The 1998 Queensland Cup season was the 3rd season of top-level statewide rugby league competition in Queensland, Australia.

The competition was contested by sixteen teams over a 27-week long season (including finals), with the Norths Devils defeating the Wests Panthers 35–16 in the Grand Final at Suncorp Stadium. Logan Shane Perry was named the competition's Player of the Year.

Teams The competition returned to a 16-team format in 1998 with the Bundaberg Grizzlies returning to the competition after a year's absence and the admission of the Townsville Stingers and Gold Coast Vikings. The Port Moresby Vipers withdrew after two seasons in the competition after they were unable to continue to pay their travel and accommodation costs. Also in 1998, the Pine Rivers Brothers played as the Brisbane Brothers, while the Logan City Scorpions became the Logan Scorpions.

In 1998, a number of NRL clubs partnered with Queensland Cup sides, sending players not selected in first grade to play in the competition. The Brisbane Broncos were affiliated with Brisbane Brothers, the Gold Coast Chargers with the Gold Coast Vikings, the Melbourne Storm with the Norths Devils, the North Queensland Cowboys with the Townsville Stingers and the Adelaide Rams with the Wests Panthers.

Colours Club Home ground(s) Brisbane Brothers Crosby Park Bundaberg Grizzlies Salter Oval Burleigh Bears Pizzey Park Cairns Cyclones Barlow Park Central Capras Browne Park Easts Tigers Langlands Park Gold Coast Vikings Carrara Stadium Ipswich Jets North Ipswich Reserve Logan Scorpions Meakin Park Norths Devils Bishop Park Redcliffe Dolphins Dolphin Oval Souths Magpies Davies Park Toowoomba Clydesdales Athletic Oval Townsville Stingers Malanda Stadium Wests Panthers Purtell Park Wynnum Seagulls Kougari Oval

Results In 1998, the Queensland Cup became a full 22-round competition, unlike the previous two seasons which had 17 and 18 regular season rounds.

Ladder 1998 Queensland Cup Team 1 Norths Devils (P)221615872394+478332 Brisbane Brothers221606731364+367323 Wests Panthers221606748408+340324 Redcliffe Dolphins221606647314+333325 Gold Coast Vikings221507673423+250306 Wynnum Seagulls221507531382+149307 Townsville Stingers221336686435+251298 Burleigh Bears221408604442+162289 Easts Tigers221219522497+252510 Cairns Cyclones228212500642-1421811 Central Capras228014497701-2041612 Logan Scorpions226115488694-2061313 Ipswich Jets226016350606-2561214 Souths Magpies226016381763-3821215 Toowoomba Clydesdales225017310755-4451016 Bundaberg Grizzlies2200222861006-7200

Finals series HomeScore AwayMatch InformationDateVenue Week 1 Semi-finals Gold Coast Vikings 30 – 10 Wynnum Seagulls 22 August 1998 Carrara Stadium Wests Panthers 10 – 20 Redcliffe Dolphins 22 August 1998 Purtell Park Norths Devils 28 – 10 Brisbane Brothers 23 August 1998 Kougari Oval Week 2 Semi-finals Wests Panthers 18 – 16 Gold Coast Vikings 29 August 1998 Pizzey Park Brisbane Brothers 24 – 28 Redcliffe Dolphins 29 August 1998 Purtell Park Week 3 Semi-finals Norths Devils 16 – 12 Redcliffe Dolphins 5 September 1998 Dolphin Oval Brisbane Brothers 16 – 18 Wests Panthers 6 September 1998 Crosby Park Preliminary Final Redcliffe Dolphins 14 – 27 Wests Panthers 12 September 1998 Dolphin Oval Grand Final Norths Devils 35 – 18 Wests Panthers 19 September 1998 Suncorp Stadium

Grand Final

Norths DevilsPositionWests PanthersPaul Hubbard FB Tony DevlinMatthew Dux WG Mark MaguireSteven Bell CE Shaun ValentineMatt Geyer CE Craig SmithJohn Wilshire WG Scott WilliamsonCraig O'Dwyer FE Craig Bowen (c)Kevin Carmichael (c) HB Jason TwistAnthony Bonus PR David AsplinDale Williams HK Jason CampbellWade Fenton PR Robert CampbellAndrew Hamilton SR Cameron RoperDaniel Frame SR Alan WielandMark Protheroe LK Joel TwohillRicky Paul Bench David FullerMatt Rua Bench Peter LiddellRyan Gundry Bench Sam FaalafiTristan Brady-Smith Bench David LiddellMark Murray Coach Wayne Treleaven

Norths, who finished the season as minor premiers, qualified for their first Grand Final after defeating Brothers and Redcliffe in the finals series. Wests, who finished third, had a tougher road to their first Grand Final appearance, losing in Week 1 to Redcliffe. From there, the Panthers won three straight elimination games to qualify for the decider. When the two sides met in the regular season, Norths defeated the Panthers 42–22 in Round 5 at Purtell Park.

First half Wests halfback Jason Twist scored the first points of the game after four minutes with a try close the posts. 15 minutes later, Wests added four more points when winger Mark Maguire crossed in the corner. The Panthers added to their tally soon after when Twist crossed for his second, backing up Shaun Valentine who made a break down the field. Trailing 16–0, Norths finally got on the board when centre Matt Geyer scored the first of his three tries.

Second half The second half was all Norths, as they ran in 29 unanswered points to secure their maiden premiership. Devils' prop Anthony Bonus crashed over right next to the posts to cut the lead to four, before Geyer scored his second to level the scores. John Wilshire's sideline conversion put Norths in front by two, their first lead of the game coming in the 60th minute. Captain Kevin Carmichael was the next to score for Norths, with second-rower Andrew Hamilton kicking a field goal 10 minutes later to extend Norths' lead to seven. Norths finished with two late tries to Craig O'Dwyer and Geyer to cap a remarkable 19-point win. The 16–0 deficit they overcame is (as of 2019), the biggest comeback in a Queensland Cup Grand Final.Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine:

Geyer and Matt Rua would go onto play in the Melbourne Storm's NRL Grand Final win over the St George Illawarra Dragons a year later, while Steven Bell would win an NRL premiership with the Manly Sea Eagles in 2008.

Player statistics

Leading try scorers PosPlayerTeamTries1George Wilson Redcliffe Dolphins272Justin Murphy Brisbane Brothers263Heath Egglestone Central Capras234Chris Walker Brisbane Brothers205Ricky Hewinson Redcliffe Dolphins18Mark Maguire Wests Panthers18

Leading point scorers PosPlayerTeamTGFGPts1John Wilshere Norths Devils16106-2762Glen Godbee Gold Coast Vikings1459-1743Tony Devlin Wests Panthers466-1484Aaron Durrant Easts Tigers659-1425Brian Hamilton Logan Scorpions5571135

End-of-season awards Courier Mail Medal: Shane Perry ( Logan Scorpions) Rookie of the Year: Jamie Tomlinson ( Redcliffe Dolphins)

See also

Brisbane Rugby League Queensland Cup Queensland Rugby League Winfield State League

References