Round 7 preview: Residents selection beckons

With the date for the upcoming XXXX Queensland Residents game locked in, players will be pushing their cases for selection in the annual representative clash, with this weekend's Round 7 games providing a perfect opportunity to impress. 

Wynnum Manly Seagulls v Burleigh Bears
BMD Kougari Oval on Saturday April 21 – 1.10pm
Live on Channel 9 (QLD) from 1pm
Head-to-Head: Burleigh 21 Wynnum 16 Drawn 3
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #WYNvBEARS 

• Wynnum Manly and Burleigh Bears will open Round 7 of the Intrust Super Cup in what is expected to be a bruising match at BMD Kougari Oval.
  
  
• Young Broncos contracted forward Payne Haas and Patrick Carrigan will look to give the Seagulls pack the ascendancy, while the Bears have plenty of big game experience in their line up with the likes of Luke Page, Matt White and Blake Leary.
  
  
• Burleigh have won three of the past four games between these two sides.
  
  
• The only 0-0 draw in Cup history was between these sides at BMD Kougari Oval in 2010.
  
  
• This will be the 50th game for Burleigh’s Hayden Schwass. 

Sunshine Coast Falcons v Ipswich Jets
Sunshine Coast Stadium on Saturday, April 21 – 5pm
Head-to-Head: Ipswich 11 Sunshine Coast 5 Drawn 1
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #SCFvJETS 

• Sunshine Coast have won the past two games between these sides after Ipswich won the previous nine.
  
  
• Ipswich have lost four of their last five away games.
  
  
• Exciting fullback Wes Conlon brought up his 400th point for the Jets last week, but it wasn’t enough to get the team over the line as the Cutters prevailed 28-18.
  
  
• The Falcons were pipped in a thriller by the Townsville Blackhawks last weekend, leaving them just out of the top six with three wins and three losses.
  
  
• Rugby league journeyman Khan Ahwang will wear the Sunshine Coast’s No. 1 jersey against one of his former clubs. 

See the Round 7 Referees Appointments here

Mackay Cutters v Redcliffe Dolphins 
BB Print Stadium, Mackay on Saturday, April 21 – 6pm
Head-to-Head: Redcliffe 10 Mackay 8 Drawn 1
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #MCvPHINS 

• After a slow start, the Dolphins are on a roll with four-straight wins.
  
  
• They produced a strong defensive display to shut out the PNG Hunters 20-6 last weekend.
  
  
• Cameron Cullen scored one of Redcliffe’s three tries against the Hunters to further enhance his claim for a XXXX Queensland Residents call up.
  
  
• Mackay have lost three of their past four home games, but Steve Sheppard’s team will have a spring in their step after an excellent away win over Ipswich last Saturday.
  
  
• Experienced forward Jardine Bobongie is free to play after taking an early plea to a dangerous throw charge.

See the Round 6 Judiciary Results here

Central Queensland Capras v Northern Pride 
McIndoe Park, Emerald on Saturday, April 21 – 7.30PM
Head-to-Head: Pride 12 Central 6
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #CQCvPRIDE 
Livestream: Capras TV 

• The Capras are taking their Round 7 match to Emerald this weekend, the fifth time they have moved a game there. They defeated Wests in 1996, but lost to Burleigh in 2001, to Norths in 2010 and to Easts in 2014.
  
  
• While the Pride have superior head-to-head record, the Capras claimed a win in their last encounter, bringing to a halt the Pride’s five-game win streak against them.
  
  
• Both teams are coming off Round 6 losses and will be looking to bounce back after earlier posting some promising results.
  
  
• Cowboys flyer Gideon-Gela Mosby returned after a long suspension last weekend and has been named at fullback for the Pride.
  
  
• Capras hooker Billy Gilbert suffered a head knock in last weekend’s loss to Souths Logan, meaning Norths Charger Davey Darcy is now in line to make his Cup debut.
  
  
• All Emerald eyes will be on the Pride to see if Connor Jones will get a start. Jones played all his juniors with the Emerald Tigers and a full season of A Grade at 17 as the halfback – even playing in the 2013 grand final. 

Tweed Heads Seagulls v Easts Tigers
Piggabeen Sports Complex on Sunday, April 22 – 2pm
Head-to-Head: Tweed 15 Easts 14 Drawn 1
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #THSvTIGES 

• The Seagulls got off the mark in spectacular fashion last weekend with a last-gasp try to Brayden McGrady scoring a try after a field goal attempt bounced off the right upright.
  
  
• This week however that face a difficult task to down the in-form Easts Tigers.
  
  
• The Seagulls have only won one of the past six games played between these two sides. There was been one drawn game.
  
  
• Despite having a home advantage, the Gulls have also only won one of the past eight games they have played against the Tigers at Piggabeen (with one drawn match).
  
  
• Piggabeen is no longer the fortress it used to be for Tweed Heads, as they have only won two of their past 15 games there. However, both of those wins came against the competition leaders at the time (Redcliffe and PNG).
  
  
• Rising Melbourne Storm star Brodie Croft has again been named to start for the Tigers, while Young Tonumaipea is also expected to turn out for the visitors. 

>>> QRL Media’s Living League crew will be out at Piggabeen Sports Complex this weekend – be sure to have your opinions ready for HearSay. See last week’s video below:

 Papua New Guinea Hunters v Souths Logan Magpies 
Oil Search National Football Stadium on Sunday, April 22 – 3pm
Head-to-Head: PNG 8 Souths Logan 0
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #PNGvSLM

• PNG skipper Ase Boas requires only one more point to bring up 400 in the competition, making him the second Hunter behind Noel Zeming to achieve this feat. His only points last weekend was a penalty goal in his team’s loss to the Dolphins.
  
  
• The Hunters have won all eight games played between these two sides. However, the Magpies have been closing the gap; with the past three losses being by 4 points or less.
  
  
• The ask is tough though to produce an upset as the Hunters have only lost one of their past 13 games at home (against Tweed Heads in Round 25). They also had one draw against Mackay.
  
  
• Two players are set to achieve milestone this week, with Souths forward Patrick Mago (previously with Mackay and Northern Pride) playing his 50^th Cup game, while Hunters half Watson Boas plays his 50^th game for the club (including last year’s Intrust Super Championship loss to the Panthers at the NRL grand final). 

Townsville Blackhawks v Norths Devils
Jack Manski Oval on Sunday, April 22 – 4pm
Head-to-Head: Townsville 5 Norths 0
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #TSVBvDEVILS 

• This will be a battle of the competition heavy-weights with top-of-the-table Norths looking to topple a Blackhawks team to have regained their feet.
  
  
• Townsville have won all five games between these two sides, although the last two wins have been by six points or less.
  
  
• Townsville were struck a heavy blow before they faced the Falcons last week, losing point-scoring fullback Carlin Anderson to a hand injury. Paul Byrnes will again take on the custodian role this week.
  
  
• The Devils are aiming for their 250th Cup win; they have 18 draws and 228 losses in their 495 games.
  
  
• Todd Murphy requires 10 points to bring up 500 Cup points in his 86th game. The Devils half has previously played for Redcliffe, Sunshine Coast and Easts.
  
  
• Norths forward Sam Tagataese is expected to return to the Devils line-up after making his Broncos debut last week.
  
  
• The Cowboys this afternoon confirmed that Shaun Fensom would return to football this weekend via the Townsville Blackhawks.

*Statistics by Brad Tallon

NOTE: The livestreams linked in this preview are not official QRL productions.