Redcliffe vs Toowoomba Preview

TOOWOOMBA v REDCLIFFE, Clive Berghofer Stadium, Saturday 2pm, August 13.

FORMER State of Origin player Stuart Kelly will miss the ABC televised match of the round, fought out between two teams likely to meet in the first week of finals.

Kelly could be out for up to a month with a groin injury, meaning the Clydesdales would need to make the preliminary final for him to return. It is a big blow to the 29-year-old, who has spent the year adding direction to the club?s youth brigade. Only last week Kelly scored a try and helped steer the Clydesdales to a 52-14 win against Souths Logan. His replacement is teenager Greg Eastwood.

Toowoomba is also keeping a tight watch on the finals eligibility of several players ? namely key forwards Darren Mapp and Sam Thaiday. Under QRL rules players must feature in as many, if not more, games for their Queensland Wizard Cup club as for their NRL club to play in the finals.

Redcliffe has concerns of a different nature after last week?s bye. The Dolphins will be trying to get the best out of Jamie Russo, Nick Emmett, Greg Bourke and Adam Starr, with each of the quartet hampered by injury in recent times. Aggressive utility Russo has been absent the longest, due to a quadriceps injury suffered in Round 16.

Just two appearances away from creating history, Redcliffe prop Troy Lindsay will be hoping for a clean bill of health from this weekend. All things going well, Lindsay should become the first player to register 200 games in Queensland Wizard Cup history in the last round of the regular season.

While not as long in the tooth, Toowoomba pair Tony Duggan and Nick Parfitt are also creating history as they go. While Duggan broke into the top 10 career try scorers with a hat-trick last weekend, Parfitt became the ninth player to pass 500 career points.

Brett Suttor will be the referee for Saturday afternoon?s game.

TOOWOOMBA: Nick Parfitt, Tony Duggan, Steve Michaels, Michael Bond, Denan Kemp, Greg Eastwood, Ian Lacey, Nick Kenny, Michael Ryan, Anthony Seibold ?, Joe Clarke, Darren Mapp, Neale Wyatt. Interchange: Tame Tupou, Keiron Lander, Derricke Watkins, Ian Blake.

REDCLIFFE: Ryan Cullen, Phil Shilvock, Greg Bourke, Nick Emmett, Liam Georgetown, Jamie Russo, Shane Perry ?, Adam Starr, Mick Roberts, Troy Lindsay, Grant Flugge, Danny Burke, Danny Green. Interchange: Nick Walker, Shannon Fish, Matt Mapes, Damien Jentz.

This article is courtesy of the QRL for more Queensland Wizard Cup News visit www.qrl.com.au