Hostplus Cup Round 6 preview: ANZAC Round

Wynnum Manly Seagulls v Northern Pride

Head-to-head: Pride 14, Wynnum Manly 13

Last meeting: Pride 20 def Wynnum 16 in Round 15, 2022

Broadcast: Qplus.tv

• Pride have won their last two games while Wynnum Manly have lost their last two games
• Pride hold the upper hand in this head-to-head, having won two of the last three meetings between these two sides

A word from the coaches

Wynnum Manly Seagulls coach Mat Head: Our big thing after last week's loss is getting our connection back within our team. We've lost that a little bit over the last couple of weeks. That can happen at this level of football with people in and out of your team each week. We've lost it and it's starting to show, with or without the ball. If we get the connection back, that will help us. We've had some honest conversations and we have a really strong group that like to call each other out and take responsibility. The Pride have started the season pretty well and look to be a strong team across the park with big powerful forwards and speed out wide. They'll be full of confidence and they're a different type of team to what we've played in recent weeks so we're looking forward to that type of challenge. 

Northern Pride coach Ty Williams: We were satisfied with the win last week against PNG. It was rewarding and we were good for 60 minutes but we missed some opportunities. That's part of our development piece. Coming up against Wynnum Manly, we know it's always a tough place to play at BMD Kougari Oval and the Chook Pen. Having a look at their team, Tyson Smoothy is there, (Josh) Rogers is dangerous, Deloiuse (Hoeter) and (Deine) Mariner in the centres are fairly explosive as well. They're a well-balanced team across the park. It's also our first trip to Brisbane and we're excited to get away and have a crack it. We have Wynnum Manly this week and Norths next week and it's our biggest test of the season to date.

Mackay Cutters v Norths Devils

Head-to-head: Norths 17, Mackay 11

Last meeting: Norths 38 def Mackay 10 in Round 14, 2022

Broadcast: Qplus.tv

• Norths have three losses and two draws from their last five games, with last week's 34-0 defeat at the hands of Central Queensland their biggest ever loss to the Capras
• Mackay have lost their last seven games
• Norths have won the last five meetings between these two sides
• Devils wingers Jon Reuben is now equal 5th on the all-time Cup try-scoring leader board, matching Ryan Cullen with 112 tries - just one behind fourth-placed Nick Parfitt
• Norths backrower Moses Noovao-McGreal will celebrate his 50th Cup game this weekend - all 50 matches have been with the Devils

A word from the coaches

Mackay Cutters coach Michael Comerford: I thought the intensity of our game last week against the Tigers was above our previous matches. It was a pretty high-intensity game and both teams can attest to that. It's four weeks in a row where it's been one less try than our opposition. We just have to keep identifying those key moments that are having a pretty big impact on the results in the games we're playing. Coming up against Norths this week, naturally they'll be eyeing this game off as an opportunity for their first win of the season but at the same time we're expecting to have them at their best. They're a high quality team with a lot of players from the back-to-back premierships. We know they'll be eyeing us off as a target. Coming up against (former Mackay coach) Dave Elliott as well, we know it's natural for people to wonder about that match up but we addressed it internally and it doesn't have any impact on our preparation. We're all good mates and we'll definitely have a beer after the game.

Norths Devils coach Dave Elliott: We did get some things out of the loss to the Capras last week. Mostly we just need to be defensively better and more consistent with that. We've had two performances now where in the first half we've had 30 points or thereabouts against us and then in the second half kept the same team to nil or close to it. We need to find that second half performance for close to 80 minutes. There's always lapses but we need to be as close to 80 minutes as we can. We need that this weekend against the Cutters. We're expecting another tough game - they've been really competitive, in front at times within their matches and all their matches have been close. I know those players very well and there's no way they'll turn up with anything but a winning attitude. However, we're very much focused on ourselves at the moment. I know Michael will have them primed and ready and that's what we're trying to impress on our playing group. I'm confident if we're patient, we can go up there and hopefully notch up our first win.

Redcliffe Dolphins v Ipswich Jets

Head-to-head: Redcliffe 30, Ipswich 19.

Last meeting: Redcliffe 54 def Ipswich 0 in Round 10, 2022

Broadcast: Qplus.tv

• This is the 50th Cup clash between these two sides
• Redcliffe's 60-4 loss last week to Souths Logan was the second time they've had that many points scored against them, matching their 60-24 loss to Norths in 2005
• Ipswich have lost their last seven games and six of their last away games
• Redcliffe have won the last three meetings between these two sides,  Ipswich have won two of the last three games between these two sides at Redcliffe
• Redcliffe have only one loss in their last 11 home games, with one drawn and one abandoned

A word from the coaches

Redcliffe Dolphins coach Ben Te'o: Our attitude needs to change. We just didn't up turn with a good attitude last week against Souths Logan and it snowballed and we lost a fair few guys to HIAs, injuries and what not. We played a fair bit of the game with 12 men but that was all our own doing. We've made changes this week and we have people coming back from suspension and injury. The Jets are a tough side, a well-coached side. Ben Cross is a thorough guy and they'll be ready for a scrap.

Ipswich Jets coach Ben Cross: This week I'd like to see my guys play the second half like the first half and have more ball control. Possession and completion is massive in our game and we're not doing it very well. There's definitely signs of improvement and that's what's so frustrating each week. There's glimpses of brilliance but then a few little things go against you by your own demise and we don't have the resolve to get back on track. Watching what Souths Logan did against Redcliffe last week and they did the little things harder. Everything they did and tried to do came off for them. They were fairly clinical. We want to replicate half of what they did this week and complete our sets. We have to build some sort of fatigue in our opposition and exchange sets and build into the game.

Townsville Blackhawks v Tweed Seagulls

Head-to-head: Townsville 9, Tweed 2, drawn 1

Last meeting: Tweed 42 def Townsville 0 in Round 19, 2022

Broadcast: Qplus.tv

• Townsville have won all five games between these two sides at Jack Manski Oval, however they have recently lost two of their last three home games while Tweed have won their last two away games
• It's a big game for milestones with Townsville playmaker Ben Hampton celebrating his 50th Cup game while Tweed backrower Ioane Seiuli will notch up game No.50 for the Seagulls - it will be his 63rd Cup game overall

A word from the coaches

Townsville Blackhawks coach Aaron Payne: Having two weeks off is not something we're used to but it was an opportunity after a really long pre-season and being in really hot conditions up here to have a little refresh and certainly reflect on our first four games of the season. We've had a chance to reset and be really enthusiastic about the next five week block. To be two (wins) and two (losses) at this point, you'd obviously like to win all your games but two and two is probably an accurate level of where we're at. We've certainly been our own worst enemy at times and we've showed glimpses of good footy but we're not doing it enough. We're beating ourselves. That's what we addressed in our little review and it's something the players are pretty aware of and keen to improve this week. Tweed are a really good side. They're one of the sides I look at and I have a lot of respect for. There's some real quality individuals that are very talented as well as experienced Cup players. We need to be really good this weekend at making our tackles, particularly one-on-one with so much strike in the outside backs.

Tweed Seagulls coach Dave Penna: One of our big takeaways from last week's win over Wynnum Manly is that we still had out lapses there for that middle period of the second half where we bombed a couple of tries. We let them score a couple of easy tries where we should have defended it but it was pleasing in the end. We travel up to Townsville this week and you don’t want to make travel a big deal. I think the last couple of times that we did do the trip, we had to do up and back on the same day. Hopefully being up there and settled, able to wake up in the morning and do what we normally do on game day, will hopefully make a bit of a difference to us. With Luke Burton starting, he brings a bit of energy and a bit of toughness to our middle. He’s quite big and mobile. He runs hard, and tackles hard and we’re looking forward to giving him a bit of a crack at it. We also have young Kaleb Ngamanu starting for us this week. He made way for Jojo (Fifita) last week but he’s another exciting young fella that played really well for us in the first three or four rounds. He’s a good kid and has a big future and it’s good for him to play some more footy.

Sunshine Coast Falcons v Souths Logan Magpies

Head-to-head: Souths Logan 12, Sunshine Coast 10, drawn 1 

Last meeting: Sunshine Coast 28 def Souths Logan 16 in Round 3, 2022

Broadcast: Qplus.tv

• Sunshine Coast have won their last three games while Souths Logan have two wins and two draws from their first four games of the season
• Sunshine Coast have won the last five meetings between these two sides, including the last two at home
• Magpies winger Jack Smith was only the second Souths Logan player to score four tries in a single match, following Matt Soper-Lawler in 2019

A word from the coaches

Sunshine Coast Falcons coach Brad Henderson: Last week's win over Burleigh was good for us in terms of building our combinations again. I feel like we were evidently one week better, which was nice. Guys like Jayden Nikorima and Sua Faalogo are getting better and better every game with their combinations for us. It was an unexpected big win. We got Burleigh on a bad day and I'd hate to be the team that's playing them this week. But i'm just generally really pleased with the day and how we went about things. This week the team's probably going to look fairly different, which is out of our control with Melbourne not sending too many players up. But because of this, we can pretty much look to play the way we practise because we all train together and that's the team that'll be on the field. Souths Logan have been consistent with two wins and two draws and to beat Redcliffe by that many points as they did last week, you're doing something right. We'll have to be really good and take care of the things we can control.

Souths Logan Magpies coach Karmichael Hunt: We were pleased to get a good result last week. It even was surprising to myself that we were able to put on that many points against Redcliffe but I was not surprised by the effort. The attack just happened to click into action on the weekend. We can take forward the confidence from that game in terms of what we're trying to do. But I've been saying to the group that this week is a completely new week and Sunshine Coast present an entirely new challenge, so it's understanding the detail and effort that led to that performance. It's going to be required again this week but with a new perspective. We played the Falcons in the trials and I just watched their last couple of games and they're impressive. They're really fit, play a really fast, up tempo style of footy and have good quality players across the park. 

Brisbane Tigers v Western Clydesdales

Head-to-head: Clydesdales 11, Tigers 10

Last meeting: Tigers 33 def Clydesdales 12 in Round 16, 2006

Broadcast: Qplus.tv

• Tigers have won their last three games, including one of their biggest victories. Their last home game was a 54-20 win over Ipswich, which was the most points they have ever scored against Ipswich
• The Clydesdales have won the last three meetings between these two sides at Totally Workwear Stadium - or Langlands as it was known when the Clydesdales were last in the competition
• Tigers playmaker Ryley Jacks will celebrate a momentous occasion this weekend, as he notches up his 100th Cup game. He's earnt this milestone playing games for Burleigh Bears, Sunshine Coast Falcons and the Tigers

A word from the coaches

Brisbane Tigers coach Matt Church: I'm happy that we won last round but not so much how we went about it. There was a bit of mayhem when we lost both wingers and a halfback by halftime - plus we had our fullback in the bin for 10 minutes at the same time - so we were happy to get away with the win. I just thought we got away from our game plan ... we're a team that has really good, fast middles and leg speed and we didn't use that as effectively as we liked and will look to turn it around against the Clydesdales this week. They'll be full of confidence after getting their first win and they play a power game with their forwards and their centres are pretty big strike players so we'll have to be on our game. 

Western Clydesdales coach Jason Alchin: The big takeaway from our first win is that we weren't too happy with the way we played in the first half but we had a chat at halftime and fixed that up. That is the best thing. This is what we train for, to win, it doesn't matter who you play. It's great for the club that it's over and done with now. Everyone's been waiting for it but now we move on and this week we're going into the Tigers. We all know how good they've been over the years. They're affiliated with the Melbourne Storm and they're well-coached with really good players there. We have to turn up and put in our best performance and worry about us and what we're doing.

Bye: Central Queensland Capras

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QRL match review results Round 5 - Hostplus Cup