2018 Queensland Cup

The 2018 Queensland Cup season was the 23rd 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 28-week long season (including finals) from March to September.[1]

2018 Queensland Cup
DurationMarch 10 – September 23, 2018
Teams14
Premiers Redcliffe Dolphins (6th title)
Minor premiers Redcliffe Dolphins (6th title)
Matches played167
Points scored7,279
Top points scorer(s) Guy Hamilton (176)
Player of the year Nathaniel Neale
(Petero Civoniceva Medal)
Top try-scorer(s) Daniel Ogden
Michael Purcell (22)

The Redcliffe Dolphins won their sixth premiership after defeating the Easts Tigers 32–22 in the Grand Final at Suncorp Stadium. Ipswich Jets prop Nathaniel Neale was named the competition's Player of the Year, winning the Petero Civoniceva Medal.[2]

Teams

In 2018, the lineup of teams remained unchanged for the fourth 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 Jack Madden None
 Easts Tigers Suzuki Stadium Scott Sipple Jake Foster Melbourne Storm
 Ipswich Jets North Ipswich Reserve Ben & Shane Walker Nathaniel Neale None
 Mackay Cutters BB Print Stadium Steve Sheppard Tom Murphy North Queensland Cowboys
 Northern Pride Barlow Park Ty Williams Ryan Ghietti North Queensland Cowboys
 Norths Devils Bishop Park Rohan Smith John Palavi Brisbane Broncos
 Papua New Guinea Hunters National Football Stadium Michael Marum Ase Boas None
 Redcliffe Dolphins Dolphin Oval Adam Mogg Cameron Cullen 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 Andrew Niemoeller North Queensland Cowboys
 Tweed Heads Seagulls Piggabeen Sports Complex Ben Woolf Sam Meskell Gold Coast Titans
 Wynnum Manly Seagulls BMD Kougari Oval Adam Brideson Mitch Cronin Brisbane Broncos

Ladder
2018 Queensland Cup
Pos Team Pld W D L B PF PA PD Pts
1 Redcliffe Dolphins (P) 2316161600382+21835
2 Burleigh Bears 2316071589427+16234
3 Townsville Blackhawks 2315081571348+22332
4 Northern Pride 2313191474404+7029
5 Easts Tigers 23130101576503+7328
6 Ipswich Jets 23130101554505+4928
7 Papua New Guinea Hunters 23130101444418+2628
8 Norths Devils 23110121516553-3724
9 Souths Logan Magpies 23100131534499+3522
10 Sunshine Coast Falcons 23100131453464-1122
11 Tweed Heads Seagulls 2391131435634-19921
12 Wynnum Manly Seagulls 2390141472593-12120
13 Central Queensland Capras 2370161390576-18616
14 Mackay Cutters 2341181386688-30211

Final series
Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time (Local) Venue
Elimination Finals
Townsville Blackhawks 12 - 32 Ipswich Jets 1 September 2018, 1:10pm Jack Manski Oval
Northern Pride 0 – 32 Easts Tigers 1 September 2018, 3:00pm Stan Williams Park
Major / Minor Semi Finals
Easts Tigers 50 – 20 Ipswich Jets 8 September 2018, 1:10pm Suzuki Stadium
Redcliffe Dolphins 13 – 6 Burleigh Bears 8 September 2018, 6:00pm Dolphin Stadium
Preliminary Finals
Burleigh Bears 26 – 36 Easts Tigers 15 September 2018, 1:10pm Pizzey Park
Grand Final
Redcliffe Dolphins 36 – 22 Easts Tigers 23 September 2018, 3:10pm Suncorp Stadium
 
  Elimination Finals Major / Minor Semi-finals Preliminary final Grand Final
                                     
1 Redcliffe 13  
    2 Burleigh 6         1 Redcliffe 36
4 Northern Pride 0     2 Burleigh 26   5 Easts 22
5 Easts 32       5 Easts 36  
5 Easts 50
3 Townsville 12   6 Ipswich 20  
6 Ipswich 32

Grand Final
Sunday, September 23
3:00pm (AEST)
Redcliffe Dolphins 36 – 22 Easts Tigers
Tries:
Trai Fuller (8', 42') 2
Jeremy Hawkins (27') 1
Kotoni Staggs (46') 1
Nathan Watts (62') 1
Tom Opacic (78') 1
Goals:
Kotoni Staggs 6
(10', 28', 33', 43', 48', 63')		 1st: 14 – 10
2nd: 22 – 12
Report		 Tries:
1 (12') Conor Carey
1 (37') Marion Seve
1 (56') Jake Foster
1 (64') Scott Drinkwater
Goals:
3 Brayden Torpy
(13', 57', 65')
Suncorp Stadium
Attendance: 7,504[3]
Man of the Match: Toby Rudolf (Redcliffe)
Redcliffe Dolphins Position Easts Tigers
Trai FullerFBScott Drinkwater
Josh BeehagWGLinc Port
Kotoni StaggsCEShane Neumann
Tom OpacicCEMarion Seve
Jeremy HawkinsWGConor Carey
Bryce DonovanFEBilly Walters
Cameron Cullen (c)HBBrayden Torpy
Nathan WattsPRAlbert Vete
Jake TurpinHKTom Butterfield
Sam AndersonPRDavid Tyrrell
Toby RudolfSRJake Foster (c)
Myles TaueliSRPatrick Kaufusi
Jamil HopoateLKJack Svendsen
Nick SlyneyBenchChris Ostwald
Aaron WhitchurchBenchTino Fa'asuamaleaui
James TaylorBenchKelma Tuilagi
Hugh PrattBenchSam Kasiano
Adam MoggCoachScott Sipple

Redcliffe finished the regular season as minor premiers for the sixth time and earned a bye in the first week of the finals. In the major semi final, they defeated Burleigh 13–6 and qualified for their 11th Grand Final. Easts finished fifth on the ladder and defeated the fourth-placed Northern Pride 32–0 in the first week of the finals. In the minor semi final, they eliminated Ipswich 50–20 before upsetting Burleigh in the preliminary final to qualify for their fifth Grand Final. Redcliffe and Easts last met in a Grand Final in 1997, with the Dolphins winning 18–16.

First half

Redcliffe were the first to score in the Grand Final thanks to a Kotoni Staggs penalty goal from 20 metres out. The first try of the contest went to Easts, with Conor Carey stretching out to score in the corner. Redcliffe recorded their first four-pointer in the 16th minute when a late Cameron Cullen offload found fullback Trai Fuller who muscled his way over. They scored their second when Jeremy Hawkins leapt high to catch a Bryce Donovan kick and planted it down for a try. Another penalty goal in the 33rd minute gave the Dolphins a 14–6 lead. Easts hit back in the shadow of half time when Marion Seve scored out wide to cut the margin to four points.

Second half

The Dolphins opened the second half with an early try when Fuller ducked through the Tigers' defence to score his second try. They extended their lead in the 46th minute when a Donovan grubber was kept alive by Aaron Whitchurch, who batted infield for Staggs to score. Easts got back into the game in the 56th minute when captain Jake Foster barged over from close range to score. In the 62nd minute, Redcliffe all but sealed the win when Donovan set up another try with his boot, this time finding Nathan Watt who dived on his grubber. The Tigers got one back two minutes later through fullback Scott Drinkwater but it proved to be a consolation try in the end, as Redcliffe ended the game with a try to Tom Opacic in the 78th minute. Dolphins' second rower Toby Rudolf was awarded the Duncan Hall Medal for man of the match.[4][5]

NRL State Championship
See also: 2018 NRL Grand Final § NRL State Championship

After winning the Grand Final, the Redcliffe Dolphins qualified for the NRL State Championship on NRL Grand Final day. They were defeated by the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, the New South Wales Cup premiers, 18–42.[6][7]

Player statistics

QRL awards

Team of the Year
PositionNatWinnerClub
FullbackScott Drinkwater Easts Tigers
WingKalifa Faifai Loa Townsville Blackhawks
CentreKotoni Staggs Redcliffe Dolphins
Five-eighthBilly Walters Easts Tigers
HalfbackJake Clifford Northern Pride
PropNathaniel Neale Ipswich Jets
HookerPat Politoni Burleigh Bears
Second-rowPatrick Kaufusi Easts Tigers
LockJamil Hopoate Redcliffe Dolphins

See also

References
  1. https://www.qrl.com.au/draw/?competition=114&season=2018&round=28
  2. "Ipswich hardman claims Civoniceva Medal". Queensland Rugby League. QRL Media. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  3. Arnold, Rikki-Lee (23 September 2018). "Redcliffe Dolphins down Easts Tigers 36-22 to win Intrust Super Cup grand final". The Courier Mail. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmP7QouReqY
  5. https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/09/23/cronulla-sharks-recruit-toby-rudolf-red-hot-as-redcliffe-dolphins-down-easts-tigers-in-intrust-super-cup-grand-final/
  6. https://www.bulldogs.com.au/news/2018/09/25/nrl-state-championships-team-list/
  7. https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/finals/live-intrust-super-state-championship-redcliffe-v-canterbury-live-scores-updates-news-blog/news-story/6aeddb91384264174224fbcb2b9b81fc
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