It will be a Rugby League utopia for Queensland footy fans this week as the Mackay Cutters face off against the Tweed Seagulls in a curtain-raiser match for the Cowboys and Titans.
The Cutters and Seagulls are currently sitting right on top of each other on the Hostplus Cup table, and that’s only one feature which will make this a high interest clash.
Both teams haven’t started the season how they would want but this game represents a chance to reset and start again.
In a strange twist the last six games between these two have been won by the away team.
The Cutters attack is currently misfiring and needs a desperate rework, as the men from Mackay have only accrued ninety-four points from their four games.
Cutters fullback Rayden Burns continues to light it up for his side, scoring three tries in five games.
Burns has scored twelve tries in his Hostplus Cup career as he closes in on fifty games for the Cutters.
Contracted Cowboys winger Jaxon Paulo is nearly scoring a try a game for the Cutters and it with Todd Payten in attendance, he's no doubt eager to impress.
It might be front rower Thomas Mikaele who unlocks the attack, if he can drive the Cutters metreage.
Mikaele is averaging 127 metres for the Cutters and is playing nearly 60 minutes a week.
Tweed is the mystery of the Hostplus Cup, you look at their team and think they should be top of the table.
They are showing glimpses in games but more is needed.
Against Wynnum last week they were up 14-12 at half time before capitulating and being down 30-18 eighteen minutes later.
The most the Seagulls have lost by this season is 10, against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls, with Tweed averaging a mere five points in their losing margins.
The player to spark the Seagulls may be Mal Meninga Cup starlet Sam Stephenson.
Stephenson is everything you want in a centre - young, fast and robust.
Two-line breaks, a try just inside the corner on the right-hand side after it went through the hands, in only his second game in the Hostplus Cup.
Lindon McGrady has now kicked 407 goals to become the 5th all-time goal kicker in the cup - he is two points behind 4th placed Liam Georgetown.
Watch this weekend’s Hostplus Cup Match of the Round live and free on 9Now and Kayo, as well as Queensland Rugby League’s home of live streaming Qplus.tv
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