Queensland Cup - Round 15 Preview

SATURDAY JULY 3 Wynnum Seagulls v Ipswich Jets, 2.05pm, Kougari Oval ABC TV live telecast?Victorious as City coach last weekend, Kelly Egan has been given the task of getting his Wynnum side back on track after two straight losses?Egan will attempt to do so minus his best forward and best back ? Grant Wooden and Jim Ahmat ? who are resting for Queensland Residents duty?Presently the Seagulls are in seventh spot, but only three points from first place?Meanwhile, Ipswich has dropped to second-last on the table after three straight losses?When these sides met earlier in the year, Wynnum won 20-12, with Ahmat scoring two individual tries and proving the difference?This week Simon Phillips starts in Ahmat?s place, with teenagers Tom Hewitt and Michael Anschau on the wings?The Jets are without back-rower Kyle Warren (Residents), but otherwise have named one of their strongest line-ups this year.

Central Comets v Norths Devils, 7pm, Browne Park. An important game for both teams, with Central?s finals chances extremely desperate and Norths vying for position in the heavily congested top five?An upset to the Comets would put them on track for a late charge, as they are drawn to face Souths Logan and Brothers Valleys in the weeks following?Their chances of toppling the Devils have been helped by the absence of Steve Turner, Ryan Hoffman, Glen Turner, Cooper Cronk, Nathan Friend (Melbourne Storm) and Jake Webster, Anthony Boyd and Jeremy Smith (Queensland Residents)?Among the many changes for Norths, Andrew McFadden is listed as hooker, while Phil Wuersching comes into the back row?Wuersching was a member of the Queensland Rangers team which beat New South Wales Country 50-22 last week?Interesting selections for Central include rookie Trent McKinlay on the wing, Blake Hinschen on the bench and Don Saunders at five-eighth?Raised in Mackay, Hinschen joins the Comets after two years with Canberra?Impressive young winger John Tamanika has been omitted due to knee injury, having scored two tries in his last appearance.

North Queensland Young Guns v Tweed Heads Seagulls, 7.30pm, Ray Edwards Oval, Sarina Injuries and Origin duty have conspired to alter North Queensland?s line-up significantly?Stephen Sheppard makes a surprise return to the Young Guns at centre, days after his older brother Chris injured his knee and ankle in the NRL?Michael Meigan is at halfback for North Queensland, while Wallace Solomona is five-eighth?Nathan Fien, Brenton Bowen and Rod Jensen will all play NRL on Saturday?Daniel Strickland had a one-match ban in the Queensland Cup overturned last week, but he has been promoted to the Cowboys anyway?After a last-up loss the Young Guns are sixth?Tweed Heads is in eighth place after four wins on the trot?The Seagulls have named Eddie Harrison to start at prop and Ben Quinlan in the second row, while Andrew Maroney shifts to the back row and Grant Stuart goes to the bench?Corey Maher has been included on a five-man interchange?When these sides met earlier in the year, Hale Vaa?sa scored four tries for NQ in a 50-16 romp?Since then Vaa?sa has had a knee reconstruction and his future is uncertain past 2004?Queensland under-17s representative Scott Bolton makes his debut for the Young Guns against the Seagulls?Host town Sarina has produced many fine footballers, among them Kevin Campion, Martin Bella, Dale Shearer and Wendell Sailor.

SUNDAY JULY 4 Toowoomba Clydesdales v Souths Logan Magpies, 12.20pm, Suncorp Stadium. After last weekend?s 54-26 win over Brothers Valleys, Souths Logan head to the opposite bank of the Brisbane River?Yet while Suncorp Stadium is only a stone?s throw from Davies Park, the environment will be a world away?Compared to last-placed Brothers Valleys, the Magpies? opponent will be equal-first Toowoomba?The Suncorp Stadium crowd will also differ greatly, likely to be around 100 times the usual attendance at West End?This will the first appearance by the Magpies at Queensland?s home of rugby league since May 2001 when they defeated Wests 28-22 in the last Queensland Cup game before the ground redevelopment?Souths Logan will yet again be without playmaker Jace Van Dijk (Residents), however the Toowoomba line-up is severely depleted due to representative and NRL commitments?Fullback Germaine Paulson replaces Nick Parfitt, the wingers are Dane Kershaw and Donald Malone, regular five-eighth Ian Lacey moves to hooker and hooker Matt Ballin starts in the second row?Ben Czislowski has been named as starting prop for Toowoomba, but has also been named on the Brisbane Broncos bench?Toowoomba has scored 50, 56, 62, 64 and 50 in its last five games against Souths.

Burleigh Bears v Easts Tigers, 3pm, Pizzey Park. One of these two teams will lose its grip on first place after this game, providing there isn?t a draw?Oddly enough, despite their high standing, the Bears and Tigers will contribute just one player to this year?s Queensland Residents team ? Easts hooker Trent Young?Young has a more than handy replacement, with Paul Dezolt now back in the black-and-gold?Boasting more than 20 NRL games to his name, Dezolt has returned after a stint with the New Zealand Warriors?Darren Smith is also welcomed back by Easts after two matches with the Brisbane Broncos?Burleigh has made several changes to the team which beat Ipswich 48-20?Wingers Faron Anderson and Aseri Laing are back in place of Ray Hubbard and Mark Comens, while Kris Flint replaces David Hicks at five-eighth?With barely a month on the sideline for a broken thumb, Ali Brown has been named to play for the Bears?The hulking forward is on the interchange bench along with Afa Gafa, Dean Allen and Adam Fielder?Burleigh beat Easts 46-20 in round five of this season.

Redcliffe Dolphins v Brothers Valleys, 3pm, Dolphin Oval. Aside from Daniel Green, Redcliffe will be without Trent Leis, Adam Starr, Ben Jones, Justin McKay and Troy Lindsay, all of whom have been selected for Queensland Residents?Their exclusion paves the way for Chris Bond to move to fullback, Nick Walker to start in the front row and Danny Burke to return to the starting pack?Charles Vis, Quinn Smith and Joe Burley join interchange specialist Matt Anderton on the bench?Brothers Valleys will play last week?s captain Scott Maguire off the interchange, along with fellow veteran Chris Essex?Steve Shilvock of Brothers Valleys may mark up on the wing against brother Phil from Redcliffe?Of the biggest wins in the Queensland Cup this season, the Dolphins? 62-6 victory against the Blues in round five ranks second in terms of margin?Redcliffe?s Damien Richters (154 points) is seven points clear of Easts? Dane Campbell as the most prolific player in the Queensland Cup this season?Redcliffe is currently fifth on the table, while Brothers Valleys is twelfth.

Article kindly supplied by http://www.qrl.com.au