Round 22 Hostplus Cup wrap

The Sunshine Coast Falcons claim the 2026 Minor Premiership at the conclusion of a thrilling round 22 clash. We also saw crucial ladder position changes in 7, 8 & 9th spot. The close competition will ensure a stellar finale to the regular season.

Redcliffe Dolphins (30) def Tweed Seagulls (12) at Kayo Stadium.

The Dolphins strengthened their grip on second spot with a convincing home win, running in five tries to two. Domenico De Stradis crossed twice, while Joshua James, William Boland and Jude Saldanha also found the line. Redcliffe led 12-08 at half-time before Tweed’s Adam Christensen struck early into the second to even the scoreline. Evidently calm under pressure, the Dolphins pin point conversions and three-try surge allowed them to remain in the drivers seat as they sealed their fourth win from their past five games.

Burleigh Bears (18) def Brisbane Tigers (12) at Totally Workwear Stadium.

The Bears edged a tight contest in Brisbane after taking a 12-10 lead into half-time. Jett Bryce and Josh Rogers crossed in the opening half before Kane Bradley's 58th-minute try extended Burleigh's advantage. The Tigers had their chance to close the gap through a Zach Lamont penalty goal in the 64th minute, but could not find another try with Esom Ioka sent to the sin bin late. The result kept Burleigh solid in fourth while the Tigers slipped outside the top eight.

Central Queensland Capras (24) def Northern Pride (14) at Aurizon Stadium.

The Capras continued their strong run towards the finals with a fourth straight victory, overcoming an early 8-0 deficit in Rockhampton. Connor Guley and Khaiya Waiembi helped turn the contest before two second-half tries to Rodrick Tai pushed the Capras clear. An unfortunately frustrated Pride gave away two penalties to the Capras late in the game, which allowed Trey Brown another two goals as Central Queensland consolidated third position on the ladder while Burleigh remain hot on their heels.

Sunshine Coast Falcons (48) def PNG Hunters (4) at Sunshine Coast Stadium.

A consistently well-crafted season allowed the Falcons to secure the minor premiership for 2026 as the competition leaders produced the biggest win of the round, piling on nine tries in a dominant display. Harrison McIndoe opened the scoring in just the second minute, while Zion Johnson and Mason Peut both crossed twice. The Falcons were already 26-0 ahead at half-time and continued the pressure after the break, with the Hunters' only points coming through Murray Connors in the 70th minute. The victory kept Sunshine Coast three points clear at the top of the ladder where they remain unreachable.

Ipswich Jets (34) def Norths Devils (12) at Premier's Park.

The Jets continued their push towards the top four with a commanding win over the defending premiers, establishing an 18-6 half-time advantage before pulling away late. The Devils received two sin bins in the final 20 minutes of footy which allowed for the Jets to nail in the coffin with an additional two tries in the second. Sione Hopoate, scored a double, while Michael Molo, Corey Ross and Dantoray Lui also crossed. Brenton Baira was influential with the boot, kicking four conversions and three penalty goals as Ipswich moved to 29 competition points and remained firmly in the finals race.

Mackay Cutters (38) def Western Clydesdales (14) at BB Print Stadium.

The Cutters stayed in the thick of the finals battle with a seven-try performance at home. Tobias Miller, Thomas McNulty, Jordan Martin and Sean Mullany all crossed inside the opening 24 minutes as Mackay raced to a high-scoring 22-8 half-time lead. Clydesdales’, Chris Woodbridge was doing everything he could to keep Toowoomba in the fight as he amassed all eight of their first half points. Yet it was the Cutters’, Xavier Kerrisk, Julius Kapeli and Mitch Fogarty adding second-half tries, while Liam Sutton kicked five conversions to secure the game. The result gave the sixth-placed Cutters their third win from their past four matches.

Wynnum Manly Seagulls (42) def Souths Logan Magpies (18) at Davies Park.

Wynnum Manly produced a major statement in the race for the finals, running in eight tries to climb into eighth position. A 36-point first half certainly gave the fans a show while Bayley Sironen scored twice in the opening 21 minutes. However, it was all Alex Lobb who took over after half-time, completing a hat-trick and kicking five conversions for a 22-point individual haul. The Seagulls turned a 24-12 half-time advantage into a comfortable victory.  This result puts Wynnum in the drivers seat against the Brisbane Tigers this weekend where both teams will have a final showdown to secure that crucial top eight position heading into finals.