1997 Queensland Cup
The 1997 Queensland Cup season was the 2nd season of Queensland's top-level statewide rugby league competition.
1997 Queensland Cup | |
---|---|
Duration | March 29 – September 6, 1997 |
Teams | 14 |
Premiers | ![]() |
Minor premiers | ![]() |
Matches played | 135 |
Points scored | 5,945 |
Top points scorer(s) | ![]() |
Player of the year | ![]() |
Top try-scorer(s) | ![]() |
The competition, then known as the Channel Nine Queensland Cup for sponsorship purposes, was contested by fourteen teams over a 23-week-long season (including finals) which was eventually won by the Redcliffe Dolphins, who defeated the Easts Tigers 18–16 in the Grand Final at Suncorp Stadium.
Teams
The number of teams in the Queensland Cup was reduced from 16 to 14 teams in 1997. The Burleigh Bears joined the competition, becoming the first Gold Coast-based side, while the Bundaberg Grizzlies, Mackay Sea Eagles and Sunshine Coast Falcons all withdrew.
Ladder
1997 Queensland Cup | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | |
1 | ![]() |
18 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 498 | 235 | +263 | 29 | |
2 | ![]() |
18 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 573 | 271 | +302 | 28 | |
3 | ![]() |
18 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 521 | 328 | +192 | 27 | |
4 | ![]() |
18 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 427 | 347 | +80 | 27 | |
5 | ![]() |
18 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 468 | 271 | +197 | 26 | |
6 | ![]() |
18 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 455 | 398 | +57 | 22 | |
7 | ![]() |
18 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 460 | 346 | +114 | 18 | |
8 | ![]() |
18 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 433 | 518 | -85 | 18 | |
9 | ![]() |
18 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 318 | 352 | -34 | 15 | |
10 | ![]() |
18 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 312 | 354 | -42 | 13 | |
11 | ![]() |
18 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 315 | 424 | −109 | 13 | |
12 | ![]() |
18 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 391 | 524 | -133 | 12 | |
13 | ![]() |
18 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 276 | 657 | −381 | 3 | |
14 | ![]() |
18 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 226 | 648 | −422 | 1 | |
Finals series
Home | Score | Away | Match Information | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Venue | |||||||
Week 1 Semi Finals | ||||||||
![]() |
38 – 10 | ![]() |
9 August 1997 | Purtell Park | ||||
![]() |
14 – 8 | ![]() |
9 August 1997 | Langlands Park | ||||
![]() |
12 – 17 | ![]() |
11 August 1997 | Kougari Oval | ||||
Week 2 Semi Finals | ||||||||
![]() |
8 – 14 | ![]() |
16 August 1997 | Pizzey Park | ||||
![]() |
8 – 14 | ![]() |
16 August 1997 | Kougari Oval | ||||
Week 3 Semi Finals | ||||||||
![]() |
6 – 12 | ![]() |
23 August 1997 | Purtell Park | ||||
![]() |
18 – 14 | ![]() |
24 August 1997 | Dolphin Oval | ||||
Preliminary Final | ||||||||
![]() |
22 – 14 | ![]() |
30 August 1997 | Langlands Park | ||||
Grand Final | ||||||||
![]() |
18 – 16 | ![]() |
6 September 1997 | Suncorp Stadium |
Grand Final
Saturday, 6 September |
Redcliffe Dolphins ![]() |
18 – 16 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Tries: James Hinchey 2 Anthony Singleton 1 Goals: Anthony Singleton 3 |
1st: 6 - 12 2nd: 12 - 4 |
Tries: 1 Rob Braun 1 Dale Williams 1 Leon Yeatman Goals: 2 Scott Sipple |
Suncorp Stadium Referee: Stuart Berndt |
Redcliffe Dolphins | Position | Easts Tigers |
---|---|---|
Adam Mogg | FB | Leon Yeatman |
Cameron Hurren | WG | Rob Braun |
Bevan Canning | CE | Chris Beattie |
George Wilson | CE | Travis Baker |
Aaron Douglas | WG | Peter Turner |
Anthony Singleton | FE | Scott Sipple |
Peter Robinson (c) | HB | Brett McPherson |
Grant Cleal | PR | Graham Cotter |
Richard Ackerman | HK | Dale Williams |
Troy Lindsay | PR | Scott Neilson |
Ian Graham | SR | Doug Evans |
James Hinchey | SR | Mark Sessarago (c) |
Tony Gould | LK | Jeff Wakefield |
Russell Lahiff | Bench | Phil Lockwood |
Chris Essex | Bench | Steve Mills |
Wayne Miller | Bench | Jamie Day |
Selwyn Toby | Bench | Aaron Smith |
John Boxsell | Coach | Gavin Payne |
Redcliffe, who finished the season in 2nd place, qualified for their second straight Grand Final after going undefeated in the finals series. Easts, who finished 3rd, were defeated by Redcliffe in Week 3 of the finals and later qualified for the Grand Final after defeating Wests in the preliminary final. The two sides had first met in Round 13 of the regular season, with Easts running out 30-6 winners.
First half
Easts opened the scoring through fullback Leon Yeatman, who broke a number of tackles on a 20-metre run to the try line. The Tigers would soon extend their lead through hooker Dale Williams, who dummied and broke a tackle to score. Following the try, Williams and Dolphins' hooker Richard Ackerman were both sent to the sin bin. Redcliffe got on the board just before the break, after five-eighth Anthony Singleton crossed easily from dummy half.
Second half
After the intermission, an early Easts' try to winger Rob Braun extended the Tigers' lead to 10 points. With 14 minutes left to play, the Dolphins finally cracked the Tigers' defence, with second rower James Hinchey scoring out wide. With less than a minute to play and on the last tackle of the set, the Dolphins' spread it wide again to Hinchey, who scored his second try of the game and levelled the scores. After the siren had sounded, Singleton converted the try from close to the sideline to give Redcliffe their first Queensland Cup premiership.[1]
Player statistics
Leading try scorers
|
Leading point scorers
|
End-of-season awards
- Courier Mail Medal: Alan Wieland (
Wests Panthers)
- Rookie of the Year: Jason Campbell (
Wests Panthers)