The Mackay Cutters have completed a season sweep over the Tweed Seagulls, prevailing 26-18 at the Seagulls Sporting Complex, three weeks on from the Cutters’ last victory over the Seagulls in Townsville.
Both Mackay and Tweed struck first through their second rowers, with Braydon Guyan and Jacob Alick-Wiencke crossing in the opening twenty minutes.
The two sides would continue trading blows in the first half, as Luke Pietzner and JJ Collins would both score to see both sides entering the sheds tied at twelve apiece.
A sharp start from Mackay would prove the difference in this affair, as a piece of Raydan Burns extravagance would isolate Brenton Baira with his defender, as the in form centre nabbed his sixth try in five games to put the Cutters ahead.
A 53rd minute try from Hiale Roycroft would serve as the final points of the game, as the Mackay Cutters continue to impress as of recent, now sitting only two points out of the top eight.
Up the M1 in East Brisbane, the Brisbane Tigers put on a clinic against a Northern Pride side decimated by the North Queensland Cowboys team selection.
With key playmakers Thomas Duffy and Jake Clifford, and enforcer Marly Bitungane, all called up for Cowboys duty, the Pride were undermanned coming up against a Tigers outfit with a point to prove.
After Josh Smith opened the scoring, a piece of individual brilliance from Seamus King Smith would keep the Pride in the battle early into the match.
However, as the game progressed and tensions flared, the Brisbane Tigers would out muscle and outclass their opposition, with Tahj Wood and Tony Thompson having days out respectively in the spine, en route to a 38-10 victory at home.
Further north in Rockhampton, the Redcliffe Dolphins continue to mimic their NRL counterparts, notching a half century for the second week in a row.
The dynamic halves duo of Dantoray Lui and Joshua James were at the centre of everything the Dolphins did, with centre Will Partridge bagging a ridiculous four tries in Redcliffe’s rout of the Central Queensland Capras.
Following the 56-12 defeat, the Capras now sit last on the ladder, while the Redcliffe Dolphins continue to charge towards the top four.
In Round 13’s most anticipated match, the Townsville Blackhawks struck late to nab their fifth straight victory, downing the Burleigh Bears 28-26 at UAA Park.
A try from Burleigh winger Troy Leo in the opening minutes set the tone for the first half, with the Bears running out to a commanding 20-12 lead at the half.
However, the Blackhawks are tied on points with the league leading Norths Devils for a reason, and the second half well and truly belonged to the Blackhawks.
The competition’s most prolific try scorer, Dudley Dotoi, finished the second half with a hat-trick, as five-eighth Matthew Wright scored the game sealing try in the 75th minute, as the Blackhawks refuse to give the Devils any room to breathe at the top of the table.
In the feature game of Round 13, it was the Wynnum Manly Seagulls who bounced back from last weekend’s defeat, prevailing over the Souths Logan Magpies 33-20.
Seagulls’ halfback Liam Sutton continues to string together impressive performances, this week notching four try assists for his side.
Jaiyden Hunt and Ben Farr both finished with doubles in this match, with Farr racking up six tackle breaks and 164 metres at fullback in addition.
Wynnum Manly now sit third on the ladder, still six points behind the Devils and Blackhawks.
The heartbreak continues for the Hunters faithful, as they fall agonisingly short of victory at home against the Sunshine Coast Falcons.
After conceding early, the Hunters would reply through Elijah Roltinga, who was the beneficiary of a sumptuous grubber from five-eighth Gairo Voro.
Blows were dealt to one another throughout the first half, though conversions were impossible to come by for the Hunters, as the score finished 16-12 in favour of the Falcons at the end of the first half.
Points were sparse in the second half, though yet another dynamic play from Gairo Voro would set up a Brandon Nima try which equalled the scores 16-all with ten minutes left.
Just as the Hunters looked to have momentum, a penalty against Papua New Guinea would provide the Falcons with key field position in the final minutes.
With five minutes left, a penalty for the Falcons would allow them to convert a penalty goal, and that would be all she wrote for the final game of Round 13, as the Falcons won 18-16 at Santos National Football Stadium.
Every match and replay of the 2025 Hostplus Cup season is available live and on demand via Qplus.TV, with monthly access starting from $2.49 a week.
ROUND 13 RESULTS
SATURDAY JUNE 14
Brisbane Tigers 38 def Northern Pride 10 at Totally Workwear Stadium, Brisbane
Mackay Cutters 26 def Tweed Seagulls 12 at Seagulls Sporting Complex, Tweed Heads
Redcliffe Dolphins 56 def Central Queensland Capras 12 at Rugby Park, Rockhampton
Townsville Blackhawks 28 def Burleigh Bears 26 at UAA Park, Gold Coast
SUNDAY JUNE 15
Wynnum Manly Seagulls 33 def Souths Logan Magpies 20 at Davies Park, Brisbane
Sunshine Coast Falcons 18 def PNG Hunters 16 at Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby
