2017 Queensland Cup

The 2017 Queensland Cup season was the 22nd season of Queensland's top-level statewide rugby league competition run by the Queensland Rugby League. The competition, known as the Intrust Super Cup due to sponsorship from Intrust Super, featured 14 teams playing a 29-week long season (including finals) from March to September.[1]

2017 Queensland Cup
DurationMarch 4 – September 24, 2017
Teams14
Premiers PNG Hunters (1st title)
Minor premiers PNG Hunters (1st title)
Matches played167
Points scored7,353
Top points scorer(s) Carlin Anderson (220)
Player of the year Ase Boas (Courier Mail Medal)
Top try-scorer(s) Jonathon Reuben (26)

The Papua New Guinea Hunters won their first premiership after defeating the Sunshine Coast Falcons 12–10 in the Grand Final at Suncorp Stadium, becoming the first team from outside of Australia to win the Queensland Cup. Hunters' halfback Ase Boas was named the competition's Player of the Year, winning the Courier Mail Medal.[2][3]

Teams

In 2017, the lineup of teams remained unchanged for the third consecutive year.

Colours Club Home ground(s) Head coach(s) Captain(s) NRL Affiliate
 Burleigh Bears Pizzey Park Jim Lenihan Luke Page Gold Coast Titans
 Central Queensland Capras Browne Park Kim Williams Gavin Hiscox None
 Easts Tigers Suzuki Stadium Scott Sipple Jake Foster Melbourne Storm
 Ipswich Jets North Ipswich Reserve Ben & Shane Walker Dane Phillips Brisbane Broncos
 Mackay Cutters Stadium Mackay Steve Sheppard Andrew Davey & Setaimata Sa North Queensland Cowboys
 Northern Pride Barlow Park Ty Williams Ryan Ghietti North Queensland Cowboys
 Norths Devils Bishop Park Mark Gliddon Billy Brittain Brisbane Broncos
 Papua New Guinea Hunters National Football Stadium Michael Marum Ase Boas None
 Redcliffe Dolphins Dolphin Oval Adam Mogg Sam Anderson Brisbane Broncos
 Souths Logan Magpies Davies Park Jon Buchanan Phil Dennis Brisbane Broncos
 Sunshine Coast Falcons Sunshine Coast Stadium Craig Ingebrigtsen Dane Hogan Melbourne Storm
 Townsville Blackhawks Jack Manski Oval Kristian Woolf Dan Beasley North Queensland Cowboys
 Tweed Heads Seagulls Piggabeen Sports Complex Aaron Zimmerle Damian Sironen Gold Coast Titans
 Wynnum Manly Seagulls BMD Kougari Oval Adam Brideson Mitchell Frei Brisbane Broncos

Ladder
2017 Queensland Cup
Pos Team Pld W D L B PF PA PD Pts
1 Papua New Guinea Hunters (P) 2317152550378+17239
2 Redcliffe Dolphins 2317062604332+27238
3 Easts Tigers 2316162596422+17437
4 Sunshine Coast Falcons 2315172645418+22735
5 Souths Logan Magpies 2315082580484+9634
6 Townsville Blackhawks 2312292575473+10230
7 Ipswich Jets 23120112536539-328
8 Mackay Cutters 23102112531566-3526
9 Burleigh Bears 23100132466510-6424
10 Wynnum Manly Seagulls 2390142433465-3222
11 Norths Devils 2390142502570-6822
12 Northern Pride 2360172400555-15516
13 Tweed Heads Seagulls 2350182337710-37314
14 Central Queensland Capras 2341182416729-31313

Final series
Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time (Local) Venue
Elimination Finals
Sunshine Coast Falcons 26 – 18 Souths Logan Magpies 3 September 2017, 1:30pm Sunshine Coast Stadium
Easts Tigers 20 – 16 Townsville Blackhawks 3 September 2017, 2:00pm Suzuki Stadium
Major / Minor Semi Finals
Easts Tigers 22 – 26 Sunshine Coast Falcons 10 September 2017, 1:30pm Suzuki Stadium
PNG Hunters 6 – 4 Redcliffe Dolphins 10 September 2017, 3:00pm National Football Stadium
Preliminary Final
Redcliffe Dolphins 8 – 34 Sunshine Coast Falcons 17 September 2017, 2:30pm Dolphin Oval
Grand Final
PNG Hunters 12 – 10 Sunshine Coast Falcons 24 September 2017, 3:25pm Suncorp Stadium
 
  Qualifying / Elimination Finals Major / Minor Semi Finals Preliminary Final Grand Final
                                     
1 PNG Hunters 6  
    2 Redcliffe 4         1 PNG Hunters 12
3 Easts 20     2 Redcliffe 8   4 Sunshine Coast 10
6 Townsville 16       4 Sunshine Coast 34  
3 Easts 22
4 Sunshine Coast 26   4 Sunshine Coast 26  
5 Souths Logan 18

Grand Final
Sunday, 24 September
3:25pm (AEST)
PNG Hunters 12 – 10 Sunshine Coast Falcons
Tries:
Watson Boas 1
Willie Minoga 1
Goals:
Ase Boas 2		 1st: 0 - 10
2nd: 12 - 0
Report		 Tries:
1 Matt Soper-Lawler
1 Joe Stimson
Goals:
1 Joe Stimson
Suncorp Stadium
Attendance: 11,260
Referee: Jarrod Cole, Nick Pelgrave
Man of the Match: Ase Boas (PNG Hunters)
PNG Hunters Position Sunshine Coast Falcons
Stargroth AmeanFBJahrome Hughes
Wawa PaulWGMatt Soper-Lawler
Bland AbavuCEJustin Olam
Adex WeraCEChris Lewis
Butler MorrisWGJeremy Hawkins
Ase Boas (c)FEScott Drinkwater
Watson BoasHBRyley Jacks
Wellington AlbertPRTui Kamikamica
Wartovo PuaraHKBrandon Smith
Stanton AlbertPRLachlan Timm
David LokoSRDane Hogan (c)
Nixon PuttSRJoe Stimson
Moses MeningaLKHarrison Muller
Rhadley BrawaBenchJon Grieve
Willie MinogaBenchLouis Geraghty
Enoch MakiBenchJye Ballinger
Brandy PeterBenchGuy Hamilton
Michael MarumCoachCraig Ingebrigtsen

The PNG Hunters won their first minor premiership after finishing ahead of Redcliffe by a single point. After earning a bye in the first week of the finals, they defeated Redcliffe in the major semi final to qualify for their first Grand Final. Sunshine Coast had to earn their Grand Final spot the hard way, winning four straight games on route to the decider. In the first week, they eliminated Souths Logan and then upset the third-placed Easts Tigers in the semi finals and the second-placed Dolphins in the preliminary final to qualify for their second Grand Final.

First half

The Sunshine Coast stunned the Hunters early in the first half, with winger Matt Soper-Lawler scoring in just the 2nd minute as the Falcons hunted another finals upset. Five minutes later they scored their second try when second rower Joe Stimson crossed in the 7th minute. That would be the end of the first half scoring, with the Hunters getting close to getting their first try in the 15th minute but were ruled back for a forward pass.

Second half

It took the Hunters just two minutes to record their first points of the game when halfback Watson Boas scored after a deflected kick and an error from the Falcons. The scoreline remained unchanged for the next 36 minutes as neither side could crack the others defence. Finally, in the 79th minute, Hunters' forward Willie Minoga became his side's hero, as he dived onto an Ase Boas' grubber to score the try that levelled the scores. After consulting with the video referee, the try was awarded and Ase Boas kicked the game-winning conversion from right in front to give the Hunters their first ever Queensland Cup premiership.[4][5] Hunters' captain Ase Boas was awarded the Duncan Hall Medal for man of the match.[6]

NRL State Championship
See also: 2017 NRL Grand Final § NRL State Championship

After winning the Grand Final, the PNG Hunters qualified for the NRL State Championship on NRL Grand Final day. They were defeated by the Penrith Panthers, the New South Wales Cup premiers, 18–42.[7]

Player statistics

The following statistics are as of the conclusion of the season (including finals).[8]

QRL awards

Team of the Year
PositionNatWinnerClub
FullbackJamayne Isaako Souths Logan Magpies
WingJonathon Reuben Townsville Blackhawks
CentreJustin Olam Sunshine Coast Falcons
Five-eighthBilly Walters Easts Tigers
HalfbackBrodie Croft Easts Tigers
PropMatthew Lodge Redcliffe Dolphins
HookerPat Politoni Burleigh Bears
Second-rowBlake Leary Townsville Blackhawks
LockSam Anderson Redcliffe Dolphins

See also

References
  1. https://leagueunlimited.com/competition/show/queensland-cup/2017/draw/full
  2. https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/png-hunters-skipper-ase-boas-wins-couriermail-medal-in-intrust-super-cup/news-story/baf59d0c8e5169ad3eab0693d10be665
  3. https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/png-hunters-win-intrust-super-cup-grand-final-in-last-minute-20170924-p4yw3i.html
  4. https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/qrl/png-hunters-win-their-first-intrust-super-cup-grand-final-with-dramatic-1210-over-the-sunshine-coast/news-story/121772010a56cc891a595166381a5a26
  5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPs1s9oufXs
  6. https://www.sbs.com.au/news/png-captain-s-inspiring-qcup-season
  7. https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-grand-final-2017-penrith-panthers-far-too-strong-for-png-hunters-in-state-championship-20171001-gys7zm.html
  8. https://www.qrl.com.au/stats/?competition=114&season=2017
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