Intrust Super Cup: Round 5 will see old rivals clash while Dolphins and Falcons play emotional tribute

OLD rivals clash while Dolphins and Falcons play in emotional tribute in our previews for Round 5 of the Intrust Super Cup.

Tyson Andrews from the Redcliffe Dolphins.

OLD rivals will face-off on the bayside on Sunday with both the Wynnum Manly Seagulls and Souths Logan Magpies looking to kick start their seasons.

The teams, which featured in the 1984 and 1985 Brisbane Rugby League grand finals with arguably two of the best club sides ever seen in Queensland, head into Round 5 sitting at the bottom of the Intrust Super Cup ladder.

Wynnum Manly (14th) are yet to record a win and are coming off a 50-10 loss to the Townsville Blackhawks while Souths Logan (12th) have just one win after three games and were beaten 28-10 by defending premiers Ipswich last week.

Magpies coach Josh Hannay has named an unchanged line up while Seagulls coach Jon Buchanan has welcomed back Brisbane Broncos winger Greg Eden and will keep skipper Patrick Templeman at fullback.

A good start will be a key for Souths Logan, particularly in front of the notoriously boisterous chookpen at Kougari Oval. The Magpies trailed the Ipswich Jets 14-0 at the break last week and have yet to take a lead into half time in their four matches this season.

The lack of ball control has been a major factor in the poor starts with the Magpies completing just half of their sets in last week’s game and coach Hannay said his side needed to take the five tackles and get to their kick against the Seagulls.

“You’re always going to struggle at any level of football with a poor completion rate — we’ve got to get that level up to around 80 per cent,” he said.

“I’ve challenged the side to go back to basics this weekend.”

Hannay is expecting a fired up Wynnum Manly side in front of their home crowd and searching for their first win.

“You could easily say their start is the surprise of the competition — I don’t think anyone saw it coming,” he said.

“They’re going to be hungry this week. It might have been easier for us if they had been 4-0 rather than 0-4.”

Seagulls coach Jon Buchanan has preached defence to his team with Wynnum Manly conceding 156 points already in just four games.

“There’s no doubt that we need to be better in defence, if we can do that, I think everything will flow on from there,” he said.

“Souths Logan have a very good team though and it’s going to be a challenge but we’re looking forward to it and hopefully our fans can get behind us as well.”

Wynnum Manly beat Souths Logan 40-32 in the teams last meeting in June last year. Kick-off is at 3pm at BMD Kougari Oval on Sunday.

REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS (8th) vs SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS (5th) — Saturday, 6pm at Sunshine Coast Stadium

SUNSHINE Coast and Redcliffe will line up for an emotion-charged fixture at Sunshine Coast Stadium on Saturday night.

The two teams will contest the James Ackerman Cup for the first time, in honour of a man who embodied the spirit of rugby league through his desire to do the hard yards for his team mates.

Ackerman, who played 54 Intrust Super Cup matches for Redcliffe before joining Sunshine Coast, died on June 22, 2015 after suffering a serious head injury playing for the Falcons and Norths Devils two days earlier.

The first match of each season between the two clubs will be played in his name.

Dolphins front rower Tyson Andrews, who went to school with Ackerman, said it would be a particularly tough mental battle for those who played alongside him.

Redcliffe are coming off a bye last weekend with coach Adam Mogg going with the same line which beat Wynnum Manly 38-6 in Round 3.

The Falcons will be without captain Troy Giess, who is expected to miss at least another three weeks due to injury.

Mark Nicholls has been named to start in the front row in place of Thomas Geraghty, Martin Cordwell is at lock for Jacob Samoa, who goes back to an extended bench alongside Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Robbie Ward, who started over Nafe Seluini in the win over PNG Hunters last Sunday.

EASTS TIGERS (6th) vs CQ CAPRAS (4th) — Saturday, 7pm at Marley Brown Oval

SCOTT Sipple’s Easts Tigers will travel to Gladstone this weekend with two of their key backs set to miss the clash against the improved CQ Capras.

Easts will be without centre Shane Neumann and fullback Javarn White as they try and jump into the competition’s top four with both succumbing to injury’s suffered in last Saturday’s 14-all draw with the Norths Devils.

Former North Queensland Cowboy and Easts lock Dane Hogan will play on Saturday despite being charged with a dangerous contact charge by the QRL. Hogan put in an early guilty plea, freeing him up to face the Capras.

Returning from Gladstone with two points will be a tough challenge for the Tigers with the Capras showing significant improvement under former Mackay Cutters premiership coach Kim Williams.

Williams has led his new team to two wins from three games whilst only conceding 56 points so far this season.

NORTHS DEVILS (7th) vs BURLEIGH BEARS (2nd) — Sunday, 1.40pm at Bishop Park

NORTHS will have a place in the top six in its sights when it hosts a resurgent Burleigh at Bishop Park at 1.40pm on Sunday in Channel Nine’s televised game.

Coming off a 14-14 draw with Easts that stretched their unbeaten run to three games, the Devils sit one point outside the finals placings ahead of the clash with the second-placed Bears.

Both sides have enjoyed promising starts to the season following below-par 2015 campaigns, with Norths riding high on the back of consistent brilliance from halfback Todd Murphy.

Defending premier Ipswich could also keep with heat on the top six with victory over the Northern Pride on Saturday.

IPSWICH JETS (10th) vs NORTHERN PRIDE (9th) — Saturday, 5pm at North Ipswich Reserve

IPSWICH head into their match up with the Northern Pride having snapped a two-game losing streak in Round 4 with a 28-20 win over Souths-Logan.

The Jets took more from the win with winger Marmin Barba returning to form after scoring a first half hat-trick.

Barba, who has 58 tries in 50 games for the Jets, will again be a key figure when the sides meet at North Ipswich Reserve.

The Pride are coming off a bye and both teams sit two points adrift of the sixth-placed Easts Tigers.