ROUND 9 | Intrust Super Cup Preview
A quicker than usual Intrust Super Cup Round 9 Preview as the competition splits into two this weekend with just the four games to be played.
Going for quality over quantity, there are still some great match ups to keep an eye on in the Intrust Super Cup.
The big game of the weekend is between the Townsville Blackhawks and Burleigh Bears, which sees the competition leaders Bears fly up north against a team on the rise in Blackhawks after their sluggish start to the 2018 season.
Another good game to follow is the match up of two Top 6 hopefuls, Souths Logan and Easts, both of whom slipped down the ladder last weekend after losses, but have very strong squads.
The other two games sees two match ups between the South Easts sides and Central Queensland. Mackay play Norths at Bishop Park, and the Capras from Rockhampton travel in the same direction to play the Sunshine Coast.
Three of the four games are in the South East this weekend, all in the glorious afternoon sunshine of non Summer in Queensland, best to take advantage of great time slot and head along.
Six of the teams will sit out this weekend and get their chance next weekend. One of those team Northern Pride will be without star off season recruit Todd Carney who has left for Sydney for family reasons. The demise of the partnership is not unexpected, thankfully for rugby league the reason for the severance won’t make the breakfast news shows.
Intrust Super Cup Round 9 PREVIEW
SATURDAY 1:10pm – NORTHS DEVILS v MACKAY CUTTERS
VIEW: Channel Nine @ 1pm
The TV cameras hit Bishop Park for the first time in 2018, as timely too with the Norths Devils going very well around the top of the Intrust Super Cup ladder in 2nd. Sam Tagataese (who scored a last minute try to win game against Easts last weekend) has been a revelation for Norths in 2018, and along with some other Broncos hopefuls like Todd Murphy and Troy Dargan, have turned Norths into genuine front runners. The Devils have lost just twice this year, but not yet at Nundah, a daunting prospect for the Cutters who have won just two games in total and sit last on the ladder. But Mackay’s away form is not bad, they have beaten the Jets at Ipswich, and suffered two very narrow losses against Easts and the Northern Pride. The problems are at home, where they have suffered some heavy defeats against Townsville, Redcliffe and in last weekend’s TV Game against the Tweed Heads Seagulls. Some big away wins in these fixtures in 2017….
Last Year – Mackay 10 Noths 34 — Norths 4 Mackay 52
Teams
Norths Devils
1. Jack Ahearn 2. Namila Davui 3. Luke Pollock 4. Gehamat Shibasaki 5. Chevi Ellis 6. Troy Dargan 7. Todd Murphy 8. Sam Tagataese 9. Calum Gahan 10. Jamayne Taunoa-Brown 11. Iain Riccardi 12. Oshae Tuiasau 13. John Palavi (c) 14. Danny Kerr 15. Carne Doyle-Manga 16. Brandon Lee 17. Stephen Coombe 18. Jarryd Dodd 19. Moses Noovao-Mcgreal 20. Josh Afoa
1. Yamba Bowie 2. Sheldon Bobbert 3. Kurt Wiltshire 4. Blake Atherton 5. Nathan Saumalu 6. Mitchell Dunn 7. Nicho Hynes 8. Sam Hoare 9. Jayden Hodges 10. Jordan Grant 11. Darcy Cox 12. Thomas Murphy 13. Nicholas Brown 14. Lona Kaifoto 15. Bennett Leslie 16. Brenden Treston 17. Jardine Bobongie 18. Tyson Martin
SATURDAY 5pm – TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS v BURLEIGH BEARS
Not for the first time in the 2018 Intrust Super Cup season, the best game of the weekend is hidden away on a Saturday evening instead of the TV Game. Although it is hard to keep everyone happy, a quick look at the TV share in 2018 so far shows neither premium games or a fair share of the telecasts among the clubs. Enough of the TV scheduling for now, including the actual broadcast time, it’s onto the game then.
The home side had an underwhelming start to the season given their resources and squad, but have since made up for it with four wins in a row, which sees them up to 3rd with the competition’s best for and against. Their run of wins includes wins over Top 6 sides Norths, Souths Logan, away to the Sunshine Coast Falcons and at home to Tweed Heads. That win big drought breaking win over the Seagulls is looking even better with the Tweed’s turnaround in results. Burleigh have had no such slumps with just the one loss so far in 2018, and are doing it with injuries to key players. They got past the Hunters last weekend, and have fallen behind in a lot of their matches this season, but have managed to turn it around in the second half. Question is, will Townsville be too far in front this weekend. Battle between props looks a goodun’ and if AJ Brimson comes back to the Tweed side, the number 1 head to head is also worth watching.
Last Year – Townsville 18 Burleigh 20 — Burleigh 28 Townsville 22
Teams
Townsville Blackhawks
1. Jonathon Reuben 2. Michael Carroll 3. Shaun Hudson 4. Levi Dodd 5. Kalifa Faifai-Loa 6. Jaelen Feeney 7. Zach Clay 8. Francis Molo 9. Krys Freeman 10. Rod Griffin 11. Jake Marketo (c) 12. Andrew Davey 13. Joe Boyce 16. Temone Power 17. Cade Maloney 22. Sione Lousi 19. Brent Woolf
Burleigh Bears
1. Toby McIntosh 2. Troy Leo 3. Sami Sauiluma 4. Brenko Lee 5. Tyronne Roberts-Davis 6. Jamie Dowling 7. Josh Rogers 8. Luke Page (c) 9. Pat Politoni 10. Matt White 11. Hayden Schwass 12. Blake Leary 13. Sam Coster 14. Ben Hannant 15. Dylan Kelly 16. Josh Ailaomai 17. Joe Greenwood
SUNDAY 12pm – SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS v CENTRAL CAPRAS
A different timeslot for the Intrust Super Cup with a midday kick off on a Sunday, but that just leaves more time for a trip to the beach after the game, not a bad ploy. Life has been a Beach for the Falcons at home in 2018, as they have just one win under their belts at home, that against the PNG Hunters their bunny in the competition on the Sunshine Coast. Seasons past, the visit of the Capras would hardly bring too much fear for the Falcons, but Central are steadily improving and could be capable of an upset. The Capras issue has been holding onto leads, they have been in front of a lot their games in 2018, including against competition leading Burleigh. Still, three wins from 8 games is a better return than some of the previous lean years, and the same as their weekend opponents.
Last Year – Sunshine Coast 38 Central 14 — Central 26 Sunshine Coast 44
Teams
Sunshine Coast Falcons
1. Jahrome Hughes 2. Matt Soper-Lawler 3. William Toloi 4. Justin Olam 5. Jake Ainsworth 6. Cooper Johns 7. Rhys Jacks 18. Tui Kamikamica 9. Harry Grant 10. Liam McDonald 11. Dane Hogan 12. Christopher Lewis 13. Louis Geraghty 14. Jacob Hind 15. Lachlan Timm 16. Harrison Muller 17. Caleb Daunt 19. Connor Donehue 20. Mackenzie Reid 21. Lachlan Roe 22. Nick Timm
CQ Capras
1. Zeik Foster 2. Junior Kirisome 3. Connor Broadhurst 4. Nathan Bassani 5. Chanel Seigafo 6. Maipele Morseau 7. Blake Goodman 8. Bill Cullen 9. Billy Gilbert 10. Oliver Percy (c) 11. Dave Cowhan 12. Dave Taylor 13. Jerry Key (C) 14. Aaron Teroi 15. Brad Lupi 16. Jamie Hill 17. Aaron Flanagan 18. Luke George 19. Tyson White
SUNDAY 3pm – SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES v EASTS TIGERS
A quality all Brisbane affair on a Sunday afternoon with teams good enough to tempt rugby league to sample the rarity of rugby league in Brisbane on a Sunday. Both sides have plenty of talent, Easts on paper have the exciting names of Storm contracted players like Brodie Croft and Billy Walters, but they come up against a fine pair of halves in Guy Hamilton and Sam Scarlett. Easts enter the game with a record of three losses in their last four matches, the Magpies loss in Townsville last weekend was their first four rounds. Another loss for the Tigers could see them lose touch with the Top 6, and that would keep the Magpies up the sharp end of the Intrust Super Cup ladder. Good news for Magpies fullback who looks to have been signed by the South Sydney Rabbitohs for next year. Let’s hope he gets a better run than most ISC players who head to Sydney for a shot at NRL.
Last Year – Easts 12 Magpies 19
Teams
1. Corey Allan 2. Benaiah Bowie 3. Marion Seve 4. Scott Doyle 5. Paul Rokolati 6. Guy Hamilton 7. Sam Scarlett 8. George Fai 9. Travis Waddell 10. Patrick Mago 11. Simi Fatafehi 12. Daniel Tamou 13. Brendon Gibb 14. Jordan Scott 15. Phil Dennis (c) 16. Sam Lavea 17. Thomas Flegler
Easts Tigers
1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Linc Port 3. Conor Carey 4. Cheyse Blair 5. Jarrod McInally 6. Billy Walters 7. Brodie Croft 8. Matthew Groat 9. Chris Ostwald 10. Brett Greinke 11. Jake Foster (c) 12. Patrick Kaufusi 13. Adam Crear 14. James Salter 15. Ash Little 16. Harley Aiono 17. Brayden Torpy 18. Anton Iaria
Week 9 Predictions
Brendan O’Farrell from Intrust Super and former Queensland Origin star Adrian Vowles join us for 2018.
BRENDAN O’FARRELL – CEO, INTRUST SUPER
Norths Devils
Townsville Blackhawks
Sunshine Coast Falcons
Souths Logan Magpies
SHANNON MEYER – ISC CONTRIBUTOR
Norths Devils
Townsville Blackhawks
Sunshine Coast Falcons
Easts Tigers
ADRIAN VOWLES – FORMER SEAGULLS, COWBOYS AND QUEENSLAND REPRESENTATIVE
Norths Devils
Burleigh Bears
Sunshine Coast Falcons
Souths Logan Magpies
MORE INTRUST SUPER CUP NEWS
Follow the link for the link for the Four Pointers from Matt Crowhurst here
