# 2018 Queensland Cup

The 2018 Queensland Cup season was the 23rd 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 28-week long season (including finals) from March to September.
The Redcliffe Dolphins won their sixth premiership after defeating the Easts Tigers 32–22 in the Grand Final at Suncorp Stadium. Ipswich Jets prop Nathaniel Neale was named the competition's Player of the Year, winning the Petero Civoniceva Medal.

## Teams

In 2018, the lineup of teams remained unchanged for the fourth consecutive year.
| 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 | Jack Madden | None |
| Easts Tigers | Suzuki Stadium | Scott Sipple | Jake Foster | Melbourne Storm |
| Ipswich Jets | North Ipswich Reserve | Ben & Shane Walker | Nathaniel Neale | None |
| Mackay Cutters | BB Print Stadium | Steve Sheppard | Tom Murphy | North Queensland Cowboys |
| Northern Pride | Barlow Park | Ty Williams | Ryan Ghietti | North Queensland Cowboys |
| Norths Devils | Bishop Park | Rohan Smith | John Palavi | Brisbane Broncos |
| Papua New Guinea Hunters | National Football Stadium | Michael Marum | Ase Boas | None |
| Redcliffe Dolphins | Dolphin Oval | Adam Mogg | Cameron Cullen | 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 | Andrew Niemoeller | North Queensland Cowboys |
| Tweed Heads Seagulls | Piggabeen Sports Complex | Ben Woolf | Sam Meskell | Gold Coast Titans |
| Wynnum Manly Seagulls | BMD Kougari Oval | Adam Brideson | Mitch Cronin | Brisbane Broncos |

## Ladder

2018 Queensland Cup :
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| 1 | Redcliffe Dolphins (P) | 23 | 16 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 600 | 382 | +218 | 35 |
| 2 | Burleigh Bears | 23 | 16 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 589 | 427 | +162 | 34 |
| 3 | Townsville Blackhawks | 23 | 15 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 571 | 348 | +223 | 32 |
| 4 | Northern Pride | 23 | 13 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 474 | 404 | +70 | 29 |
| 5 | Easts Tigers | 23 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 576 | 503 | +73 | 28 |
| 6 | Ipswich Jets | 23 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 554 | 505 | +49 | 28 |
| 7 | Papua New Guinea Hunters | 23 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 444 | 418 | +26 | 28 |
| 8 | Norths Devils | 23 | 11 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 516 | 553 | -37 | 24 |
| 9 | Souths Logan Magpies | 23 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 534 | 499 | +35 | 22 |
| 10 | Sunshine Coast Falcons | 23 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 453 | 464 | -11 | 22 |
| 11 | Tweed Heads Seagulls | 23 | 9 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 435 | 634 | -199 | 21 |
| 12 | Wynnum Manly Seagulls | 23 | 9 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 472 | 593 | -121 | 20 |
| 13 | Central Queensland Capras | 23 | 7 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 390 | 576 | -186 | 16 |
| 14 | Mackay Cutters | 23 | 4 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 386 | 688 | -302 | 11 |

## Final series

| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | Match Information |
| Home | Score | Away | Date and Time (Local) | Venue |
| Elimination Finals |||||
| Townsville Blackhawks | 12 - 32 | Ipswich Jets | 1 September 2018, 1:10pm | Jack Manski Oval |
| Northern Pride | 0 – 32 | Easts Tigers | 1 September 2018, 3:00pm | Stan Williams Park |
| Major / Minor Semi-finals |||||
| Easts Tigers | 50 – 20 | Ipswich Jets | 8 September 2018, 1:10pm | Suzuki Stadium |
| Redcliffe Dolphins | 13 – 6 | Burleigh Bears | 8 September 2018, 6:00pm | Dolphin Stadium |
| Preliminary Finals |||||
| Burleigh Bears | 26 – 36 | Easts Tigers | 15 September 2018, 1:10pm | Pizzey Park |
| Grand Final |||||
| Redcliffe Dolphins | 36 – 22 | Easts Tigers | 23 September 2018, 3:10pm | Suncorp Stadium |
| Elimination Finals | Elimination Finals | Elimination Finals | Major / Minor Semi-finals | Major / Minor Semi-finals | Major / Minor Semi-finals | Preliminary final | Preliminary final | Preliminary final | Grand Final | Grand Final | Grand Final |
| | | | 1 | Redcliffe | 13 | | | | 1 | Redcliffe | 36 |
| | | | 2 | Burleigh | 6 | | | | 5 | Easts | 22 |
| 4 | Northern Pride | 0 | | | | 2 | Burleigh | 26 | | | |
| 5 | Easts | 32 | | | | 5 | Easts | 36 | | | |
| | | | 5 | Easts | 50 | | | | | | |
| | | | 6 | Ipswich | 20 | | | | | | |
| 3 | Townsville | 12 | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Ipswich | 32 | | | | | | | | | |

## Grand Final

* Sunday, September 23 3:00pm AEST (UTC+10)
| Redcliffe Dolphins | 36–22 | Easts Tigers |
| Tries: 6 Fuller 17', 42' Hawkins 27' Staggs 46' Watts 62' Opacic 78' Goals: 6 Staggs pen 10', 28', pen 33', 43', 48', 63' (6/9) | 1st: 14–10 2nd: 22–12 Report | Tries: 4 Carey 12' Seve 37' Foster 56' Drinkwater 64' Goals: 3 Torpy 13', 57', 65' (3/4) |
* Suncorp Stadium Attendance: 7,504 Player of the Match: Toby Rudolf (Redcliffe)
Redcliffe finished the regular season as minor premiers for the sixth time and earned a bye in the first week of the finals. In the major semi final, they defeated Burleigh 13–6 and qualified for their 11th Grand Final. Easts finished fifth on the ladder and defeated the fourth-placed Northern Pride 32–0 in the first week of the finals. In the minor semi final, they eliminated Ipswich 50–20 before upsetting Burleigh in the preliminary final to qualify for their fifth Grand Final. Redcliffe and Easts last met in a Grand Final in 1997, with the Dolphins winning 18–16.

### First half

Redcliffe were the first to score in the Grand Final thanks to a Kotoni Staggs penalty goal from 20 metres out. The first try of the contest went to Easts, with Conor Carey stretching out to score in the corner. Redcliffe recorded their first four-pointer in the 16th minute when a late Cameron Cullen offload found fullback Trai Fuller who muscled his way over. They scored their second when Jeremy Hawkins leapt high to catch a Bryce Donovan kick and planted it down for a try. Another penalty goal in the 33rd minute gave the Dolphins a 14–6 lead. Easts hit back in the shadow of half time when Marion Seve scored out wide to cut the margin to four points.

### Second half

The Dolphins opened the second half with an early try when Fuller ducked through the Tigers' defence to score his second try. They extended their lead in the 46th minute when a Donovan grubber was kept alive by Aaron Whitchurch, who batted infield for Staggs to score. Easts got back into the game in the 56th minute when captain Jake Foster barged over from close range to score. In the 62nd minute, Redcliffe all but sealed the win when Donovan set up another try with his boot, this time finding Nathan Watt who dived on his grubber. The Tigers got one back two minutes later through fullback Scott Drinkwater but it proved to be a consolation try in the end, as Redcliffe ended the game with a try to Tom Opacic in the 78th minute. Dolphins' second rower Toby Rudolf was awarded the Duncan Hall Medal for man of the match.

### NRL State Championship

After winning the Grand Final, the Redcliffe Dolphins qualified for the NRL State Championship on NRL Grand Final day. They were defeated by the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, the New South Wales Cup premiers, 18–42.
* Sunday, 1 October 3:40pm (AEDT)
| Penrith Panthers | 42 – 18 | Papua New Guinea Hunters |
| Tries: Tony Satini (9', 11', 16', 40') 4 Darren Nicholls (20') 1 Viliame Kikau (31') 1 Christian Crichton (38') 1 Maika Sivo (47') 1 Goals: Darren Nicholls 5/8 (13', 17', 22', 34', 39') Sin Bin: Jarome Luai (68') | 1st: 38 – 2 2nd: 4 – 16 | Tries: 1 (69') Adex Wera 1 (72') Bland Abavu 1 (77') Ase Boas Goals: 3/4 Ase Boas (3' pen, 70', 77') |
* ANZ Stadium, Sydney Referee: Jarrod Cole, Chris Treneman Man-of-the-Match medal: Kaide Ellis

## QRL awards

* Petero Civoniceva Medal (Best and Fairest): Nathaniel Neale ( Ipswich Jets)
* Coach of the Year: Ty Williams ( Northern Pride)
* Rookie of the Year: Jake Clifford ( Northern Pride)
* Representative Player of the Year: David Fifita ( Queensland under-18, Souths Logan Magpies)

### Team of the Year

| Position | Winner | Club |
| Fullback | Scott Drinkwater | Easts Tigers |
| Wing | Kalifa Faifai Loa | Townsville Blackhawks |
| Centre | Kotoni Staggs | Redcliffe Dolphins |
| Five-eighth | Billy Walters | Easts Tigers |
| Halfback | Jake Clifford | Northern Pride |
| Prop | Nathaniel Neale | Ipswich Jets |
| Hooker | Pat Politoni | Burleigh Bears |
| Second-row | Patrick Kaufusi | Easts Tigers |
| Lock | Jamil Hopoate | Redcliffe Dolphins |