The 2002 Queensland Cup season was the 7th season of the top-level statewide rugby league competition run by the Queensland Rugby League in Australia. The competition featured 12 teams playing a 26-week long season (including finals) from March to September.
The Redcliffe Dolphins defeated the Ipswich Jets 34–10 in the Grand Final at Dolphin Oval to claim their third premiership. Easts Scott Thorburn was named the competition's Player of the Year, winning the Courier Mail Medal.
Teams The Queensland Cup returned to a 12-team format in 2002 with the inclusion of the North Queensland Young Guns, who served as the North Queensland Cowboys feeder club.
Along with the Cowboys using the Young Guns as their affiliate, the Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm were again affiliated with the Toowoomba Clydesdales and Norths Devils, respectively.
Colours Club Home ground(s) Burleigh Bears Pizzey Park Central Comets Browne Park East Coast Tigers Langlands Park Ipswich Jets Bendigo Bank Oval Logan Scorpions Meakin Park North Queensland Young Guns Dairy Farmers Stadium Norths Devils Bishop Park Redcliffe Dolphins Dolphin Oval Souths Magpies Davies Park, Brandon Park Toowoomba Clydesdales Newtown Oval, ANZ Stadium Wests Panthers Purtell Park Wynnum Seagulls Kougari Oval
Ladder 2002 Queensland Cup Team 1 Redcliffe Dolphins (P)22 18 0 4 833 376 +457 36 2 East Coast Tigers22 16 1 5 704 488 +216 333 Ipswich Jets22 16 0 6 673 402 +271 324 Burleigh Bears22 15 1 6 768 497 +271 315 Norths Devils22 14 0 8 774 441 +363 286 North Queensland Young Guns22 14 0 8 713 541 +172 287 Toowoomba Clydesdales22 13 0 9 792 624 +168 268 Wynnum Seagulls22 13 0 9 654 529 +125 269 Central Comets22 4 1 17 434 814 -380 910 Wests Panthers22 4 0 18 432 854 -422 811 Souths Magpies22 3 1 18 488 840 -352 712 Logan Scorpions22 0 0 22 303 1192 -889 0
Finals series HomeScore AwayMatch InformationDateVenue Qualifying / Elimination Finals Burleigh Bears 20 – 42 Norths Devils 31 August 2002 Pizzey Park East Coast Tigers 22 – 28 Ipswich Jets 31 August 2002 Langlands Park Semi-finals Redcliffe Dolphins 17 – 16 Ipswich Jets 7 September 2002 Dolphin Oval East Coast Tigers 16 – 18 Norths Devils 7 September 2002 Langlands Park Preliminary Final Ipswich Jets 29 – 26 Norths Devils 14 September 2002 Bendigo Bank Oval Grand Final Redcliffe Dolphins 34 – 10 Ipswich Jets 21 September 2002 Dolphin Oval
Grand Final
Redcliffe DolphinsPositionIpswich JetsTrent Leis FB Marshall ChalkPaul Shilvock WG Steven WestDamien Richters CE Aaron BulowBrian Jellick CE Richard AllwoodAaron Barba WG Faron AndersonShane Perry FE Brendon LindsayMick Roberts HB Ricky BirdTroy Lindsay PR Jamie MathiouBarry Berrigan HK Matt DoegAdam Starr PR Danny McAllisterLuke Scott (c) SR Anthony SeiboldDanny Burke SR Andrew HamiltonGrant Flugge LK Danny CoburnRussell Lahiff Bench Kerry TheuerkaufDavid Stagg Bench Reggie CressbrookAndrew Wynyard Bench Chris AndersonShane Tronc Bench Brian McCarthyNeil Wharton Coach Gary Greinke
Redcliffe finished the regular season with the minor premiership, their third, and cruised through the finals. After earning a first round bye, they defeated Ipswich by a point in the major semi final, qualifying for their sixth overall and fourth consecutive Grand Final. Ipswich qualified for the finals for the first time after finishing third, and defeated the East Coast Tigers in the first week of the playoffs. The loss to Redcliffe saw them face Norths in the preliminary final, in which they won 29–26 to set up a rematch with the Dolphins in the Grand Final. In the regular season, Redcliffe defeated Ipswich on both occasions (20–18 in Round 2 and 24–12 in Round 12).
First half It took just 10 seconds for tensions to flare in the decider after Jets' prop Danny McAllister was hit with a high tackle from the kick off by Dolphins' captain Luke Scott. An all-in brawl erupted, with both teams coming together in a melee. Moments after the referees had finally regained order, the fight erupted again between Scott and McAllister. Both players were subsequently sent to the sin bin. In the 12th minute, Redcliffe opened the scoring through winger Aaron Barba. It was a dominant first half for the Dolphins, who led 22–0 at half time after tries to Bara (his second), Damien Richters and Barry Berrigan added tries.
Second half Three minutes into the second half, Redcliffe pushed their lead to 28 when winger Phil Shilvock scored, the try all but wrapping up the game. Ipswich finally got on the scoreboard in the 49th minute when winger Steven West latched onto a Ricky Bird grubber. Redcliffe scored again in the 61st minute, when a pinpoint Shane Perry chip kick found Trent Leis, who scored in his third Grand Final. Jets' centre Aaron Bulow scored seven minutes later but the game was well out of reach for Ipswich, as Redcliffe secured their third premiership. Dolphins' hooker Barry Berrigan was named man of the match.
The victorious Redcliffe side featured two players who would play in the Brisbane Broncos 2006 NRL Grand Final win over the Melbourne Storm, with Shane Perry starting at halfback and David Stagg starting at centre in the victory.
Player statistics
Leading try scorers PosPlayerTeamTries1Dan Kennedy Burleigh Bears342Aaron Barba Redcliffe Dolphins283Brian Jellick Redcliffe Dolphins21Elia Tuqiri Toowoomba Clydesdales215Nick Parfitt Toowoomba Clydesdales19
Leading point scorers PosPlayerTeamTGFGPts1Damien Richters Redcliffe Dolphins10103-2462Greg Bourke Burleigh Bears1777-2223Scott Thorburn East Coast Tigers108112034Cameron Smith Norths Devils876-1845Justin McKay North Queensland Young Guns8751183
End-of-season awards Courier Mail Medal: Scott Thorburn ( Easts Tigers) Rookie of the Year: David Stagg ( Redcliffe Dolphins)
See also
Queensland Cup Queensland Rugby League
References