A chance for Wynnum Manly to return to the top six headlines Round 13 of the Intrust Super Cup
THE battle for a top six position between the Wynnum Manly Seagulls and Sunshine Coast headlines Round 6 of the Intrust Super Cup.
South East
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FOR the first time this season, Wynnum Manly Seagulls coach Jon Buchanan looked at the Intrust Super Cup ladder after his team’s fifth straight victory last weekend.
And the Seagulls can finally jump into the competition’s top six with a win over the Sunshine Coast Falcons at home on Saturday night, an achievement most people would have scoffed at when the team was winless after the first six rounds.
But a dominant 50-28 win over the CQ Capras at the weekend has the Seagulls’ winning streak at five games and Buchanan said Saturday’s clash with the Falcons was one of his team’s most important this year.
“It obviously means a lot as far as the table goes and I think getting into the top six will do a lot for our group, especially after the start we had,” he said.
“It will be a huge boost in confidence for us and then at least we know, once you’re in the top six, it’s just up to you to stay there and we’d love to be in that position.
“But the Falcons are an extremely tough side and they’ll have all their Melbourne Storm guys suiting up so it’ll be another big challenge four our group.”
Sunshine Coast Falcons coach Craig Ingebrigtsen says his side will need to be strong in the middle to contain the attacking threat of Wynnum Manly.
“We’re obviously going to have to defend well. Their attack is really good and it’s going to be a really big challenge for us. Obviously we need to make sure we’re strong with our defence through the middle,” he said.
Ingebrigsten said with greasy and wet conditions expected the onus would be on the playmakers to execute an appropriate kicking game.
“I think we’ve got an edge in our kicking game. The kicking game is going to play a big part in the result of the game so Ryley Jacks, Alex Bishop and Jake Turpin will need to make sure we have a good long kicking game,” he said.
“If we don’t do that, we’re going to struggle.”
- Kick-off on Saturday at BMD Kougari Oval is at 6pm.
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS (1st) versus NORTHS DEVILS (11th) — Sunday, 1.40pm at Jack Manski Oval (Channel 9)
COMING off arguably its best performance of the season against Tweed Heads, Norths will be desperate to build on the momentum against table-topping Townsville.
The Devils were simply dominant in a 46-18 drubbing of Tweed, racing to a 28-6 halftime lead before cruising home for their fourth win of the season.
The Blackhawks will present a far greater challenge however, and will be smarting from a 29-20 loss to Easts in round 12.
Norths is one of five teams within two points of sixth-placed Sunshine Coast, with an upset win over Townsville potentially sending the Nundah side up to seventh.
Sean Yorston has been retained at five-eighth, with Billy Brittain to start at hooker for the second-straight week.
TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS (12th) versus IPSWICH JETS (13th) — Sunday, 2pm at Piggabeen Sports
IPSWICH’S mission to reach this season’s top six finally got a kickstart with a surprise 30-12 win over PNG last weekend, but the defending premiers still have a mountain to climb.
Sitting second-last with just four wins in 12 games, the Jets are five points adrift of sixth-placed Sunshine Coast and have now reached a stage where every outing is must-win.
However, they showed glimpses of their best with some scintillating play against the Hunters and a similar performance should be enough to topple Tweed Heads.
The Seagulls are just two points ahead of the Jets in 12th place, but were handed a 46-18 flogging by Norths in round 12.
Ipswich co-coaches Ben and Shane Walker are again set to use Carlin Anderson on the wing after deploying the diminutive Wes Conlon at fullback in recent weeks.
EASTS TIGERS (2nd) versus BURLEIGH BEARS (2nd) — Sunday, 2pm at Pizzey Park
THE Easts Tigers will look to complete a clean sweep of a challenging fortnight when they travel to Pizzey Park to take on Burleigh Bears on Sunday.
Easts took their biggest scalp of the Intrust Super Cup season at Langlands Park last round, beating ladder leaders Townsville Blackhawks 29-20. As a result, the Tigers now sit second on the ladder ahead of the Bears and just one win behind the Blackhawks.
Easts coach Scott Sipple said the win would give his side a confidence boost heading into the clash with Burleigh.
“Obviously it shows we can compete with the best sides in the competition and the boys definitely know that now,” he said.
“But Burleigh are a completely different challenge and they’ll be fired up after losing to Redcliffe last week.
“They have another big forward pack and are led by their playmakers as well, but we’ll prepare hard.”
Easts have benefited from having forwards Matthew White and Christian Welch from the Melbourne Storm in recent weeks but might not be so lucky this weekend.
“I assume we will be missing one of them,” Sipple said.
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS (4th) versus CQ CAPRAS (9th) — Sunday, 2pm at Dolphin Oval
REDCLIFFE Dolphins will face a test of depth on Sunday against the CQ Capras, hampered by injury, suspension and retirement after the win over Burleigh last weekend.
Adam Mogg will leave the call on replacements until the last training run on Friday night.
Tyson Andrews announced his immediate retirement last week and Anthony Cherrington has been hit with a two-week suspension while Johnnie Fox has also been struck down with injury.
Mogg said whoever he brought in would “need to put their hand up and play with the same intensity”.
“From last week we’ve lost two starting backrowers and a prop ... so it’s going to be hard for us to fill those positions,” he said.
“It’s going to be a real test of our depth and a really good opportunity for some guys to set up their Intrust Super Cup season.”
Mogg said the Capras were not a side to be taken lightly.
“There’s a couple of things they do we haven’t been great at,” he said.
SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES (10th) versus MACKAY CUTTERS (14th) — Sunday, 2.05pm at Davies Park
A RETURN to their home ground will give the Souths Logan Magpies a boost as they chase consecutive victories for the first time this season.
The Magpies are unbeaten in their last three fixtures but their wins against Norths and the Northern Pride were sandwiched by a draw with the Sunshine Coast Falcons.
They return to Davies Park for the first time since they hosted the Tweed Heads Seagulls in Round 7 on April 17 — although the Round 8 game between Souths Logan and the CQ Capras was a Souths Logan home fixture despite being played in Yeppoon.
The State of Origin season has again taken its toll on the Magpies, with Herman Ese’ese and Tevita Pangai Jr named in a 19-man Brisbane Broncos squad to take on the New Zealand Warriors as Wayne Bennett debates resting some of his Origin stars.
Travis Waddell will also line up for the Broncos this week, after Andrew McCullough was again ruled out through injury.
However, Magpies coach Josh Hannay believes last week’s win without Ese’ese and Pangai proved to his team they can compete without their NRL players.
The former Queensland centre also dismissed suggestions his side may take the foot off the pedal against the competition’s cellar dwellers.
“A lot of people are asking if we’ll take our foot off the pedal,” Hannay said.
“With the mindset that the boys have had lately, I believe that’s not a conversation we even need to have.”
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