The Savige Pest Control Ipswich Jets Intrust Super Cup Round Three Preview
INTRUST SUPER CUP PREVIEW
ROUND THREE- Sunshine Coast Stadium
IPSWICH JETS V SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS
OVERALL RECORD – Ipswich 13 Hunters 6 with two draws. TEAMS: https://www.qrl.com.au/draw/intrust-super-cup/2021/round-3/falcons-v-jets/
LAST FIVE GAMES
2019 – Ipswich 28 Falcons 28 (Sunshine Coast)
2019 – Falcons 62 Ipswich 8 (Ipswich)
2018 – Ipswich 32 Falcons 28 (Ipswich)
2018 – Ipswich 17 Falcons 16 (Sunshine Coast)
2017 – Falcons 36 Ipswich 16 (Ipswich)
JETS V FALCONS ROUND THREE
The Falcons and Jets will kick off round three of the Intrust Super Cup on Saturday.
The Jets haven’t beaten the Falcons since 2018 when they beat them by a point with a Sam Caslick field goal on the Sunshine Coast and by 32-28 in Ipswich in the return bout.
It was a dark day in 2019 when Harry Grant and Nicho Hynes picked the eyes out the Jets 62-8.
The Jets have led the Falcons overall 13 wins to six with two draws and on the Sunshine Coast Ipswich has won six from 10 games.
We come to 2021 and the Jets haven’t won a game yet and the Falcons have one win from two games.
The Falcons started the year with a loss to the Pride but bounced back against the Magpies. While the Jets are still winless after being beaten by the Hunters and Blackhawks.
Attack for the Falcons and Jets isn’t dissimilar with the Jets having scored 34 points and the Falcons 44. It’s defence where things are diverse; the Falcons have let in 54 compared to 90.
PLAYERS TO WATCH – FALCONS
Falcons fullback Luke Polselli played his second Intrust Super Cup game on the weekend and his first for the Falcons after moving from the Cutters.
Polselli had previously been at Newtown and was there in the State Championship game when the Jets broke the Bears heart.
This time Polselli will be hoping to break the Jets heart. With two tries last week both coming on the back of coming around the back and making 178 meters for the Falcons. Polselli will be a concern again for the Jets this week.
This week one thing that will defiantly be on the Jets’ whiteboard will be no dummies- Todd Murphy has been dummying his way through 93 Intrust Super Cup games and he will do it again if you follow the ball. Murphy will be looking to get ball from Kurt Baptiste and get his outside men on the outside and then just sit back and watch as they run away. Murphy has one try assist and one line break assist this season.
BJ Aufaga-Toomaga is no stranger to Ipswich football fans. Aufaga-Toomaga was part of the Goodna Grand Final rampage that won the final of the Volunteers Cup with Goodna winning 44-16 and Aufaga-Toomaga adding 152 points to his personal tally. Aufaga-Toomaga now finds himself on the Sunshine Coast and adding to his 24 Intrust Super Cup games and 14 tries.
PLAYERS TO WATCH – JETS
Ipswich Jets forward leader Nat Neale continues to defend like his life depends on it. Neale’s greatest attribute is that he doesn’t just defend his channel but he can tackle the opposition anywhere on the field. Neale has made 76 tackles in two games for one missed tackle. In the first two rounds the Jets have made 517 tackles and Neale has topped the tackle count for both games. The captain’s 76 tackles mean he’s contributing 15% of the Jets tackling.
Kierran Mosley plugs the middle of the field for the Jets with his 65 tackles across the first two games.Mosely is also a weapon in attack with two tries, two-line breaks and five tackle breaks. Keeping the markers honest Moseley is a threat at all times and is a smart hooker. You can see him have a sneaky little look and knows what he’s going to do as he gets to dummy half.
Jordan Carriera has become an attacking weapon for the Jets in 2021. Carriera has played two games but has scored a tidy two tries. His try against the Hunters showed good movement, caught and cut back inside at the shoulder of the Hunters to score. Carriera is showing signs he could be the outside back that Jets’ fans love to watch. Carriera is proving athletic with the ball in his hands, and has three-line breaks and three tackle breaks from his first two games.
SUMMARY
These are not desperate times but you don’t want to be 0/3. The Jets fixed their ruck defence from the Townsville game to the Hunters game but then let the Hunters score out wide. The Jets will be keen to stop tries anywhere and make sure their communication is top notch. The Falcons have been patchy too, losing week one in an upset to the Pride but getting home against the Magpies week two. Both teams will be trying for a solid win, warming up nicely for the rest of the season.