Intrust Super Cup Finals Week 1 preview

• The first of four massive Sunday finals matches sees Tweed and Redcliffe go head-to-head at Piggabeen Sports Complex
• While the loser drops out of the 2019 premiership race, the winner will progress to the second week of the finals under the competition’s exciting new top eight format
• Tweed’s prospects will rest heavily on the fitness of key trio Kalani Going (hamstring), halfback Ash Taylor (ankle) and winger Rowland Jacobs (foot), who are all optimistic about taking the field for the elimination final
• Redcliffe won’t have the services of XXXX Queensland Residents star Izaia Perese, who is set to come off the interchange bench for the Brisbane Broncos in their final round match against the Canterbury Bulldogs
• Tweed have won their last four games after losing the previous five, while the Dolphins have marched into the September finals action on the back of five straight wins
• Redcliffe is set to become the first team to play 50 Cup finals – the next best is Easts (40)
• This will be Adam Mogg’s 100th Cup game as coach of Redcliffe (123rd overall)

Norths Devils v Easts Tigers

Bishop Park on Sunday, September 8 at 1.05pm

Watch: Live on GEM

Head-to-head: Norths 23 Easts 23 Drawn 3
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #DEVILSvTIGES

• Tigers winger Jarrod McInally is free to take his place after successfully beating a charge at the judiciary last night
• His inclusion is a big boost for the Tigers, who are up against a Devils line-up that boasts size and speed on the flanks in the form of Herbie Farnworth and Paul Ulberg
• Quite incredibly, Easts find themselves in the premiership mix despite not having not won a game since Round 16. They have had six losses and a draw since then
• Broncos halfback Sean O’Sullivan comes back into the Devils side for the must-win encounter, reuniting with Troy Dargan in the halves
• All three previous finals between these two teams have been won by the away team
• Interestingly, Craig Hodges was the coach of Norths when they last made the finals in 2012. Hodges was recently announced as the new Tigers coach for the 2020 season
• Scott Sipple – the man Hodges will replace next year – takes charge of the Tigers for the 100th time     

Wynnum Manly Seagulls v Burleigh Bears

BMD Kougari Oval on Sunday, September 8 at 2pm

Watch: Seagulls TV

Head-to-head: Burleigh 24 Wynnum 16 Drawn 3

Twitter: #intrustsupercup #WYNvBEARS

• Second plays third in what is expected to be a thrilling contest at BMD Kougari Oval
• The winner will get a week off and gain direct entry to the preliminary finals weekend, so the stakes are high ahead of the first ever finals meeting between the two clubs
• There is very little between the teams statistically, with Wynnum Manly finishing the regular season third in attack and fourth in defence. Burleigh was fourth in attack and third in defence
• Burleigh have won six of the past seven games between these two sides, including the last four at BMD Kougari Oval
• Not surprisingly though, the Seagulls have this year built a formidable record (10 wins from 11 games) in front of their home fans, who will once again pack into the “Chook Pen”
• Electric Burleigh fullback Kurtis Rowe will take his place in the Bears line up after accepting an early plea to a high tackle charge

Sunshine Coast Falcons v Townsville Blackhawks

Sunshine Coast Stadium on Sunday, September 8 at 2pm

Head-to-head: Townsville 6 Sunshine Coast 4

Twitter: #intrustsupercup # SCFvTSVB

• The Blackhawks face the most daunting task of the weekend when they travel to the Sunshine Coast to take on the red-hot Falcons
• Having dropped just the one game throughout the regular season, the Falcons are the clear-cut favourites to win this year’s premiership
• However, they did receive a major scare last weekend when the Ipswich Jets pushed them all the way in a thrilling final-round clash
• The Falcons were missing some key personnel from that game though; and are set to welcome back key trio Harry Grant, Chris Lewis and Todd Murphy for Sunday’s finals clash
• The record-breaking Falcons have conceded the least points per game (12.7) in a Cup season ever – the previous best was Redcliffe (12.9 per game in 1996)
• They will need to call on every bit of that defensive muscle against a Blackhawks team that has won 10 of their past 11 games to loom as a genuine title threat
• This will be the 50th game for Townsville’s Kieran Quabba. His teammate Shaun Nona requires eight more points to bring up 700 in the Cup