2009 Queensland Cup

The 2009 Queensland Cup season was the 14th season of Queensland's top-level statewide rugby league competition run by the Queensland Rugby League. The competition, known as the Queensland Wizard Cup due to sponsorship from Wizard Home Loans featured 12 teams playing a 25-week-long season (including finals) from March to September.[1][2]

2009 Queensland Cup
DurationMarch 14 – September 12, 2009
Teams12
Premiers Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles
(1st title)
Minor premiers Souths Logan Magpies (1st title)
Matches played138
Points scored6,308
Top points scorer(s) Liam Georgetown
Player of the year Scott Smith (Courier Mail Medal)
Top try-scorer(s) Tom Humble

The Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles, in their first season back in the competition, won their first premiership after defeating the Northern Pride 32–18 at Stockland Park. Burleigh Bears' hooker Scott Smith was named the competition's Player of the Year, winning the Courier Mail Medal.[3]

Teams

In 2009, the Queensland Cup featured 12 teams for the first time since the 2004 season. The Sunshine Coast Falcons, re-branded as the Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles, returned to the competition after the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles injected $1 million into the club and formed a partnership.[4]

Colours Club Home ground(s) Head coach(s) Captain(s) NRL Affiliate
 Burleigh Bears Pizzey Park Jim Lenihan Scott Smith Gold Coast Titans
 Central Comets Browne Park Wayne Barnett Nat Bowman Brisbane Broncos
 Easts Tigers Langlands Park Darren Smith → Jason Gainey Ben Vaeau Brisbane Broncos
 Ipswich Jets Briggs Rd Sporting Complex Glenn Lazarus Danny Coburn Gold Coast Titans
 Mackay Cutters Mackay JRL Grounds Shane Muspratt Jardine Bobongie North Queensland Cowboys
 Northern Pride Barlow Park Andrew Dunemann Chris Sheppard North Queensland Cowboys
 Norths Devils Bishop Park Mark Gee → Kevin Carmichael Mark Leafa Brisbane Broncos
 Redcliffe Dolphins Dolphin Oval Gary O'Brien Danny Burke Brisbane Broncos
 Souths Logan Magpies Meakin Park, Davies Park Paul Bramley Phil Dennis Canberra Raiders
 Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles Stockland Park Brandon Costin Cameron Joyce Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
 Tweed Heads Seagulls Ned Byrne Field Steve Anderson → Steve Lacey Brad Davis Gold Coast Titans
 Wynnum Manly Seagulls BMD Kougari Oval Shane McNally Darren Bain Brisbane Broncos

Ladder
2009 Queensland Cup
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 Souths Logan Magpies 221606711434+27732
2 Northern Pride 221408564445+11928
3 Central Comets 221309508499+926
4 Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles (P) 221219562508+5425
5 Norths Devils 2211011559524+3522
6 Tweed Heads Seagulls 2211011525515+1022
7 Burleigh Bears 2211011445517-7222
8 Ipswich Jets 229112455454+119
9 Easts Tigers 229112451548-9719
10 Wynnum Manly Seagulls 229013484548-6418
11 Redcliffe Dolphins 227213472518-4616
12 Mackay Cutters 227114315541-22615

Final series

In 2009, after using a five-team finals series for 10 years, the Queensland Cup used a six-team system. The competition used a six-team format from 1996 to 1998, although the system used in 2009 was two weeks shorter.

Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time (local) Venue
Semi-finals
Souths Logan Magpies 16 – 8 Tweed Heads Seagulls 29 August 2009, 2:00pm Meakin Park
Central Comets 21 – 14 Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles 29 August 2009, 7:00pm Browne Park
Northern Pride 44 – 16 Norths Devils 29 August 2009, 8:00pm Barlow Park
Preliminary Finals
Northern Pride 22 – 10 Central Comets 5 September 2009, 2:00pm Kougari Oval
Souths Logan Magpies 26 – 30 Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles 5 September 2009, 3:00pm Meakin Park
Grand Final
Northern Pride 18 – 32 Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles 12 September 2009, 2:00pm Stockland Park

Grand Final
Saturday, 13 September
Northern Pride 18 – 32 Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles
Tries:
Jamie Frizzo 1
Tom Humble 1
Rod Jensen 1
Goals:
Tom Humble 3		 1st: 8 - 12
2nd: 10 - 20
Report
 Tries:
3 Shane Neumann
1 Michael Chapman
1 Trent Hodkinson
1 Ryan Walker
1 Tony Williams
Goals:
2 Trent Hodkinson
Stockland Park
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Clayton Sharpe
Player of the Match: Tony Williams (Sunshine Coast)
Northern Pride Position Sunshine Coast
Sea Eagles
Chey BirdFBDennis Sandow
Josh VaughanWGMichael Chapman
Rod JensenCEShane Neumann
Jamie FrizzoCEAndrew Suniula
Germaine PaulsonWGRyan Walker
Tom HumbleFETony Williams
Chris Sheppard (c)HBTrent Hodkinson
Ben LaityPRPhil Morwood
Jason RoosHKCameron Joyce (c)
Alex StarmerPRJunior Palau
Nick SlyneySRVic Mauro
Mark CantoniSRJon Grieve
Joel RiethmullerLKJon Muir
Luke MillwoodBenchTim Browne
Greg ByrnesBenchRob Godfrey
Chris ReisenBenchSteve McPhee
Rod GriffinBenchHeath L'Estrange
Andrew DunemannCoachBrandon Costin

The Northern Pride, who finished the regular season in second, qualified for their first Grand Final after a 22–10 win over the Central Comets in the preliminary final. They were joined by the Sunshine Coast, who finished fourth in their return season, after they defeated reigning premiers Souths Logan 30–26 in the preliminary final.

First half

The Pride opened the scoring in the fifth minute when they created a huge overlap, with centre Jamie Frizzo finishing off the play with a try. The Sunshine Coast responded quickly when five-eighth Tony Williams bumped off a defender and threw an offload to centre Shane Neumann who crossed for his first try. The Sea Eagles hit the lead in the 27th minute when winger Michael Chapman scored untouched in the corner. They scored again four minutes later when Ryan Walker scored in the opposite corner. Poor goal kicking kept the Pride in the contest, as Williams missed all three conversion attempts. The Pride converted a penalty from right in front on the stroke of half time to trail by just eight at the break.

Second half

The Sunshine Coast extended the lead to 10 in the 47th minute when Williams dived over for a try of his own. The Sea Eagles kept the points coming when Neumann dived over in the corner for his second just six minutes later. With just over 10 minutes remaining, the Pride gave themselves a chance when Rod Jensen scored and cut the Sea Eagles' lead to 10. Three minutes later, the Sunshine Coast all but sealed victory when halfback Trent Hodkinson scored close to the posts. The Pride scored a late consolation try when Humble latched onto a wayward Sea Eagles' pass and ran 80 metres to score under the uprights. In the final minute, Neumann crossed for his hat trick as the Sea Eagles' wrapped up a 14-point victory.

Tony Williams, who was awarded the Duncan Hall Medal, and second rower Vic Mauro would go onto play in the Manly Sea Eagles' 2011 NRL Grand Final win over the New Zealand Warriors.[5]

End-of-season awards

See also

References
  1. Queensland Rugby League Website Retrieved 3 August 2009. Archived 2009-08-11.
  2. Queensland Rugby League 2009 Draw Archived 19 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 3 August 2009
  3. "Sea Eagles claim Queensland Cup". ABC News. 12 September 2009.
  4. "Coast lands footy coup". The Daily. 9 November 2007. Archived from the original on 11 December 2007. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  5. "Tony Williams steers coast victory-in Queensland Cup". The Courier Mail.
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