The 2014 Queensland Cup season was the 19th 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 13 teams playing a 30-week long season (including finals) from March to September.
The Northern Pride won their second premiership after defeating the Easts Tigers 36–4 in the Grand Final at Suncorp Stadium. Souths Logan Magpies' Luke Page was named the competition's Player of the Year, winning the Courier Mail Medal.
Teams In 2014, the competition expanded to the 13 teams with the inclusion of the PNG Hunters. The Hunters are the first Papua New Guinea-based club to play in the Queensland Cup since the Port Moresby Vipers, who took part in the 1996 and 1997 seasons. The Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles returned to their original name, the Sunshine Coast Falcons, and returned to their usual black and gold colour scheme.
The Canberra Raiders re-introduced their affiliation with the Souths Logan Magpies for the 2014 season.
Colours Club Home ground(s) Head coach(s) Captain(s) NRL Affiliate Burleigh Bears Pizzey Park Carl Briggs → Jim Lenihan Darren Griffiths Gold Coast Titans Central Queensland Capras Browne Park Jason Hetherington Gavin Hiscox Brisbane Broncos Easts Tigers Langlands Park Craig Ingebrigtsen Steven Thorpe Melbourne Storm Ipswich Jets North Ipswich Reserve Ben Walker & Shane Walker Keiron Lander Brisbane Broncos Mackay Cutters Stadium Mackay Kim Williams Tyson Martin North Queensland Cowboys Northern Pride Barlow Park Jason Demetriou Brett Anderson & Jason Roos North Queensland Cowboys Norths Devils Bishop Park Mark Gliddon Brendon Gibb Brisbane Broncos Papua New Guinea Hunters Kalabond Oval Michael Marum Israel Eliab None Redcliffe Dolphins Dolphin Oval Troy Lindsay Jon Green & Marty Hatfield Brisbane Broncos Souths Logan Magpies Davies Park Josh Hannay Phil Dennis Canberra Raiders Sunshine Coast Falcons Sunshine Coast Stadium Ivan Henjak → Glen Dreger Ryan Hansen None Tweed Heads Seagulls Piggabeen Sports Complex Aaron Zimmerle Matt King Gold Coast Titans Wynnum Manly Seagulls BMD Kougari Oval Jon Buchanan Tim Natusch Brisbane Broncos
Ladder 2014 Queensland Cup Team 1 Northern Pride (P)2420042677414263442 Wynnum Manly Seagulls2417072690400290383 Easts Tigers2416172667409258374 Tweed Heads Seagulls2415182617511106355 Ipswich Jets2415092642514128346 Papua New Guinea Hunters241419264855791337 Burleigh Bears24111122549599-50278 Norths Devils2411013257254428269 Mackay Cutters24110132472546-742610 Souths Logan Magpies24100142535620-852411 Redcliffe Dolphins2481152566617-512112 Central Queensland Capras2441192415773-3581313 Sunshine Coast Falcons2410232230776-5466
Regular season
The 2014 Queensland Cup regular season featured 26 rounds, with each team playing 24 games and receiving two byes.
Final series HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and Time (Local)Venue Elimination / Qualifying Final Tweed Heads Seagulls 10 – 28 Ipswich Jets7 September 2014, 2:00pmPiggabeen Sports Complex Wynnum Manly Seagulls 12 – 18 Easts Tigers7 September 2014, 2:00pmBMD Kougari Oval Major / Minor Semi-final Northern Pride 8 – 7 Easts Tigers13 September 2014, 5:30pmBarlow Park Wynnum Manly Seagulls 34 – 22 Ipswich Jets14 September 2014, 1:30pmBMD Kougari Oval Preliminary Final Easts Tigers 30 – 12 Wynnum Manly Seagulls21 September 2014, 2:30pmLanglands Park Grand Final Northern Pride 36 – 4 Easts Tigers28 September 2014, 3:55pmSuncorp Stadium
Grand Final
Northern PridePositionEasts TigersHezron Murgha FB Cameron MunsterJavid Bowen WG Jarrod McInallyBrett Anderson (c) CE Shane NeumannKyle Feldt CE Hymel HuntSemi Tadulala WG Richie KennarShaun Nona FE Liam TysonSam Obst HB Cody WalkerRicky Thorby PR Felise KaufusiJason Roos (c) HK Tom ButterfieldEthan Lowe PR Matthew ZgrajewskiBlake Leary SR Dane HoganTyrone McCarthy SR Troy GiessBen Spina LK Kenny BromwichDavin Crampton Bench Donald MaloneRyan Ghietti Bench Steven Thorpe (c)Sheldon Powe-Hobbs Bench Mitch GarbuttJoel Riethmuller Bench Liam McDonaldJason Demetriou Coach Craig Ingebrigtsen
The Northern Pride dominated the regular season, winning 16 games as they won their second consecutive minor premiership. They defeated Easts 8–7 in the major semi final to qualify for their third Grand Final. Easts, who finished third, defeated Wynnum Manly in the first week of the finals before their one-point loss to the Pride. A week later, they again faced Wynnum Manly, winning 30–12 to qualify for their second consecutive Grand Final and their fourth overall.
First half The Northern Pride opened the scoring in the 15th minute when centre Kyle Feldt crossed after a set play to the right. They added another try five minutes later when Hezron Murgha sent Javid Bowen over with a short ball. They went into the half time break with an 18–0 lead after Davin Crampton scored next to the posts in the 35th minute.
Second half The Pride started the second half as they ended the first, when Shaun Nona caught his own rebounded kick and found his captain Brett Anderson, who scored in the corner. The lead jumped to 30 in the 51st minute when Ryan Ghietti scored thanks to a Blake Leary line break. After 65 minutes, the Tigers finally got on the scoreboard after winger Jarrod McInally scored a consolation try. The Pride wrapped up the win with their sixth try of the game, after Bowen crossed out wide for his second in the 79th minute. Shaun Nona converted to bring the final score to 36–4, the biggest winning margin in a Queensland Cup Grand Final (as of 2019).Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Nona was awarded the Duncan Hall Medal for man of the match.
North Queensland Cowboys-contracted Pride players Kyle Feldt and Ethan Lowe would go onto to play in the Cowboys' 2015 NRL Grand Final win over the Brisbane Broncos, while Pride head coach Jason Demetriou joined the Cowboys as an assistant coach in 2015 and was on the coaching staff for the Grand Final win.
NRL State Championship
After winning the Grand Final, the Northern Pride qualified for the inaugural NRL State Championship on NRL Grand Final day. They defeated the Penrith Panthers 32–28.
Player statistics
Leading try scorers PosPlayerTeamTries1Garry Lo Papua New Guinea Hunters242Marmin Barba Ipswich Jets20Jarrod McInally Easts Tigers20Henare Wells Burleigh Bears205Tom Merritt Tweed Heads Seagulls18
Leading point scorers PosPlayerTeamTGFGPts1Khan Ahwang Burleigh Bears127411972Shaun Nona Northern Pride78101903Matt Seamark Wynnum Manly Seagulls18301704Liam Taylor Mackay Cutters135101545Adrian Davis Redcliffe Dolphins3660144
End-of-season awards Courier Mail Medal (Best and Fairest): Luke Page ( Souths Logan Magpies) Coach of the Year: Jon Buchanan ( Wynnum Manly Seagulls) Rookie of the Year: Garry Lo ( PNG Hunters) Representative Player of the Year: Blake Leary ( Queensland Residents, Northern Pride) XXXX People's Choice Award: Willie Minoga ( PNG Hunters)
See also
Queensland Cup Queensland Rugby League
References