Coaches' call: Hostplus Cup Round 22 preview

Wynnum Manly Seagulls v Townsville Blackhawks

Wynnum Manly Seagulls coach Mat Head: "Good to see the boys perform for 80 minutes how they've been training for the last six weeks or so (against Norths Devils). Just a really happy day for the playing group, the staff and the club, to watch the boys play that way. They played with a lot of happiness about themselves and got rewarded with a good victory. Biggest takeaway from that game is the belief that training and how they've been performing Monday to Friday came off for them on the weekend. They've been doing it for different parts of the games in other games but to do it for the full 80 minutes gave the boys a lot of joy and belief and we've turned up and trained well this week as well. Obviously the Blackhawks have had a very good season; they've given themselves a huge chance to make finals, as we have. Every game when you play at the back end of the year towards finals is going to be important. This one is no different. We're just excited to play at home, coming off a good win, knowing we're going to play a good Townsville team that will come down here and give it everything they've got. It's going to be good to do that in front of our Chook Pen. It's a team game and this time of year, the best team usually wins more so than the individual, so we'll concentrate of us and know what we've got to do against the Blackhawks and they're strengths and what they do really well... we'll do our best to nullify that and hopefully a good 80-minute performance gets us on the right side of the result."

Townsville Blackhawks coach Terry Campese: “We know what lies ahead of us. If we lose, we’re pretty much out of finals contention. If we win, we’re definitely making finals, with the bye next week. So it’s like a finals football game before the finals are here. Our fate is in our own hands. We win, we’re playing finals. It’s do-or-die, so it’s important we front load our energy into this game knowing we have the week off next week. If we play well enough with the right attitude, we put ourselves in the fight. The better team will win and play finals football in a couple of weeks. We’ve just been focusing on ourselves. We have to remember Wynnum Manly came to our home ground and beat us, so we need to be better. If we don’t win, we don’t deserve to be there and that’s the simplest way of looking at it. This isn’t top four, so we don’t get any second chances. If we win, it’s do-or-die in a few weeks’ time. So we need to win from here.”

Broadcast: Qplus.tv

Central Queensland Capras v Norths Devils

Central Queensland Capras coach Lionel Harbin: "Coming of a week off, prior to that, we've been playing some really good football. Norths are a quality side... they're second on the table for a reason, so we know it's going to be a tough game. The last few weeks, we've put a lot of emphasis on us and how we prepare and working hard for each other at this time of year. Off the back of that, really enjoying these last few games together and see where that leads for us. Obviously you can look back on the season and think 'could've won that game, or that game' but it is what it is, we are where we are (on the ladder). I think it's a fair indication of how our season has gone... there were a couple of blocks there where we were a bit inconsistent with our footy, but we've done a really good job of turning that around the last few weeks and playing some consistent footy towards the back end, which is pleasing. You never know what can happen in finals footy. I think finals footy has come a bit earlier for a few teams... there's a few sides there, fighting it out for positions, so it has come a bit earlier for some teams. It's really good for the competition. It's a good style of footy, quality football that is being played. It's our Old Boys Day, last home game of the season, so it's going to be a really special occasion. Norths are also an affiliate of the Dolphins so there's that extra bit of rivalry there between the two clubs. Really looking forward to the game."

Norths Devils coach Dave Elliott: "Players were pretty disappointed in their performance (against Wynnum Manly). They realised it was probably our own undoing, particularly in the second half, with I think eight penalties. Very disappointing that we couldn't put together our best footy as we push into the back end of the year where we want to be chasing some consistency. We need to be better. I think it's discipline for us. We didn't give ourselves a chance... 12 sets with the ball in the second half and to Wynnum's credit they finished strong and got enough footy in that second half and were good enough to do something with it. Our focus is, with training, very much on ourselves. We've spoken about discipline and Benn Watts is refereeing us this weekend and he's a senior ref, so we need to work with him and stop hurting ourselves. And if we do that, we can get our equal share of possession and give ourselves a chance. At this time of the season, as you see at this time every year, some teams are ramping up, whether they're chasing top four or chasing the eight, we're seeing some quality games. I'm sure we will see the same in these two weeks for teams still vying for positions, there will be some quality footy and potentially some upsets because we've seen some upsets as well lately. Capras are a gritty, skilful team so we'll have to be right on our game."

Broadcast: Qplus.tv

Mackay Cutters v Western Clydesdales

Mackay Cutters coach Adam Cuthbertson: "We sort of spoke about it last game and during the bye how important it is to go out and perform for the jersey and being back at home this weekend and the club, the boys owe it to themselves and the home fans to put a good display of rugby league on and play the way we know they can. We've got a quality rugby league team, we've just got to put it together on the day. Our intent is right with our carry, I think we've just been a bit too one-out with it, a bit patchy as a team in our games, not getting our systems right, so I think what I'm really looking for our of this game is to create a bit of consistency for the group to finish off the year and hopefully we can take that into preseason. As a pathways program, it's really important a lot of players are on a journey and have their own goals, but the collective journey should be win, so I think if we go out there and compete well as individuals with a collective goal, it sets them up for the road ahead."

Western Clydesdales coach Jason Alchin: "I want to see the same performance, same enthusiasm, same mental drive to perform (as last week) and put up a good game for themselves, that's what I'm looking for. I know there's only two games to go and we're the wooden spooners and we accept that, but I think we've had a lot of wins along the way and a lot of people not in our clubs know that, a couple of good young men have come through this system, which is really good, a lot of hard work from all of us, all the coaching staff, and I know we're playing against a Cowboys-affiliated side and a lot of those guys will want to get back in that team and will want to perform this weekend and it's up to us to do what we do. We've got few good young fellas coming through, a couple of good young fellas on the sideline, and the future for the region looks very exciting, but it's all hard work and after a couple of years they're realising what you need to do to play at this level and go further, but we have all the respect for Mackay and we'll get up there, expect a hard game and just do what we do."

Broadcast: Qplus.tv

Souths Logan Magpies v Sunshine Coast Falcons

Souths Logan Magpies coach Karmichael Hunt: “Obviously with two rounds to go in the regular season, with where we’re at on the table (10th, four points from 8th), obviously there’s a chance of us getting into the finals, but we need a few things to go our way. Nevertheless, we’re really excited to get back home (Davies Park) and play in front of friends and family, and hopefully finish our season with two wins, even if we don’t go on to play finals. The Falcons are a classy team, had a really good year, we crossed paths earlier in the year and they absolutely put a spanking on us on the Sunshine Coast. Like all Sunny Coast teams that we’ve played over the last couple of years, they never go away, they’re tough, so it’s just up to us to control the footy, make sure we’re defending well, making our tackles and taking our opportunities when they present. The boys, after the disappointment of losing against the Blackhawks, being able to have a week off, refresh, we’re all very excited and energised to get back into playing some footy this weekend."

Sunshine Coast Falcons coach Brad Henderson: “Controlling the football would be nice. While we weren’t at our best in the first half against the Pride the previous week, we at least got to our kick and made them come out of their end. In the second half I think we completed about 55 per cent and got what we deserved, coming off our line the whole game and they were just too powerful for us to hold them out. So we’re definitely looking for more ball control, more accountability on taking care of that. It’s always nice to finish in the top four, I think it’s recognition you’ve had a solid year at least and the security of having a second shot if you need it. It’d be nice, I feel we are a top four team. These next two weeks are really important if we want to try to hold on to where we are. They’ve almost got a free hit do Souths Logan and one thing they’ve been able to well this year is score points. They’ve been a little bit hit and miss the last few weeks, they’ve had some particularly good wins and a couple of bad losses, but they’re such a capable team, big mobile forward pack and two really crafty halves. I guess the team that’s doing to most to us right now is ourselves, so if we can get that part of the bargain right, I feel like we’ve got a good game, but if we go down there and toss up 55 per cent completions against Souths Logan, they’ll give us what we deserve."

Broadcast: Qplus.tv, Kayo and 9Now

PNG Hunters v Brisbane Tigers

PNG Hunters coach Paul Aiton: “(Finals) would be huge for the club, but you just never know. We have to turn up on the day, so it’s about our mindset. I’ve been stressing the importance of the hard work they’ve done to get to this position. Preseason here, compared to Australia, is very different, with different life circumstances making it a bit different and hard, so I’ve just been reminding them the journey they’ve had this year and the amount of learning they’ve had to do to get this far, to give them a bit of confidence. They’ve just got to put that concentration into the next 80 minutes. There’s been a couple of tweaks in defence, but they’ve shown they can do it. I’ve seen them play good footy, they just need to turn up with the right mindset. It’ll be a big event us (to make finals) especially after so long not being able to make finals, but I don’t stress that too much to the boys, I don’t want them to look too far ahead, keep them focused on the game at hand, but it is exciting."

Brisbane Tigers coach Matt Church: “They’re looking forward to the challenge. Last week results means we can’t make the finals, but it doesn’t mean we can’t go away on a trip like this with the right attitude and get the result. I’ve always been a process-driven person rather than outcome focused, so I still want them to stick to our processes and what we know works for us as well, so I’m challenging them to maintain those habits and behaviours regardless of whether we get to play in September or not. I think our last eight weeks we’ve had about 10 people unavailable from the starting squad at the start of the year, so that provides opportunities for players and exposed players to Cup earlier than we thought, but it also sets us up really well for next year if we retain those guys, knowing their ability, that they’re already Cup players, makes them much more valuable to our squad. Everyone knows PNG are physical, it’s one you look at on the calendar knowing it’s going to be that way, but there’s parts of our game you can look to take advantage of around system stuff and we’ve got our own little tricks that might not be trying to just go head-to-head with them in the physical stakes, but we’re looking forward to the challenge."

Broadcast: Qplus.tv

Byes

Redcliffe Dolphins, Northern Pride, Tweed Seagulls