The Sunshine Coast pulled off a massive upset while Easts are out of the Intrust Super Cup finals

THE Sunshine Coast Falcons have pulled off a major upset in week one of the Intrust Super Cup finals while the Easts Tigers were bundled out.

Tigers Jamie Anderson is tackled by Blackhawks Kyle Laybutt. . Picture: ZAK SIMMONDS

WEEK one of the Intrust Super Cup finals did not disappoint with the Sunshine Coast Falcons pulling off the upset of the season.

The Falcons became the first team in 2016 to beat the Hunters in Papua New Guinea to keep their season alive while the Easts Tigers were bundled out by the Townsville Blackhawks.

Tiger Whetu Austin takes a tackle against Townsville. Picture: ZAK SIMMONDS

TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS def EASTS TIGERS 46-4 at Jack Manski Oval

THE class of the Townsville Blackhawks proved too much for an understrength Easts Tigers side in their semi-final clash in north Queensland on Sunday with last year’s runners-up recording a 46-4 victory.

Easts, missing several key players after battling a long injury list all season, fought hard but could not capitalise on Townsville’s errors early in the game and the Blackhawks made them pay.

Townsville’s Delouise Hoeter started the scoring for the home side with a try in the eighth minute before Shane Neumann bounced back for the Tigers in the 10th. From there, it was all Townsville.

Kristian Woolf’s side led 16-4 at halftime but had no troubles finding the line in the second half, scoring 30 points and keeping Easts scoreless to finish with a 40-point win and earning the right to host the Sunshine Coast this weekend.

Michael Parker-Walshe, Jonathon Reuben and Moses Pangai all scored doubles for the Blackhawks.

Easts Tigers coach Scott Sipple said his side let too many opportunities slip early in the game.

“Townsville committed plenty of errors and gave us a chance, we just didn’t capitalise,” he said.

“You can’t do that against the good teams.

“Obviously it’s not the way we wanted to end the season but I’m still very proud of our group given the hurdles we had to deal with all year.”

The match was also Dane Hogan’s last in a Tigers uniform with the former North Queensland Cowboy set to join the Sunshine Coast next season.

SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS def PAPUA NEW GUINEA HUNTERS 18-12 at National Football Stadium

SUNSHINE Coast Falcons coach Craig Ingebrigtsen knows how to win in Papua New Guinea.

Since the PNG Hunters have entered the competition, only three teams have beaten them in front of their home fans. Twice the man at the helm was Ingebrigtsen.

Sunday’s 18-12 victory was easily the upset of the season as the Falcons rebounded from a 34-4 loss to the Hunters in Port Moresby in the last round of the regular season.

Sunshine Coast halfback Ryley Jacks got his team off to a flying start with a converted try in the 20th minute but the Hunters responded through Butler Morris in the 33rd minute.

Going into the second half with a 6-4 lead, the Falcons found their form in attack scoring two tries in three minutes, through Samuel Wright and Jacks, to jump out to an 18-4 lead.

Despite two late tries from Morris, the Sunshine Coast were able to hold on for one of the club’s biggest ever wins and to progress to play Townsville in week two of the finals.