1997 Queensland Cup

The 1997 Queensland Cup season was the 2nd season of Queensland's top-level statewide rugby league competition.

1997 Queensland Cup
DurationMarch 29 – September 6, 1997
Teams14
Premiers Redcliffe Dolphins (1st title)
Minor premiers Wynnum Seagulls (1st title)
Matches played135
Points scored5,945
Top points scorer(s) Tony Devlin (183)
Player of the year Alan Wieland
Top try-scorer(s) Jabin Picker (25)

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.

Colours Club Home ground(s)
 Burleigh Bears Pizzey Park
 Cairns Cyclones Barlow Park
 Central Capras Browne Park
 Easts Tigers Langlands Park
 Ipswich Jets North Ipswich Reserve
 Logan City Scorpions Meakin Park
 Norths Devils Bishop Park
 Pine Rivers Brothers Bray Park
 Port Moresby Vipers Lloyd Robson Oval
 Redcliffe Dolphins Dolphin Oval
 Souths Magpies Davies Park
 Toowoomba Clydesdales Athletic Oval
 Wests Panthers Purtell Park
 Wynnum Seagulls Kougari Oval

Ladder
1997 Queensland Cup
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 Wynnum Seagulls 181413498235+26329
2 Redcliffe Dolphins (P) 181404573271+30228
3 Easts Tigers 181314521328+19227
4 Burleigh Bears 181314427347+8027
5 Wests Panthers 181224468271+19726
6 Central Capras 181026455398+5722
7 Norths Devils 18909460346+11418
8 Port Moresby Vipers 18909433518-8518
9 Cairns Cyclones 187110318352-3415
10 Toowoomba Clydesdales 186111312354-4213
11 Souths Magpies 186111315424−10913
12 Pine Rivers Brothers 186012391524-13312
13 Ipswich Jets 181116276657−3813
14 Logan City Scorpions 180117226648−4221

Finals series
Home Score Away Match Information
Date Venue
Week 1 Semi Finals
Wests Panthers 38 – 10 Central Capras 9 August 1997 Purtell Park
Easts Tigers 14 – 8 Burleigh Bears 9 August 1997 Langlands Park
Wynnum Seagulls 12 – 17 Redcliffe Dolphins 11 August 1997 Kougari Oval
Week 2 Semi Finals
Burleigh Bears 8 – 14 Wests Panthers 16 August 1997 Pizzey Park
Wynnum Seagulls 8 – 14 Easts Tigers 16 August 1997 Kougari Oval
Week 3 Semi Finals
Wynnum Seagulls 6 – 12 Wests Panthers 23 August 1997 Purtell Park
Redcliffe Dolphins 18 – 14 Easts Tigers 24 August 1997 Dolphin Oval
Preliminary Final
Easts Tigers 22 – 14 Wests Panthers 30 August 1997 Langlands Park
Grand Final
Redcliffe Dolphins 18 – 16 Easts Tigers 6 September 1997 Suncorp Stadium

Grand Final
Saturday, 6 September
Redcliffe Dolphins 18 – 16 Easts Tigers
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 MoggFBLeon Yeatman
Cameron HurrenWGRob Braun
Bevan CanningCEChris Beattie
George WilsonCETravis Baker
Aaron DouglasWGPeter Turner
Anthony SingletonFEScott Sipple
Peter Robinson (c)HBBrett McPherson
Grant ClealPRGraham Cotter
Richard AckermanHKDale Williams
Troy LindsayPRScott Neilson
Ian GrahamSRDoug Evans
James HincheySRMark Sessarago (c)
Tony GouldLKJeff Wakefield
Russell LahiffBenchPhil Lockwood
Chris EssexBenchSteve Mills
Wayne MillerBenchJamie Day
Selwyn TobyBenchAaron Smith
John BoxsellCoachGavin 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

End-of-season awards

See also

References
  1. https://www.theroar.com.au/2017/09/26/set-six-best-queensland-cup-grand-final-comebacks/
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