The 2018 Queensland Cup season was the 23rd season of the top-level statewide rugby league competition in Queensland, Australia, 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.
The Redcliffe Dolphins won their sixth premiership after defeating the Easts Tigers 32–22 in the Grand Final at Suncorp Stadium. Ipswich Jets Nathaniel Neale was named the competition's Player of the Year, winning the Petero Civoniceva Medal.
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 Team 1 Redcliffe Dolphins (P)2316161600382+218352 Burleigh Bears2316071589427+162343 Townsville Blackhawks2315081571348+223324 Northern Pride2313191474404+70295 Easts Tigers23130101576503+73286 Ipswich Jets23130101554505+49287 Papua New Guinea Hunters23130101444418+26288 Norths Devils23110121516553-37249 Souths Logan Magpies23100131534499+352210 Sunshine Coast Falcons23100131453464-112211 Tweed Heads Seagulls2391131435634-1992112 Wynnum Manly Seagulls2390141472593-1212013 Central Queensland Capras2370161390576-1861614 Mackay Cutters2341181386688-30211
Final series HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and Time (Local)Venue Elimination Finals Townsville Blackhawks 12 - 32 Ipswich Jets1 September 2018, 1:10pmJack Manski Oval Northern Pride 0 – 32 Easts Tigers1 September 2018, 3:00pmStan Williams Park Major / Minor Semi-finals Easts Tigers 50 – 20 Ipswich Jets8 September 2018, 1:10pmSuzuki Stadium Redcliffe Dolphins 13 – 6 Burleigh Bears8 September 2018, 6:00pmDolphin Stadium Preliminary Finals Burleigh Bears 26 – 36 Easts Tigers15 September 2018, 1:10pm Pizzey Park Grand Final Redcliffe Dolphins 36 – 22 Easts Tigers23 September 2018, 3:10pmSuncorp Stadium
Grand Final
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.
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.
Team lists:FB1Mason CerrutoWG2 Josh BergaminCE3 Morgan HarperCE4John OliveWG5 Jayden OkunborFE6 Josh CleelandHB7Fa'amanu BrownPR8Renouf To'omagaHK9 Zac WoolfordPR10Francis TualauSR11Ofahiki OgdenSR12Rhyse Martin (c)LK13Greg EastwoodSubstitutes:IC14 Bronson GarlickIC14Lachlan BurrIC16 Jack NelsonIC17 Chris SmithCoach: Steve GeorgallisFB1 Trai FullerWG2 Josh BeehagCE3Kotoni StaggsCE4Tom OpacicWG5Jeremy HawkinsFE6 Bryce DonovanHB7Cameron Cullen (c)PR16 Nathan WattsHK9Jake TurpinPR10Sam AndersonSR14 Miles TaueliSR11 Toby RudolfLK13 Jamil HopoateSubstitutes:IC8Nick SlyneyIC12Aaron WhitchurchIC15 James TaylorIC17 Hugh PrattCoach:Adam Mogg
Player statistics
Leading try scorers PosPlayerTeamTries1Michael Purcell Ipswich Jets222Daniel Ogden Wynnum Manly Seagulls193Scott Drinkwater Easts Tigers174Linc Port Easts Tigers16Marion Seve Easts Tigers16Kalifa Faifai Loa Townsville Blackhawks167Jaelen Feeney Townsville Blackhawks158Jonus Pearson Redcliffe Dolphins14Jarrod McInally Easts Tigers14Troy Leo Burleigh Bears14
Leading point scorers PosPlayerTeamTGFGPts1Kotoni Staggs Redcliffe Dolphins1363-1782Guy Hamilton Souths Logan Magpies578-1763Wes Conlon Ipswich Jets1153-1504Jake Clifford Northern Pride104621345Marmin Barba Ipswich Jets104401286Brayden Torphy Easts Tigers6500124Ase Boas Papua New Guinea Hunters74801248Cameron Broadhurst Central Queensland Capras45001169Todd Murphy Norths Devils447011010Jamal Fogarty Burleigh Bears5420104
QRL awards Petero Civoniceva Medal (Best and Fairest): Nathaniel Neale ( Ipswich Jets) Coach of the Year: Ty Williams ( Northern Pride) Rookie of the Year: Jake Clifford ( Northern Pride) Representative Player of the Year: David Fifita ( Queensland under-18, Souths Logan Magpies)
Team of the Year PositionNatWinnerClubScott Drinkwater Easts TigersKalifa Faifai Loa Townsville BlackhawksKotoni Staggs Redcliffe DolphinsBilly Walters Easts TigersJake Clifford Northern PrideNathaniel Neale Ipswich JetsPat Politoni Burleigh BearsPatrick Kaufusi Easts TigersJamil Hopoate Redcliffe Dolphins
See also
Queensland Cup Queensland Rugby League
References