The 2017 Queensland Cup season was the 22nd season of Queensland's top-level statewide rugby league competition run by the Queensland Rugby League in Australia. 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 Papua New Guinea Hunters won their first premiership after defeating the Sunshine Coast Falcons 12–10 in the Grand Final at Suncorp Stadium, becoming the first team from outside of Australia to win the Queensland Cup. Hunters' Ase Boas was named the competition's Player of the Year, winning the Courier Mail Medal.
Teams In 2017, the lineup of teams remained unchanged for the third consecutive year.
Colours Club Home ground(s) Head coach(s) Captain(s) NRL Affiliate Burleigh Bears Pizzey Park Jim Lenihan Luke Page Gold Coast Titans Central Queensland Capras Browne Park Kim Williams Gavin Hiscox None Easts Tigers Suzuki Stadium Scott Sipple Jake Foster Melbourne Storm Ipswich Jets North Ipswich Reserve Ben & Shane Walker Dane Phillips Brisbane Broncos Mackay Cutters Stadium Mackay Steve Sheppard Andrew Davey & Setaimata Sa North Queensland Cowboys Northern Pride Barlow Park Ty Williams Ryan Ghietti North Queensland Cowboys Norths Devils Bishop Park Mark Gliddon Billy Brittain Brisbane Broncos Papua New Guinea Hunters National Football Stadium Michael Marum Ase Boas None Redcliffe Dolphins Dolphin Oval Adam Mogg Sam Anderson Brisbane Broncos Souths Logan Magpies Davies Park Jon Buchanan Phil Dennis Brisbane Broncos Sunshine Coast Falcons Sunshine Coast Stadium Craig Ingebrigtsen Dane Hogan Melbourne Storm Townsville Blackhawks Jack Manski Oval Kristian Woolf Dan Beasley North Queensland Cowboys Tweed Heads Seagulls Piggabeen Sports Complex Aaron Zimmerle Damian Sironen Gold Coast Titans Wynnum Manly Seagulls BMD Kougari Oval Adam Brideson Mitchell Frei Brisbane Broncos
Ladder 2017 Queensland Cup Team 1 Papua New Guinea Hunters (P)2317 1 5 2 550 378 +172 392 Redcliffe Dolphins2317 0 6 2 604 332 +272 383 Easts Tigers2316 1 6 2 596 422 +174 374 Sunshine Coast Falcons2315 1 7 2 645 418 +227 355 Souths Logan Magpies2315 0 8 2 580 484 +96 346 Townsville Blackhawks2312 2 9 2 575 473 +102 307 Ipswich Jets2312 0 11 2 536 539 -3 288 Mackay Cutters2310 2 11 2 531 566 -35 269 Burleigh Bears2310 0 13 2 466 510 -64 2410 Wynnum Manly Seagulls239 0 14 2 433 465 -32 2211 Norths Devils239 0 14 2 502 570 -68 2212 Northern Pride236 0 17 2 400 555 -155 1613 Tweed Heads Seagulls235 0 18 2 337 710 -373 1414 Central Queensland Capras234 1 18 2 416 729 -313 13
Final series HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and Time (Local)Venue Elimination Finals Sunshine Coast Falcons 26 – 18 Souths Logan Magpies3 September 2017, 1:30pm Sunshine Coast Stadium Easts Tigers 20 – 16 Townsville Blackhawks3 September 2017, 2:00pmSuzuki Stadium Major / Minor Semi-finals Easts Tigers 22 – 26 Sunshine Coast Falcons10 September 2017, 1:30pmSuzuki Stadium PNG Hunters 6 – 4 Redcliffe Dolphins10 September 2017, 3:00pmNational Football Stadium Preliminary Final Redcliffe Dolphins 8 – 34 Sunshine Coast Falcons17 September 2017, 2:30pmDolphin Oval Grand Final PNG Hunters 12 – 10 Sunshine Coast Falcons24 September 2017, 3:25pmSuncorp Stadium
Grand Final
PNG HuntersPositionSunshine Coast Falcons Stargroth Amean FB Jahrome Hughes22. Wawa Paul WG 2. Matt Soper-Lawler3. Bland Abavu CE 3. Justin Olam4. Adex Wera CE 4. Chris Lewis5. Butler Morris WG 5. Jeremy Hawkins6. Ase Boas (c) FE 6. Scott Drinkwater7. Watson Boas HB 7. Ryley Jacks8. Wellington Albert PR 18. Tui Kamikamica9. Wartovo Puara HK 14. Brandon Smith10. Stanton Albert PR 10. Lachlan Timm11. David Loko SR 11. Dane Hogan (c)12. Nixon Putt SR 12. Joe Stimson13. Moses Meninga LK 13. Harrison Muller14. Rhadley Brawa Bench 15. Jon Grieve15. Willie Minoga Bench 16. Louis Geraghty16. Enoch Maki Bench 17. Jye Ballinger17. Brandy Peter Bench 21. Guy HamiltonMichael Marum Coach Craig Ingebrigtsen
The PNG Hunters won their first minor premiership after finishing ahead of Redcliffe by a single point. After earning a bye in the first week of the finals, they defeated Redcliffe in the major semi final to qualify for their first Grand Final. Sunshine Coast had to earn their Grand Final spot the hard way, winning four straight games on route to the decider. In the first week, they eliminated Souths Logan and then upset the third-placed Easts Tigers in the semi-finals and the second-placed Dolphins in the preliminary final to qualify for their second Grand Final.
First half The Sunshine Coast stunned the Hunters early in the first half, with winger Matt Soper-Lawler scoring in just the 2nd minute as the Falcons hunted another finals upset. Five minutes later they scored their second try when second rower Joe Stimson crossed in the 7th minute. That would be the end of the first half scoring, with the Hunters getting close to getting their first try in the 15th minute but were ruled back for a forward pass.
Second half It took the Hunters just two minutes to record their first points of the game when halfback Watson Boas scored after a deflected kick and an error from the Falcons. The scoreline remained unchanged for the next 36 minutes as neither side could crack the others defence. Finally, in the 79th minute, Hunters' forward Willie Minoga became his side's hero, as he dived onto an Ase Boas' grubber to score the try that levelled the scores. After consulting with the video referee, the try was awarded and Ase Boas kicked the game-winning conversion from right in front to give the Hunters their first ever Queensland Cup premiership.Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Hunters' captain Ase Boas was awarded the Duncan Hall Medal for man of the match.
NRL State Championship
After winning the Grand Final, the PNG Hunters qualified for the NRL State Championship on NRL Grand Final day. They were defeated by the Penrith Panthers, the New South Wales Cup premiers, 18–42.
Player statistics The following statistics are as of the conclusion of the season (including finals).
Leading try scorers PosPlayerTeamTries1Jonathon Reuben Townsville Blackhawks282Michael Purcell Ipswich Jets233Carlin Anderson Townsville Blackhawks204Ken Tofilau Central Queensland Capras175Stargroth Amean PNG Hunters16Matt Soper-Lawler Sunshine Coast Falcons167Justin Olam Sunshine Coast Falcons15Jarrod McInally Easts Tigers159Yamba Bowie Mackay Cutters14
Leading point scorers PosPlayerTeamTGFGPts1Carlin Anderson Townsville Blackhawks 20 70 -2202Ase Boas PNG Hunters 10 87 -2143Guy Hamilton Sunshine Coast Falcons 8 89 32134Jamayne Isaako Souths Logan Magpies 9 80 -1965Billy Walters Easts Tigers 10 51 -1426Tyson Gamble Redcliffe Dolphins 8 53 -1387Wes Conlon Ipswich Jets 7 52 -1328Jonathon Reuben Townsville Blackhawks 28 0 -1129Josh Beehag Redcliffe Dolphins 9 32 - 10010Tony Tumusa Central Queensland Capras 9 29 -94
QRL awards Courier Mail Medal (Best and Fairest): Ase Boas ( PNG Hunters) Coach of the Year: Michael Marum ( Redcliffe Dolphins) Rookie of the Year: Brandon Smith ( Sunshine Coast Falcons) Representative Player of the Year: Nick Slyney ( Queensland Residents, Redcliffe Dolphins) XXXX People's Choice Award: Ase Boas ( PNG Hunters)
Team of the Year PositionNatWinnerClubJamayne Isaako Souths Logan MagpiesJonathon Reuben Townsville BlackhawksJustin Olam Sunshine Coast FalconsBilly Walters Easts TigersBrodie Croft Easts TigersMatthew Lodge Redcliffe DolphinsPat Politoni Burleigh BearsBlake Leary Townsville BlackhawksSam Anderson Redcliffe Dolphins
See also
Queensland Cup Queensland Rugby League
References