
IPSWICH JETS 8 PNG Hunters 6
TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS 28 Norths Devils 24
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS 28 Mackay Cutters 22
Wynnum Seagulls 16 NORTHERN PRIDE 22
Burleigh Bears 4 SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS 16
EASTS TIGERS 26 Central Capras 22
Souths Logan Magpies 14 REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS 28
https://nothingbutleague.com/2018/06/15/round-15-intrust-super-cup-preview/
