2015 Queensland Cup

The 2015 Queensland Cup season was the 20th season of Queensland's top-level statewide rugby league competition 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 29-week long season (including finals) from March to September.[1]

2015 Queensland Cup
DurationMarch 7 – September 27, 2015
Teams14
Premiers Ipswich Jets (1st title)
Minor premiers Townsville Blackhawks (1st title)
Matches played167
Points scored8,231
Top points scorer(s) Luke Capewell (208)
Player of the year Patrick Templeman
(Courier Mail Medal)
Top try-scorer(s) Marmin Barba (27)

The Ipswich Jets won their first premiership after defeating the Townsville Blackhawks 32–20 in the Grand Final at Suncorp Stadium. Wynnum Manly Seagulls' five-eighth Patrick Templeman was named the competition's Player of the Year, winning the Courier Mail Medal.[2][3]

Teams

In 2015, the competition expanded to the 14 teams with the inclusion of the Townsville Blackhawks. Townsville had previously been represented in the competition by the North Queensland Young Guns and Townsville Stingers.[4]

The Canberra Raiders ended their affiliation with the Souths Logan Magpies, who partnered with the Brisbane Broncos.[5] After four seasons without an NRL affiliate, the Sunshine Coast Falcons formed a partnership with the Melbourne Storm.[6]

Colours Club Home ground(s) Head coach(s) Captain(s) NRL Affiliate
 Burleigh Bears Pizzey Park Jim Lenihan Darren Griffiths Gold Coast Titans
 Central Queensland Capras Browne Park Jason Hetherington → Lionel Harbin Guy Williams Brisbane Broncos
 Easts Tigers Langlands Park Craig Ingebrigtsen Dane Hogan Melbourne Storm
 Ipswich Jets North Ipswich Reserve Ben Walker & Shane Walker Keiron Lander Brisbane Broncos
 Mackay Cutters Stadium Mackay Kim Williams Chris Gesch North Queensland Cowboys
 Northern Pride Barlow Park Joe O'Callaghan Brett Anderson & Jason Roos North Queensland Cowboys
 Norths Devils Bishop Park Mark Gliddon Brett Greinke Brisbane Broncos
 Papua New Guinea Hunters Kalabond Oval Michael Marum Israel Eliab None
 Redcliffe Dolphins Dolphin Oval Troy Lindsay Luke Capewell Brisbane Broncos
 Souths Logan Magpies Davies Park Josh Hannay Phil Dennis Brisbane Broncos
 Sunshine Coast Falcons Sunshine Coast Stadium Glen Dreger Tom Murphy Melbourne Storm
 Townsville Blackhawks Jack Manski Oval Kristian Woolf Dan Beasley North Queensland Cowboys
 Tweed Heads Seagulls Piggabeen Sports Complex Aaron Zimmerle James Wood Gold Coast Titans
 Wynnum Manly Seagulls BMD Kougari Oval Jon Buchanan Tim Natusch Brisbane Broncos

Ladder
2015 Queensland Cup
Pos Team Pld W D L B PF PA PD Pts
1 Townsville Blackhawks 2319132870507+50743
2 Papua New Guinea Hunters 2318323718487+23142
3 Ipswich Jets (P) 2316072700502+19836
4 Wynnum Manly Seagulls 2316072623440+18336
5 Easts Tigers 2313282623428+20432
6 Northern Pride 2314092523447+7632
7 Redcliffe Dolphins 23101122671574+9725
8 Mackay Cutters 23101122547497+5025
9 Tweed Heads Seagulls 2391132510585-7524
10 Burleigh Bears 23100132401674-27323
11 Sunshine Coast Falcons 2371152452599-14719
12 Souths Logan Magpies 2371152506664-15819
13 Norths Devils 2352162420727-30716
14 Central Queensland Capras 2310222330882-5526

Final series

The Queensland Cup reverted to a six-team finals format in 2015.

Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time (Local) Venue
Elimination Finals
Ipswich Jets 54 – 26 Northern Pride 6 September 2015, 1:40 pm North Ipswich Reserve
Wynnum Manly Seagulls 24 – 32 Easts Tigers 6 September 2015, 3:00 pm BMD Kougari Oval
Major / Minor Semi Final
Townsville Blackhawks 26 – 12 PNG Hunters 12 September 2015, 5:00 pm Jack Manski Oval
Ipswich Jets 44 – 18 Easts Tigers 13 September 2015, 1:35 pm North Ipswich Reserve
Preliminary Final
PNG Hunters 12 – 28 Ipswich Jets 20 September 2015, 3:00 pm BMD Kougari Oval
Grand Final
Townsville Blackhawks 20 – 32 Ipswich Jets 27 September 2015, 3:55 pm Suncorp Stadium
 
  Elimination Finals Major / Minor Semi Finals Preliminary Final Grand Final
                                     
1 Townsville 26  
    2 PNG Hunters 12         1 Townsville 20
3 Ipswich 54     2 PNG Hunters 12   3 Ipswich 32
6 Northern Pride 26       3 Ipswich 28  
3 Ipswich 44
4 Wynnum Manly 24   5 Easts 18  
5 Easts 32

Grand Final
Sunday, 27 September
3:55pm (AEST)
Townsville Blackhawks 20 – 32 Ipswich Jets
Tries:
Jahrome Hughes 1
Tom Humble 1
Robert Lui 1
Zac Santo 1
Goals:
Robert Lui 2		 1st: 8 - 16
2nd: 12 - 16
Report		 Tries:
1 Carlin Anderson
1 Marmin Barba
1 Keiron Lander
1 Matt Parcell
1 Dane Phillips
1 Nemani Valekapa
Goals:
2 Carlin Anderson
1 Marmin Barba
1 Keiron Lander
Suncorp Stadium
Attendance: 8,086
Referee: Clayton Sharpe
Man of the Match: Billy McConnachie (Ipswich)
Townsville Blackhawks Position Ipswich Jets
Jahrome HughesFBCarlin Anderson
Zac SantoWGMarmin Barba
Tom HumbleCELiam Capewell
Mosese PangaiCENemani Valekapa
Samsen O'NeillWGRichard Pandia
Robert LuiFEJosh Cleeland
Michael Parker-WalsheHBDane Phillips
Glenn HallPRKurtis Lingwoodock
Anthony MitchellHKMatt Parcell
Dan Beasley (c)PRRod Griffin
Rhyse MartinSRBilly McConnachie
Kelepi TanginoaSRKurt Capewell
Neville CostiganLKKeiron Lander (c)
Lorenzo Ma'afuBenchJosh Seage
Chris McLeanBenchSam Martin
Rhys MatsenBenchLandon Hayes
Ricky ThorbyBenchFakahoko Teutau
Kristian WoolfCoachBen & Shane Walker

Townsville took out the minor premiership in their debut season, losing just three games (one of those to Ipswich). They qualified for their first Grand Final after defeating the PNG Hunters 26–12 in the major semi final. Ipswich, who finished the regular season in 3rd, defeated the Northern Pride 54–26 in the first elimination final. In the minor semi final, they defeated Easts and then upset the Hunters a week later to qualify for their third Grand Final.

First half

Townsville got off to a great start, scoring in the 2nd minute of the game through centre Tom Humble. Ipswich scored their first try in the 19th minute in spectacular fashion, when winger Marmin Barba ran 70 metres before finding his halfback Dane Phillips who scored. The Jets grabbed their second just minutes later when Townsville fullback Jahrome Hughes threw a wayward pass as he was being dragged over the sideline, that was dived on by Barba in the in-goal. Townsville hit back in the 29th minute when winger Zac Santo scored in the right corner. With a minute remaining in the half, Jets' fullback Carlin Anderson sliced through the Blackhawks defence off a scrum to give his side a 10-point lead.

Second half

It took just a minute before the Jets had their fourth try of the game, when captain Keiron Lander latched onto a Phillips grubber. Three minutes later they recorded their fifth try when centre Nemani Valekapa scored in the corner. The Blackhawks finally stemmed the flow of points in the 50th minute when Hughes crossed the try line. An Ipswich penalty goal from right in front extended their lead to 12 with 20 minutes to play. Townsville gave themselves a chance late when Robert Lui grubbered for himself to score in the 73rd minute to see his side trail by just six. A tense final seven minutes followed but Ipswich held on and sealed the win with an 80th minute try to hooker Matt Parcell.[7]

The premiership was the first ever for the Jets, who had gone 30 seasons without success dating back to the Brisbane Rugby League competition. Ipswich second-rower Billy McConnachie was awarded the Duncan Hall Medal for the man of the match.[8]

NRL State Championship
See also: 2015 NRL State Championship

After winning the Grand Final, the Ipswich Jets qualified for the NRL State Championship on NRL Grand Final day. They defeated the Newcastle Knights, the New South Wales Cup premiers, 26–12.[9]

Player statistics

The following statistics are as of the conclusion of the season (including finals).[10]

QRL Awards

Team of the Year
PositionNatWinnerClub
FullbackJahrome Hughes Townsville Blackhawks
WingMarmin Barba Ipswich Jets
CentreKyle Feldt Townsville Blackhawks
Five-eighthIsrael Eliab PNG Hunters
HalfbackMichael Parker-Walshe Townsville Blackhawks
PropDaniel Beasley Townsville Blackhawks
HookerJosh Chudleigh Mackay Cutters
Second-rowAnthony Cherrington Redcliffe Dolphins
LockMitchell Frei Wynnum Manly Seagulls

See also

References
  1. https://www.qrl.com.au/draw/?competition=114&season=2015&round=1
  2. https://www.qrl.com.au/news/2015/09/09/templeman-wins-courier-mail-medal/
  3. https://www.nrl.com/news/2015/09/27/ipswich-jets-win-intrust-super-cup/
  4. https://www.qrl.com.au/news/2014/09/10/qrl-announces-townsvilles-entry/
  5. https://southsloganmagpies.com.au/affiliates-2015-brisbane-broncos-and-souths-logan-magpies/
  6. https://leagueunlimited.com/news/storm-join-forces-with-sunshine-coast-falcons/
  7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faUJ3chGCDc
  8. https://www.qrl.com.au/news/2015/09/27/duncan-hall-medal-winner-billy-mcconnachie2/
  9. https://www.nrl.com/news/2015/10/04/jets-win-state-championship-in-style/
  10. https://www.qrl.com.au/stats/?competition=114&season=2015
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