QRL Intrust Super Cup - Round 5 Previews

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WYNNUM MANLY v TWEED HEADS
BMD Kougari Oval
Saturday, April 16 - 2pm*
Live on ABC1
The importance of this weekend's ABC TV game for the Wynnum Manly Seagulls cannot be overstated, with the Bayside club going into the match with a 0-4 record. It is difficult to see a team making a dint in the final half of the year if they were to start the season with five straight losses. Their opponents in the battle of the Seagulls will be Tweed Heads, who have impressed so far in their outings and are yet to drop a game. However, Wynnum Manly coach Paul Green was happier with his team's improved showing last weekend against the Norths Devils, with the Seagulls dominating much of the play, without being able to hold on for a result. Green has reshuffled his line-up from last week to make room for forward Tim Natusch (returning from suspension). Tweed has a new-look back-row due to the unavailability of Selasi Berdie, with Cody Nelson moving from the bench to lock. Tweed fullback Ryan Milligan plays his 50th Cup match for the Seagulls.


EASTS TIGERS v NORTHS DEVILS
Langlands Park
Saturday, April 16 - 3pm
After grabbing their first win of the year in the dying minutes of their last match, the Easts Tigers will be looking to build on that momentum this weekend against the Norths Devils. Five-eighth Luke Kelly and fullback Dane Chisholm - the Tigers' match-winners against Souths Logan - are again expected to figure prominently for the Langlands Park club. Troy McCarthy has named an unchanged line-up with Kelly, a former Storm NYC captain, partnering Matt Minto in the halves. After a slow start, Norths have shown their class in recent weeks and have hit their stride with two strong wins, including a 34-0 shut-out of Central Comets. The same 17 have been named to take to the park for the Devils and in a huge boost, Bronco Josh McGuire was last night cleared of a grade 1 striking charge at the judiciary. In the head to head stakes, the Devils hold the aces with 18 wins to the Tigers' eight. Key Devils forward Troyden Watene makes his 50th appearance in the Queensland Cup.


NORTHERN PRIDE v SUNSHINE COAST
Barlow Park
Saturday, April 16 - 5.30pm
The Northern Pride have never beaten the Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles - but this weekend will provide the home side with the perfect opportunity to change that statistic. The Pride will be aiming for a record-breaking 17 straight Intrust Super Cup wins in front of their home crowd and given the way they have been performing recently, it seems inevitable that the Cairns club will continue its stunning run of success. The Sea Eagles are in a rebuilding stage and while the young side showed good intensity in the early stages of their last game against Redcliffe, inexperience proved to be the difference. Simple errors and poor reads in defence saw them outperformed by the well-drilled Dolphins side. The Sea Eagles have named explosive winger Tyrone Coppedge for his first match of the year, while the Northern boys are set to be without North Queensland Cowboys contracted forwards Blake Leary and Ricky Thorby.


IPSWICH JETS v REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS
North Ipswich Reserve
Saturday, April 16 - 6pm
This game is building up as one of the highlights of the weekend, with both sides undefeated so far in the competition. The Dolphins have won all four of their past outings, while the Jets started their season with two straight draws before notching two wins, including last weekend's strong 32-12 victory over the Mackay Cutters. The Dolphins inflicted the Sunshine Coasts worst-ever defeat last weekend, with star halfback Ryan Carr pulling the strings on the field and lightning-quick fullback Justin Hunt providing the polish. However, the Dolphins are predicted to face a sterner contest against the Jets, whose style of play so far this season has seen them impress many. While Ipswich have been without the spark of attacking weapon Donald Malone (shoulder injury) for the past few weeks, they don't seem to have missed him as much as would have been expected, with the Jets backs, including Joseph Tomane and Brendon Marshall, filling the void. Redcliffe dominates the head to head record, winning 22 of the 31 games. Ipswich forward Trevor Exton plays his 50th Queensland Cup match for the Jets and his 140th overall.


CENTRAL COMETS v MACKAY CUTTERS
Browne Park
Saturday, April 16 - 6pm
The Central Comets will be desperate to notch their first win of the season in front of their home fans in Rockhampton. After leading against the high-flying Tweed Heads Seagulls last week, the Comets let them off the hook with too many errors, an area of their game coach Wayne Barnett is looking to tighten up. The Comets will also be boosted this week with the inclusion of utility Ian Webster, who has missed the past few games with a rib complaint. Webster is a versatile player who is equally home in the halves or at hooker. After starting strongly, with good wins over the Norths Devils and the Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles, the Cutters have suffered two big losses and could face an uphill battle to avoid the same fate against a desperate Central Comets outfit. Making their task all the more difficult is the absence of skipper and experienced five-eighth Grant Rovelli, who fractured his ribs in last weekend's loss to the Ipswich Jets. Ben Jones has been named as his replacement for the Cutters, who are also likely to be without the Ah Mau brothers - Leeson and Isaak. Local Mackay product Kailem Perkins will make his Intrust Super Cup debut for the Cutters in a tremendous boost to the area. Head coach Anthony Seibold has been impressed with the development of Perkins, a member of Mackay's Under 18 team last year.


SOUTHS LOGAN v BURLEIGH BEARS
Davies Park
Sunday, April 17 - 3pm
The only Sunday game of the round, Davies Park will play host to two desperate footy sides. Burleigh have been uncharacteristically slow out of the blocks, and will be searching for only their second win so far. The Magpies will have a point to prove to their home fans, after the Tigers snatched a last minute 32-26 victory from their nest last weekend. However, both teams are fairly evenly-matched and it would not surprise if this game develops into a real arm-wrestle. The Bears have made a few positional changes from the team that took the field at Pizzey Park last week, with Riley Brown named at hooker and Nick Parfitt to start the game at centre. Souths Logan have made minimal changes to their team, with rookie Wesley Forsyth coming in for Mark Ioane. Paul Bramley, a former premiership-winning coach with Souths Logan, will travel to Davies Park for the first time in his new role as Burleigh's head coach.
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