Hostplus Cup Round 8 preview

Wynnum Manly Seagulls v Souths Logan Magpies

Head-to-head: Wynnum 32, Souths Logan 16, drawn 1

Last meeting: Souths Logan 32 def Wynnum 28 in Round 19, 2022

Broadcast: Qplus.tv

• This is the 50th meeting between these two sides
• Souths Logan have won the last three games between these two sides
• Souths Logan's 30-4 win last week was their biggest ever victory over Townsville

A word from the coaches

Wynnum Manly Seagulls coach Mat Head: We were obviously disappointed by the scoreboard last week against the Capras, but it was the cleanest 80 minutes of our season so far. We left with plenty of positives and there's been an attitude change in our defence. We're extremely proud of how we performed. If we turn up with that attitude and energy every week, it will go a long way to winning more games. We're going into another good game this week - two feeder clubs to the Broncos and it's a good rivalry. It's mate v mate and the clubs have a good connection and those players will put their best foot forward. That adds to it all and gives a real excitement to the game. Kougari on Saturday will have plenty of people out there to watch and our boys will go out and give the day plenty of respect.

Souths Logan Magpies coach Karmichael Hunt: It was a really good trip to Townsville for us last week, a good bounce back from our performance against the Sunshine Coast (in Round 6). The focus for us this week is to make sure our preparation is as good as the preparation was for Townsville and our attention to detail and effort remains what it was. Our season before our Redcliffe game (in Round 5) was a bit indifferent and then Redcliffe happened and everything went right and fell. Then we came back down to earth the following week against Sunshine Coast. For me, the big focus as a coach is to highlight the differences from the week leading into Sunshine Coast and the week leading into Townsville and Redcliffe and what worked well. I can't fault the boys’ effort in any round so far. But when our attention to detail and preparation isn’t the greatest, that’s when the results are mixed. This week against Wynnum Manly is a really, really tough contest. Historically - and even this year with them having a mixed bag results too - they always field a really competitive team. It’s one of our Broncos affiliate brothers. It's mate v mate but they're a quality team with a really good head coach. It’s also the Mitch Cronin Cup which we’ve managed to win the last couple of years but to do his name an honour, that would be a really big positive for myself as a coach.

PNG Hunters v Ipswich Jets

Head-to-head: PNG 8, Ipswich 6

Last meeting: Ipswich 36 def PNG 18 in Round 13, 2022

Broadcast: Qplus.tv

• PNG are aiming for their 100th win in their 188th game - they have seven draws and 81 losses
• Ipswich have lost their last nine games but won three of the last four meetings between these two sides
• PNG have won two of their last three home games while Ipswich have lost their last 15 away games

A word from the coaches

PNG Hunters coach Stanley Tepend: It was good to get the win last week after two tough losses. It was very important. It was scrappy but I hope we can keep working harder to get another win. There were moments in that match that reminded us of the previous two losses but the boys hung in there. It's a tough competition and any win is important for us. This week we have Ipswich and they beat us last year so they won't be easy. We know they will want to get their season on the positive and there's no better way to do it than against us, but I'm hoping our boys can start strong and play well for us to win. 

Ipswich Jets coach Ben Cross: We have to focus on the simplistic things -  catching, passing and individual tackling. There is the hunger there to get our first win. That's the strange thing about it. What's happening at training isn't happening in our games yet. But you'll see regression, a little bit of progression, regression, and then all of a sudden they've got it. We'd also like to have the same 17 each week and we don't have that at the moment with injuries and a few things. When we had that same 17 last year, we had continuity. Going to PNG this week, it's going to be tough but the guys are pretty excited. No one has been there for a few years. It's going to be warm. It's our first proper overnight away game this season, which helps our team bond and gel together.

Burleigh Bears v Central Queensland Capras

Head-to-head: Burleigh 39, Central Queensland Capras 10

Last meeting: Burleigh 32 def Central Queensland 16 in the 2022 finals

Broadcast: Qplus.tv

• This is a top-of-the-table clash, with Central Queensland undefeated so far this season. Burleigh meanwhile have won their last two games and have only suffered one loss
• Burleigh have won the last eight meetings between these two sides, including the last five clashes at Burleigh
• Central Queensland hooker Aaron Teroi will play his 50th game for the club this weekend - it's his 52nd Cup match overall

A word from the coaches

Burleigh Bears coach Luke Burt: We were really happy with our performance last week but we need to limit compounding our penalties and errors. That’s been the big focus this week - the discipline and getting through the set defensively. This week, we’re expecting an 80 minute arm wrestle. They're a team that hangs in there, they’re gritty and will play for the entire game. They’ve gotten even better this year, being undefeated. They won’t go away. It’s super important this week that we're on top of that discipline. The Capras score a lot of their tries close to the try line so we don’t want to invite them down our end too much.

Central Queensland Capras coach Lionel Harbin: I thought our ability to hang in that game against Wynnum Manly last week was really pleasing. Wynnum really came at us and are a good side so our ability to find a way to win again was very pleasing and we’re winning in different ways. Despite being undefeated, we still identify a couple of things each week in attack and defence that we think we need to improve on and that’s been our main focus, is how we improve each week. Coming up against Burleigh, we know they’re a quality side and have been for a long time, so we’re expecting a tough contest. They have big outside backs, experienced players in key positions... it’s going to be a tough, tough game.

Northern Pride v Mackay Cutters

Head-to-head: Pride 19, Mackay 8

Last meeting: Pride 16 def Mackay 12 in Round 2, 2023

Broadcast: Qplus.tv

• Pride have lost their last two games while Mackay have lost their last nine games - their worst losing run was 10 straight in 2018
• Pride have won two of the last three games between these two sides
• Pride have won their last three, and six of their last seven games, at Barlow Park
• Mackay have lost their last six away games

A word from the coaches

Northern Pride coach Ty Williams: Last week's loss to Norths was probably the realisation of what the higher end, top teams look like. I thought for a while we were in it and it was back and forth, but when Norths got their opportunity, they went after it and became ruthless. That typifies the team they are and why they've won back-to-back premierships. That was a learning piece for us and it's about  understanding that when those opportunities get in front of you, you have to go after it. The expectation is to bounce back and that will be a test in character for us this week. I think if I'd be excited if I was a Mackay Cutters player. They've seen where there are opportunities for them and they'll come here very confident. We've spoken about not thinking about them as having won a game yet. We need to think about ourselves and execute at a high level. We've done a bit of a visual work on them but we need to look at our own backyard and get it in order first.

Mackay Cutters coach Michael Comerford: The loss in PNG was a tricky one. We had a few guys getting their first taste of Hostplus Cup footy and over there that's a pretty tough environment to go out into, particularly in the forwards. But a lot of those guys in their first few games really stood up and handled the conditions quite well, particularly defensively. The whole game I thought our middles did a great job defensively. But it was also a game that summed up our whole season. For large parts of the games this year we've been pretty dominant and then we have lapses where teams put back-to-back tries on us and we saw that again. I did think our kicking game with Brandon Finnegan back was excellent but those points coming in clumps are making it hard for us to get the win. This week, I'm expecting the Pride to bounce back. They've had performances lately they won't be happy with, particularly last weekend against Norths. We're expecting them to be highly motivated and much improved. They got us in a close one in Round 2 so our guys are looking to get one back after that but they'll be confident from it. We'll be expecting them to be at their best.

Brisbane Tigers v Townsville Blackhawks

Head-to-head: Townsville 7, Tigers 3, drawn 1

Last meeting: Townsville 30 def Tigers 18 in Round 12, 2022

Broadcast: Qplus.tv, 9Now, Kayo Freebies

• This is the Tigers' 600th Cup game - they have 321 wins, 20 draws and 258 losses
• Townsville have lost their last three games but have won the last five games between these two sides
• The Tigers have two wins and a draw in the four matches between these two sides at Totally Workwear Stadium

A word from the coaches

Brisbane Tigers coach Matt Church: I thought we didn't complete as well as we would have liked last week against Burleigh and we didn't push enough in support for our teammates on the weekend. To a degree, I think we're flying under the radar at this point in the season. We're a team that's going to build throughout the season and start performing our best towards the end of the year. In any competition, it's not about how you start but how you finish. Coming up against Townsville, they've had a mixed bag of results and a young group of (North Queensland) Cowboys players. But it will click for them at some point so we definitely need to be on our game. Youngness breeds excitement so hopefully we can capitalise as the more experienced side. 

Townsville Blackhawks coach Aaron Payne: Our biggest area to work on is our attack. If our attack is a bit better, it will help our defence. We slipped back into pretty poor discipline last week against Souths Logan and we let the opposition out of their end too easily. We were good against Tweed but went back to old habits last week unfortunately. It's age old, but if we can put more pressure on our opposition teams, it will help us be in the contest. We have a bit to work on but it's early days. The Tigers have really good Cup experience in their side and when you add in the Melbourne Storm players coming back, they're a really strong side who play a good brand of footy. But we're not concentrating on them too much. We're being respectful of them but focusing on our preparation. At the moment we haven't got our own backyard right yet so that's our focus.

Sunshine Coast Falcons v Norths Devils

Head-to-head: Norths 13, Sunshine Coast 1

Last meeting: Norths 20 def Sunshine Coast 13 in the 2022 preliminary finals

Broadcast: Qplus.tv

• Norths have won their last two games
• Sunshine Coast have won the last three, and four of the last five, games between these two sides at Sunshine Coast Stadium
• Norths' 48-0 win last week was their biggest ever over Pride
• This clash will be the 150th Cup game for Norths fullback Jack Ahearn. He has notched up this milestone playing games for Souths Logan, Redcliffe and Norths. He is the 75th player to reach 150 Cup games

A word from the coaches

Sunshine Coast Falcons coach Brad Henderson: I feel like the biggest takeaway from last week's loss to the Dolphins was our mental preparation. We're looking behind us, not in front of us a little bit too much and patting ourselves on the back. We had four big wins and it's like there was that feeling if we turned up and got it half right, we'd win. But Redcliffe really physically gave it to us and played some great footy. You're always wary of Redcliffe if they aren't playing great ... you know they'll get it right and they did it against us. Normally the mental preparation is not something I feel like I need to worry about. Normally I feel confident in saying our boys compete as hard as anyone but we did have a bad week and it's in the back of my mind and our leadership group are discussing it as well. If I see performances like that two to three weeks in a row it's a concern, but for now I'm hoping it's a blip. I'm looking for a reaction this weekend against Norths, that's for sure. With the Devils, I'm expecting them to be Norths. They haven't had the greatest start to the year but are starting to hit their straps. They have a great roster from 1-17. If you don't fear Norths, something is wrong with you.

Norths Devils coach Dave Elliott: We played the Falcons in a trial earlier in the year and they were outstanding. They're getting a lot of Storm guys back as well and we know what that system down there produces. We're not expecting anything less than another torrid affair. For Jack Ahearn in his 150th Cup game, I know the guys will be going up there and doing their absolute best to get him a win in his milestone game. It won't come easy but I'm sure they'll all turn up and give it their best effort.

Bye: Redcliffe Dolphins

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QRL match review charges Round 7 - Hostplus Cup