Round 3 Preview: Rivalries heat up the competition

Author: Colleen Edwards & Michael Hillier
Timestamp: Thu 21 Mar 2019, 09:03 PM

Round 3 of the Intrust Super Cup saw some great action, with some upsets and some huge individual performances lighting up the competition.

This weekend, the Channel Nine cameras will be at the home of the Wynnum Manly Seagulls for their epic Sunday afternoon clash against the Redcliffe Dolphins.

Below are the ‘Stats that Matter’ for each match up in Round 3.

Northern Pride v Townsville Blackhawks
Barlow Park on Saturday, March 23 – 6pm
Head-to-Head: Townsville 6 Pride 2
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #PRIDEvTSVB
Tipping % - via QRL Tipping: Pride 67% v Townsville 33%

The Northern Pride will be full of confidence after their big win over the Hunters last weekend where they kept the home side scoreless 24-0.
They will face a new challenge however this weekend against their northern rivals as they have never beaten the Blackhawks at Barlow Park in three games played there against them.
However, the home side do have the recent running against Townsville and how have won the past two games played against them.
The home side also have a strong recent home record and have only lost one of their past nine matches at Barlow Park with one drawn result.

Richard Pandia of the Ipswich Jets on a run. Photo: QRL Media

Ipswich Jets v Easts Tigers
North Ipswich Reserve on Saturday, March 23 – 6pm
Head-to-Head: Easts 25 Ipswich 21 Drawn 1
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #JETSvTIGES
Tipping % - via QRL Tipping: Jets 16% v Tigers 84%

Bottom-placed Ipswich will look to ignite their season against the Easts Tigers, the best performing team in the opening two rounds.
While Easts have notched up two decisive wins, the Jets have slumped to heavy losses against Townsville and Burleigh. In a worrying sign, the Jets have conceded 76 points and posted just 14 of their own.
However, it would be foolish to write the Jets off just yet in what shapes as a milestone match for co-coaches Ben and Shane Walker. Including the 2015 State Championship Final, this will be their 200^th game at the helm of the proud club – they have won 112, drawn seven and lost 80.
Scott Sipple’s Tigers have exploded out of the gates with wins against Mackay and Norths. Their 30-12 win over the Devils was particularly impressive, with their speed men and halves running riot behind a dominant forward pack led by the impressive Patrick Kaufusi who has been called up to the Storm this week.

Mackay Cutters v CQ Capras
BB Print Stadium Mackay on Saturday, March 23 – 7.30pm
Head-to-Head: Mackay 14 Central 7
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #MCvCQC
Tipping % - via QRL Tipping: Cutters 56% v Capras 44%
Livestream: Cutters TV

The Cutters have the better of the head-to-head ledger and have also won the past two, and seven of the past eight games played between these two sides at Mackay.
However, CQ will be buoyed by their most recent result on the road – their Round 1 win over Souths Logan at Davies Park was their first away win in 19 games.
However, this weekend the Capras will be without key forward Bill Cullen who was suffering from back spasms and has not been named for the weekend’s clash.
In his place Sione Veukiso has been named to make his Intrust Super Cup debut after being named to the Capras bench.
Mackay skipper Cooper Bambling celebrate his birthday today (March 21) and will be looking to cheer with a win on Saturday night.

Wynnum Manly Seagulls v Redcliffe Dolphins
BMD Kougari Oval on Sunday, March 24 – 12.10pm* (Channel 9 TV game)
Head-to-Head: Redcliffe 30 Wynnum 17 Drawn 2
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #WYNvPHINS
Tipping % - via QRL Tipping: Wynnum 69% v Redcliffe 31%

XXXX Rivalry Round of the Intrust Super Cup brings together two fierce rivals in this massive bayside clash.
This will be 50^th Cup match up between the two clubs, with Redcliffe holding the balance of power with 30 victories compared to Wynnum Manly’s 17 (there have been two draws).
The Seagulls opened their 2019 account with a strong victory over the CQ Capras last weekend with Delouise Hoeter crossing for two tries in the 36-16 win to give the Seagulls plenty of momentum heading into Sunday’s Round 3 clash.
In contrast, it has been a slow start to the season for the Dolphins, with last year’s premiers unable to match the intensity of the Sunshine Coast Falcons last weekend.
The Phins slumped to a 30-6 defeat, just a week after opening their premiership campaign with a close loss to the Northern Pride.
Read more - Wynnum and Redcliffe brace for fiery encounter

Leilani Latu with Tweed Seagulls coach Ben Woolf. Photo: QRL Media

Burleigh Bears v Tweed Heads Seagulls
Pizzey Park on Sunday, March 23 – 2pm
Head-to-Head: Burleigh 17 Tweed 13 Drawn 1
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #BEARSvTHS
Tipping % - via QRL Tipping: Bears 73% v Tweed 27%
Livestream: Bears TV

The Seagulls will be out to break their second noted losing streak in as many weeks when they take on Burleigh Bears in the Intrust Super Cup rivalry round clash at Pizzey Park.
The Ben Woolf-coached Seagulls ended their seven-match losing run against Townsville at Piggabeen Sports Complex last Sunday in their first victory against the Blackhawks.
The away side haven’t won against their arch-rivals since 2015, with the Bears winning the past six games between the two side, including the last three played at Pizzey Park.
The Gulls will be without halfback Ryley Jacks, who has been called into the Titans line-up, with utility Jack Cook named at halfback.
The Bears, who have won four of their past five home games, have a strong contingency of forwards that includes skipper Luke Page, Pat Politoni and current Titans Morgan Boyle and Jai Whitbread who present a strong challenge to the Gulls pack.

(with Tweed Seagulls Media)

Souths Logan Magpies v Norths Devils
Davis Park on Sunday, March 24 – 3pm
Head-to-Head: Norths 25 Souths Logan 19 Drawn 1
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #SLMvDEVILS
Tipping % - via QRL Tipping: Magpies 57% v Devils 43%

The Devils will be looking to respond to a poor loss against Easts last weekend when they travel to face cross-town rivals Souths.
Norths have lost seven of their past eight away games.
Norths won both games played against the Magpies last year, including a tense two-point 26-24 win at Davies Park in Round 3 last year. Paul Ulberg scored a key try in that game and has been named for Sunday’s game on the wing.
The Magpies will be aiming to correct their recent course at home which has seen them lose their past four games played at Davies Park.

The Ackerman family with Todd Murphy, and Redcliffe captain Bryce Donovan and and Falcons skipper Dane Hogan. Photo: QRL Media

PNG Hunters v Sunshine Coast Falcons
National Football Stadium on Sunday, March 24 – 3pm
Head-to-Head: PNG 6 Sunshine Coast 5
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #PNGvSCF
Tipping % - via QRL Tipping: PNG 25% v Falcons 75%

This is an important game for the PNG Hunters who have suffered their worst start to the season in the club’s history. The Hunters had never previously lost their first two games of the season before this year, and in both matches so far in 2019, they have been held scoreless.
On the other side of the ledger, their XXXX Rivalry Round opponents the Sunshine Coast Falcons have never previously won their first two games of the season before this year.
They were strong last weekend against the Redcliffe Dolphins and were able to claim the James Ackerman Cup.
At the wrong end of the scoreline in the 2017 grand final, the Falcons will be looking for a rare win in PNG, with the Hunters having won five of the six games played between these two sides in the country.

*Statistics by Brad Tallon

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