Round 6 preview: Capras big 5-00; top-of-the-table clash

Author: Colleen Edwards & Michael Hillier
Timestamp: Thu 11 Apr 2019, 07:48 PM

Round 6 of the Intrust Super Cup will see a ‘Super Saturday’ of rugby league – with six massive games to start the round.

The Channel Nine cameras will then head to North Ipswich Reserve to see the Ipswich Jets take on Norths Devils for the final match of the round at 1.10pm.

Below are the ‘Stats that Matter’ for each match up in Round 6.

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Sunshine Coast Falcons v Easts Tigers
Sunshine Coast Stadium – 12.40pm
Head-to-Head: Easts 13 Sunshine Coast 6 Drawn 1
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #SCFvTIGES
Tipping % - via QRL Tipping: Sunshine Coast 64% Easts Tigers 36%
QRL official livestream – head to QRL.com.au and the Intrust Super Cup Facebook page

It’s all happening on the Sunshine Coast with the two Melbourne Storm feeder teams to go head-to-head in a top-of-the-table clash.
Both undefeated, this is the first time both clubs have started an Intrust Super Cup season with five wins. The previous best for Easts was four games and only one for the Falcons.
While it has been a strong start for the Sunshine Coast; they have only won one of their past five games against the Tigers with one drawn result.
The Falcons have also only won one of the past seven games played between these two sides at Kawana, with one of those games bing the draw.
Four of the past five matches between the two teams have been decided by four points or fewer.
The Sunshine Coast have won six of their past seven home games – their only loss in that time was to Easts.
Falcons flyer Justin Olam with 29 tries is one short of the club record of 30 held by Ryley Jacks and Matt Soper-Lawler.

Townsville Blackhawks v Redcliffe Dolphins
Jack Manski Oval on Saturday, April 13 – 4pm
Head-to-Head: Townsville 4 Redcliffe 4
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #TSVBvPHINS
Tipping % - via QRL Tipping: Townsville 85% Redcliffe 15%

Both teams will be looking to bounce back this weekend after Round 5 losses.
The Dolphins have some outs, with Jayden Nikorima (suspension) and Brayden Dee (ankle) not in this game.
The Dolphins have won four of the past five games played between these two sides.
Townsville have halfback Michael Parker-Walshe back for this game, as well as Cowboys centre Tom Opacic.
The home side have won three of the past four game played between these two sides at Jack Manski Oval.
However, they have also lost three of their past four home matches.
This will be the 50th Cup game for Shaun Hudson who has also played with the Pride.
There will also be a Cowboys Old Boys Invitational v Mendi Blackhawks Invitational Old Boys charity match played after the main game, with the afternoon serving as a flood fundraiser.

Burleigh Bears v Wynnum Manly Seagulls
Pizzey Park on Saturday, April 13 – 4pm
Head-to-Head: Burleigh 23 Wynnum 16 Drawn 3
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #BEARvWYN
Tipping % - via QRL Tipping: Bears 55% Wynnum Manly 45%
Livestream: BearsTV

The Bears found form last weekend and go into this match knowing they have won the past three and five of the past six games against the Seagulls.
Wynnum Manly however have won three of the past five games played between these two sides at Pizzey Park.
Burleigh however have been strong at home in recent times and have five wins from their past six home games.
It will be an interesting halves battle, with the Bears boasting Dylan Phythian and Jamal Fogarty up against the experience Sam Scarlett and young gun Tom Dearden.
This will be the 50th Cup game for Bears forward Sam Coster who has been named at hooker for this game.
Wynnum Manly’s Richie Kennar (previously with Easts) has been named in the reserves list, but if he plays, if will be his 50th Cup game.

Northern Pride v Souths Logan Magpies
Barlow Park on Saturday, April 13 – 6pm
Head-to-Head: Pride 15 Souths-Logan 8
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #PRIDEvSLM
Tipping % - via QRL Tipping: Pride 76% Magpies 24%

Both teams have found the going tough in the competition during the past few weeks and would like nothing more than to shape off their slump.
The Magpies travel to Barlow Park without centre Scott Doyle who has been terribly unlucky with injury in recent times, with Alex Bishop and Jack Joass also not featuring.
Pride centre Enari Tuala has earned a recall to the Cowboys.
Souths Logan have won four of the past five games between these two sides.
The Magpies have also won three of their past five away games.
This is set to be the 50th Cup game for Magpies winger Matt Soper-Lawler who moved across from the Sunshine Coast in the off-season.

Mackay Cutters v Tweed Seagulls
BB Print Stadium on Saturday, April 13 – 6pm
Head-to-Head: Tweed 12 Mackay 5 Drawn 4
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #MCvTWEED
Tipping % - via QRL Tipping: Cutters 64% Tweed 36%

Two of the competition’s big improvers in 2019 face off at BB Print Stadium on Saturday when the Mackay Cutters welcome Tweed Heads to town.
Mackay followed up a gritty performance against Wynnum with a stirring 20-6 victory over Townsville last weekend. The win saw Steve Sheppard’s Cutters move into eighth place on the ladder.
Tweed sit one spot above them with three wins from their opening five games, although they were disappointing against a red-hot Wynnum last start.
Tweed centre Lamar Liolevave (pictured below) has been strong for the Seagulls this year and he’ll line up for his 50^th appearance in the black and white.
Cutters winger Marcus Jensen will look to extend his run of good recent form after crossing for a try and booting four goals in Mackay’s memorable win over the Blackhawks.

Lamar Liolavave will play his 50th game.

CQ Capras v PNG Hunters
Alan McIndoe Oval, Emerald on Saturday, April 13 – 6.35pm
Head-to-Head: PNG 6 Central 2
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #CQCvPNG
Tipping % - via QRL Tipping: Capras 69% v PNG 31%
Livestream: Capras TV

The Capras and Hunters travel to Emerald’s Alan McIndoe Oval where the gates will be thrown open to locals for a day of celebrations.
The Capras will be taking the field for their 500^th match in the Intrust Super Cup, a major achievement for the club.
In five previous visits to the ground named after the former Queensland Maroons flyer, the Capras have won on two occasions, including last year’s upset win against the Pride.
CQ was outgunned by the in-form Easts Tigers last weekend, but they did show some promise at different stages of the game. They will need to convert that promise into points this weekend, like they did in Round 1 against Souths Logan.
The David Faiumu-coached team will meet a desperate Hunters, who are yet to record a win in 2019.
Former Manly Sea Eagle Matt Wright has been named at fullback for the Capras, who will again turn to halfback Jack Madden for direction.

Ipswich Jets v Norths Devils
North Ipswich Reserve on Sunday, April 14 – 1.10pm* Live on Channel 9 QLD
Head-to-Head: : Norths 24 Ipswich 19 Drawn 2
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #JETSvDEVILS
Tipping % - via QRL Tipping: Jets 47% Devils 53%

Ipswich’s depth will be put to the test in Sunday’s Round 6 clash against the Devils. Not only have the Jets lost hooker Jayden Connors to a one match suspension (careless high tackle), but they will be without several front-line stars, including Michael Purcell (broken arm).
With Purcell out of action for an extended period, Denzel Burns gets a chance at the back.
Ipswich have won eight of the past nine games between these two sides, including the last four at North Ipswich.
The Devils will fancy their chances of breaking their run of outs against the Jets, after recording a strong 28-6 win over the PNG Hunters at home last weekend.
It was the Devils’ third win from five outings this year, giving Rohan Smith’s charges plenty of momentum heading into this weekend’s clash.

*Statistics by Brad Tallon

QRL Judiciary Results - Rd 5.pdf

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