Wynnum Manly Seagulls face huge deficit to retain Herald Cup over arch rivals the Redcliffe Dolphins

IT will be a clash of the titans at Dolphin Oval tomorrow as an injury-laden Redcliffe Dolphins take on staunch rivals the Wynnum Manly Seagulls.

Aaron Whitchurch from the Redcliffe Dolphins and Daniel Ogden from the Wynnum Manly Seagulls. Picture: JOSH WONING

ATTITUDE will be the name of the game for Redcliffe against Wynnum-Manly on Saturday night as injury concerns leave Dolphins coach Adam Mogg scratching his head as to his final line-up.

The two teams will contest the second leg of the Herald Cup and the Dolphin Oval faithful expect captain Sam Anderson to lift the coveted silverware – the home side coming in with a 32-point lead.

Several Dolphins still need to prove their fitness at training tonight but Mogg said he would be cautious with any players not quite there, no matter how much they want to play in the derby.

Not that the recent injury woes have hurt results of late.

“It always takes a squad to have a successful year… and that’s proving right,” Mogg said.

“For us it’s about finding a balance between looking after the player, making sure we can win and not putting them at risk for future games.”

Redcliffe Dolphins coach Adam Mogg. Pic: Josh Woning.

The Seagulls have nothing to lose in the clash, and despite coming from behind are ready to stage an ambush.

After a week off following a tough road trip to Papua New Guinea, Seagulls fullback Daniel Ogden said they were prepared for the challenge of taking on their rivals at their home ground.

“They’re a physical team, just like us, and when we play each other, it always gets really heated and I’m sure this weekend will be no different,” he said.

“We’re really focused on just getting a win because it’s so crucial for us in terms of our season and potentially finals but if we can retain the Herald Cup, that’ll be a bonus.

“Redcliffe have been one of the benchmarks of the season so far, so it definitely won’t be easy. We really need to meet the challenge of containing their forwards because they have a great pack.”

Ogden said the mood of the team had been good of late and he hoped Seagulls fans would turn out in their droves to support their team in the rivalry clash.

The Dolphins will be without centre Tom Opacic, who is expected to miss 4-6 weeks after an ankle injury in his Brisbane Broncos debut last weekend, and suspended bench forward Taylor Brown, while Anthony Cherrington, Aaron Whitchurch and Shane Pumipi are all under injury clouds.

Mogg said the second half against Mackay last week proved whoever took the field knew the structure well enough to perform at a high standard if they had the right attitude.

The game will be the first Intrust Super Cup match to be held under lights at Dolphin Oval.

Kick-off is at 7pm.

PHOTOS: Intrust Super Cup Round 16

Seagulls coach Jon Buchanan.

IPSWICH JETS versus CENTRAL QUEENSLAND CAPRAS - Saturday, 4pm at North Ipswich Reserve

Defending premier Ipswich is not giving up its crown without a fight, with consecutive victories and a bye leaving the Jets just three points adrift of sixth-placed Sunshine Coast.

Sitting second-last a month ago, the Jets climbed off the canvas with a crucial 16-14 win over Norths before upsetting Townsville 24-12 in their grand final rematch.

A bye last weekend has left them as one of seven teams vying for the final playoff spot, with Central Queensland sitting alongside them on 14 competition points.

Defeat for either side could well spell the end of their finals dreams.

SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS versus MACKAY CUTTERS - Saturday, 6pm at BB Print Stadium

SUNSHINE Coast coach Craig Ingebrigtsen says his side will need to burst out of the blocks to contain a dangerous Mackay Cutters on Saturday night.

The only concern is whether travel will start to take its toll on the Falcons squad after three away trips in the past four games.Ingebrigtsen said he was impressed with Mackay’s first half against Redcliffe and was confident his players could match it after their effort against Townsville last week.

“We certainly need to go up there with some confidence and play with an upbeat tempo,” he said.

“I think especially playing them at home if they get out in front you’re not going to run them down.”

Ingebrigtsen said the return of Alex Bishop at five-eighth would add stability in attack, but admitted Tui Kamikamica would be a big loss from the engine room.

He said it was time for Sunshine Coast to prove to the rest of the competition they meant business against every opponent, regardless of their ladder position.

“We’ve got an eight-week block of games we’ve got to take as must-win,” Ingebrigtsen said.

NORTHS DEVILS versus EASTS TIGERS - Sunday, 1.40pm at Bishop Park (Channel 9)

Back-to-back wins – including a 24-8 upset of PNG on Sunday – has catapulted Norths to within two points of the top six as Mark Gliddon’s side chases its first finals appearance since 2012.

The Devils looked dead and buried after a 16-14 loss to Ipswich in round 14, but they produced arguably their best performance of the season to down the Hunters last weekend.

They will be desperate for another fast start after racing to a 14-2 halftime lead against PNG, with Gliddon given the luxury of naming an unchanged side – bar the inclusion of fullback Trae Clark for Broncos-bound Lachlan Maranta – for the clash with the Tigers.

Easts have the chance to bounce into the top four with a win over the Devils but will have to do it without Melbourne Storm contracted forwards Matthew White, Christian Welch and Slade Griffin, who were not named in this week’s team list.

William Kitt comes into the halves for Brodie Croft and will forma partnership with Brent Warr, who has been impressive in his appearances in the Intrust Super Cup this season.

The Tigers sit just one point behind the fourth-placed PNG Hunters.

SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES versus TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS - Sunday, 2pm at Davies Park

A STRONG run of form has the Souths Logan Magpies confident they can claim the two competition points when they host Townsville.

The Magpies have lost just one of their past six games - a two-point defeat in Papua New Guinea - and appear to be finding form at the right time of the season.

However, their finals prospects will be put on the line against the third-placed Blackhawks, who have won 11 of their 16 games this season and are just one win off top spot.

Brisbane Broncos prop Herman Ese’ese, who has been given an opportunity in the NRL in recent weeks, returns to bolster Souths Logan, but they will likely have to do without fullback Jack Joass after breaking one hand and a bone in the opposite hand.

Joass has been named to play for the Magpies but would seem at long odds to line up after Josh Hannay admitted the best case scenario was “probably a few weeks”.

While the Blackhawks present a sizeable task, Hannay was confident his side could turn the tables on Townsville after a defeat in Round 3.

“We’ve got our tails up at the moment,” he said. “That (finals) carrot is a huge incentive.

“Our record against six of the seven teams above us is very good - we’ve done more than be competitive against the top teams.

“The one top side we didn’t do well against was Townsville but we’re a much better side than we were in Round 3.”