The 2016 Queensland Cup season was the 21st season the top-level statewide rugby league competition run in Queensland, Australia, 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.
The Burleigh Bears won their third premiership after defeating the Burleigh Bears 26–16 in the Grand Final at Suncorp Stadium. Mackay Cutters' Josh Chudleigh was named the competition's Player of the Year, winning the Courier Mail Medal.
Teams In 2016, the lineup of teams remained unchanged for the second consecutive year.
Colours Club Home ground(s) Head coach(s) Captain(s) NRL Affiliate Burleigh Bears Pizzey Park Jim Lenihan Jamal Fogarty Gold Coast Titans Central Queensland Capras Browne Park Kim Williams Gavin Hiscox None Easts Tigers Suzuki Stadium Scott Sipple Dane Hogan Melbourne Storm Ipswich Jets North Ipswich Reserve Ben & Shane Walker Dane Phillips Brisbane Broncos Mackay Cutters Virgin Australia Stadium David Simpson → Jim Wilson Brenden Treston North Queensland Cowboys Northern Pride Barlow Park Joe O'Callaghan Ryan Ghietti North Queensland Cowboys Norths Devils Bishop Park Mark Gliddon Billy Brittain Brisbane Broncos Papua New Guinea Hunters National Football Stadium Michael Marum Noel Zeming None Redcliffe Dolphins Dolphin Oval Adam Mogg Sam Anderson Brisbane Broncos Souths Logan Magpies Davies Park Josh Hannay Phil Dennis Brisbane Broncos Sunshine Coast Falcons Sunshine Coast Stadium Craig Ingebrigtsen Troy Giess Melbourne Storm Townsville Blackhawks Jack Manski Oval Kristian Woolf Glenn Hall & Anthony Mitchell North Queensland Cowboys Tweed Heads Seagulls Piggabeen Sports Complex Aaron Zimmerle James Wood Gold Coast Titans Wynnum Manly Seagulls BMD Kougari Oval Jon Buchanan Patrick Templeman Brisbane Broncos
Ladder 2016 Queensland Cup Team 1 Redcliffe Dolphins2318 0 5 2728 345 +383 402 Burleigh Bears (P)2317 1 5 2680 497 +183 393 Townsville Blackhawks2316 1 6 2694 403 +291 374 Papua New Guinea Hunters2315 0 8 2541 421 +120 345 Sunshine Coast Falcons2312 1 10 2501 462 +39 296 Easts Tigers2311 2 10 2563 520 +43 287 Souths Logan Magpies2311 2 10 2587 590 -3 288 Northern Pride2311 0 12 2516 495 +21 269 Ipswich Jets2311 0 12 2562 555 +7 2610 Wynnum Manly Seagulls2310 0 13 2547 561 -14 2411 Norths Devils238 1 14 2532 686 -154 2112 Central Queensland Capras236 1 16 2440 756 -316 1713 Tweed Heads Seagulls236 0 17 2393 728 -335 1614 Mackay Cutters234 1 18 2468 733 -265 13
Final series HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and Time (Local)Venue Elimination Finals Townsville Blackhawks 46 – 4 Easts Tigers4 September 2016, 1:40pm Jack Manski Oval PNG Hunters 12 – 18 Sunshine Coast Falcons4 September 2016, 3:00pmNational Football Stadium Major / Minor Semi-final Townsville Blackhawks 10 – 18 Sunshine Coast Falcons10 September 2016, 4:00pmJack Manski Oval Redcliffe Dolphins 24 – 40 Burleigh Bears11 September 2016, 1:40pmDolphin Oval Preliminary Final Redcliffe Dolphins 38 – 16 Sunshine Coast Falcons18 September 2016, 2:30pmDolphin Oval Grand Final Burleigh Bears 26 – 16 Redcliffe Dolphins25 September 2016, 3:55pmSuncorp Stadium
Grand Final Burleigh returned to the finals for the first time in 11 years after finishing the regular season in second. After their first week bye, they defeated Redcliffe 40–24 in the major semi final to qualify for their fifth Grand Final, their first since 2005. Redcliffe finished the regular season as minor premiers and qualified for the finals for the first time since 2012. After losing to Burleigh in the major semi final, they defeated the Sunshine Coast Falcons in the preliminary final and booked a spot in their tenth Grand Final, their third against Burleigh. Teams
Scoreboard
First half Burleigh got the scoring underway in the 12th minute when fullback Kurtis Rowe sliced through the Dolphins' defence and ran 35 metres to score. It took just four minutes for Redcliffe to hit back when winger Jonus Pearson scored following some slick offloading close to the line. In the 23rd minute, Rowe recorded his second try of the contest when he muscled his way over to extended Burleigh's lead to eight. A penalty goal converted from right in front pushed the Bears' lead to 10 before Redcliffe scored through Tyson Cleal to cut margin to four in the 33rd minute.
Second half The Bears again scored the first points of the half, this time through centre Sami Sauiluma in the 49th minute. Halfback Jamal Fogarty converted the try from out wide to give Burleigh a 10-point lead. The Dolphins got back into the game in the 57th minute thanks to a try to halfback Darren Nicholls, as they trailed by just four points. In the 71st minute, the Bears sealed the win when five-eighth Cameron Cullen scored and gave his side an unassailable 10-point lead. The victory was Burleigh's third Grand Final triumph, making them the second most successful club in the competition. Cullen was awarded the Duncan Hall Medal for man of the match for his performance.
NRL State Championship
After winning the Grand Final, the Burleigh Bears qualified for the NRL State Championship on NRL Grand Final day. They were defeated by the Illawarra Cutters, the New South Wales Cup premiers, 54–12.
Player statistics The following statistics are as of the conclusion of the season (including finals).
Leading try scorers PosPlayerTeamTries1Jonathon Reuben Townsville Blackhawks20Kurtis Rowe Burleigh Bears203Ryley Jacks Sunshine Coast Falcons194Jonus Pearson Redcliffe Dolphins16Daniel Ogden Wynnum Manly Seagulls166Zach Strasser Redcliffe Dolphins15Mosese Pangai Townsville Blackhawks15Delouise Hoeter Townsville Blackhawks159Patrick Templeman Wynnum Manly Seagulls14Justin Olam PNG Hunters14
Leading point scorers PosPlayerTeamTGFGPts1Darren Nicholls Redcliffe Dolphins 11 115 -2742Jamal Fogarty Burleigh Bears 12 111 -2703Khan Ahwang Northern Pride 13 77 -2064Todd Murphy Norths Devils 12 69 -1865Liam Taylor Mackay Cutters 12 58 -1646Billy Walters Easts Tigers 8 58 -1487Matt Seamark Wynnum Manly Seagulls 0 63 11278Noel Zeming PNG Hunters 6 50 -1249Kyle Laybutt Townsville Blackhawks 7 47 - 12210Joe Stimson Sunshine Coast Falcons 5 39 -98
QRL awards Courier Mail Medal (Best and Fairest): Josh Chudleigh ( Mackay Cutters) Coach of the Year: Jim Lenihan ( Burleigh Bears) Rookie of the Year: Jonus Pearson ( Redcliffe Dolphins) Representative Player of the Year: Jai Arrow ( Queensland Residents, Norths Devils) XXXX People's Choice Award: Justin Olam ( PNG Hunters)
Team of the Year PositionNatWinnerClubJahrome Hughes Townsville BlackhawksJonus Pearson Redcliffe DolphinsMosese Pangai Townsville BlackhawksCameron Cullen Burleigh BearsJamal Fogarty Burleigh BearsSam Anderson Redcliffe DolphinsJosh Chudleigh Mackay CuttersRhyse Martin Townsville BlackhawksJai Arrow Norths Devils
See also
Queensland Cup Queensland Rugby League
References