Round 7 of the Intrust Super Cup will kick off on Thursday night, with four games to lead into the Easter weekend.
The Channel 9 cameras will be at Dolphin Stadium on Sunday at 1.10pm when Redcliffe face off against the Tweed Seagulls.
This weekend will also be the Colour Rush round for several EMU Sportswear and EV2 supported clubs to run onto the field in their exclusive Colour Rush 2019 jerseys.
The EMU Sportswear and EV2 teams involved are:
- Townsville Blackhawks - wearing green
- PNG Hunters - wearing red
- Norths Devils - wearing blue
- Northern Pride - wearing orange
- Wynnum Manly Seagulls - wearing white
Below are the ‘Stats that Matter’ for each match up in Round 7.
TOP FIVE: Intrust Super Cup Round 6
Mackay Cutters v Burleigh Bears
BB Print Stadium, Mackay on Thursday, April 18 – 6pm
Head-to-Head: Burleigh 11 Mackay 8 Drawn 1
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #MCvBEARS
Tipping % - via QRL Tipping: Cutters 16% Burleigh Bears 84%
- Burleigh have won the past four – and seven of the past eight – games played between these two sides.
- This match will be Jim Lenihan's 200th game in charge of Burleigh (figures includes the NRL State Championship game in 2016). Lenihan has 105 wins, five draws and 89 losses.
- Mackay Skipper Cooper Bambling was helped from the field late in the first half last weekend in the loss to Tweed with an ankle injury and has not been named for this week’s match.
- After playing for the Bears on the wing last weekend, Phillip Sami has earned a recall to the Gold Coast Titans side.
Northern Pride v Wynnum Manly Seagulls
Barlow Park on Thursday, April 18 – 6pm
Head-to-Head: Pride 12 Wynnum 10
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #PRIDEvWYN
Tipping % - via QRL Tipping: Pride 28% Wynnum Manly 72%
- The Northern Pride will be hoping their recent form over the Seagulls will continue as they have won two of their past three games played against them.
- However, Wynnum Manly have won two of the past three games played between these two sides at Barlow Park.
- Pride’s recent form at home has been worrying as they have only won one of their past six games there with one drawn result.
- After making his debut with the Broncos last weekend, Wynnum Manly forward Pat Carrigan has again been named in the NRL side for their game against Canberra on Sunday.
Easts Tigers v Souths Logan Magpies
Langlands Park, on Thursday, April 18 – 7pm
Head-to-Head: Easts 31 Souths-Logan 14
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #TIGESvSLM
Tipping % - via QRL Tipping: Easts 91% Magpies 9%
- The Tigers suffered their first loss of the season last weekend against fellow Storm feeder club the Falcons and will be aiming to get back on track when they host crosstown rivals the Magpies.
- Souths Logan found some form in Round 6, defeating the Northern Pride in Cairns.
- The Tigers have the better of the Magpies in recent meetings and have won six of the past seven games played at Langlands Park.
- Easts have also won their past four and nine of their past 10 games at home.
- This will be game 150 as coach for Souths Logan Jon Buchanan; who started his career with Wynnum Manly. He is the ninth coach to reach this mark and have overseen has 83 wins and 66 losses. He has more games than anyone without a draw – the next best was Anthony Griffin who didn't have one in 105 games.
Capras clock up 500 games
CQ Capras v Sunshine Coast Falcons
Browne Park on Thursday, April 18 – 7pm
Head-to-Head: Sunshine Coast 11 Central 9 Drawn 1
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #CQCvSCF
Tipping % - via QRL Tipping: Capras 7% Falcons 93%
Livestream: Capras TV
- The Capras have a huge challenge ahead of them to overcome the still undefeated Sunshine Coast Falcons in Rockhampton.
- CQ – who played in their 500th Cup game last weekend in Emerald – have lost their past five games.
- The Sunshine Coast have won their past six games.
- Central's win over the Sunshine Coast last year was their first in eight games against them.
- In what CQ will be hoping in a good omen; the Capras have won all four of their games played at Browne Park on Easter Thursday evening.
- Falcon Justin Olam still requires one more try to equal the club record of 30 held by Ryley Jacks and Matt Soper-Lawler.
- This match will be the 50th Cup game for current Falcon and former Pride forward Darryn Schonig.
PNG Hunters v Ipswich Jets
National Football Stadium, Port Moresby on Saturday, April 20 – 3pm
Head-to-Head: PNG 7 Ipswich 4
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #PNGvJETS
Tipping % - via QRL Tipping: PNG 63% Jets 37%
- There were celebrations for PNG last weekend with the Hunters recording their first win of the season; a strong 28-10 result over the CQ Capras in Emerald.
- They will be looking to back up that performance this weekend when they head back home to host the Ipswich Jets.
- The Jet will be looking to turn around their recent form against their opposition which has them losing all five games played against them in Papua New Guinea.
- After struggling in the early part of the season, the Hunters have lost their past two home games, the first time that has ever happened.
- Halfback Ase Boas – who kicked four conversions last weekend – requires seven points to bring up 500 for the Hunters (including 10 in the 2017 NRL State Championship game).
Norths Devils v Townsville Blackhawks
Bishop Park on Saturday, April 20 – 5pm
Head-to-Head: Townsville 7 Norths 1
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #DEVILSvTSVB
Tipping % - via QRL Tipping: Devils 50% Blackhawks 50%
- Both teams come into this match with solid form after posting strong wins in their Round 6 matches.
- Townsville’s 36-6 won over Redcliffe last weekend was their equal biggest over the Dolphins.
- The Blackhawks have a dominant head-to-head record against the Devils – however, Norths only win over the Townsville was in the last game they played at Bishop Park – which was in Round 21 last year.
- Blackhawks centre Justin O’Neill has earned his NRL recall to the NQ Cowboys, with Shaun Hudson to make his return to the side.
Redcliffe Dolphins v Tweed Heads
Dolphins Stadium on Sunday, April 21 – 1.10pm* (Live on Channel 9 QLD)
Head-to-Head: Redcliffe 23 Tweed 9
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #PHINSvTWEED
Tipping % - via QRL Tipping: Phins 41% Tweed 59%
- The final match of the round sees the defending premiers who have been struggling for form host a Tweed side who have also found it hard to find consistency to start the season.
- The Dolphins will be working hard to keep their form against the Gulls going; having won three of the past four games played between the sides.
- Not only have Redcliffe performed well against Tweed in recent times; they have won the past three games played against them at Dolphin Stadium by an average of 40 points.
- However, the Gulls come into this match with a positive stat of their own – Tweed have only lost one of their past four away games with one drawn result.
- Tweed half Lindon McGrady – who in recent weeks has been playing fullback – requires one more point to bring up 200 points for Tweed in the competition.
- Last weekend, two Dolphins made their Intrust Super Cup debuts, with Zev John and James Flack running out for the side. Both have again been named to play this weekend.
*Statistics by Brad Tallon
**NOTE: The livestreams linked in this preview are not official QRL productions unless stated
