# 2013 Mackay Cutters season

The 2013 Mackay Cutters season was the sixth in the club's history. Coached by Kim Williams and captained by Jardine Bobongie and Joel Clinton, they competed in the QRL's Intrust Super Cup. The club enjoyed their most successful season, finishing the regular season in second place and defeating the Easts Tigers 27–20 in the Grand Final to win their first premiership.

## Season summary

After the departure of head coach Anthony Seibold at the end of 2012, the Cutters hired former Melbourne Storm SG Ball Cup coach Kim Williams as his replacement. The club's biggest off-season recruit was former Australian international and NRL premiership winning-prop Joel Clinton, who was returning to Australia after three seasons with Hull Kingston Rovers. He was named co-captain of the club, alongside veteran Jardine Bobongie.
On 28 April 2013, just hours after a 22–22 draw with the Tweed Heads Seagulls, North Queensland Cowboys contracted hooker Alex Elisala was found unconscious and not breathing after jumping from a hotel balcony. He died in hospital the following day. In honour of Elisala, the Cutters retired his number 14 jersey for the rest of the season. Despite the tragedy, the Cutters pushed forward and finished the season in second on the ladder, their highest ever finish (as of the 2019 season). In Week 1 of the finals, they suffered a 18–31 loss to the Easts Tigers before bouncing back to defeat the Ipswich Jets and Northern Pride to qualify for their first Grand Final and set up a rematch with the Tigers.
On 28 September 2013, the Cutters defeated Easts 27–20 in the Grand Final at North Ipswich Reserve to claim their maiden Queensland Cup premiership. Prop Tyson Andrews was named the club's Player of the Year, while Cowboys contracted players, Sam Hoare and Curtis Rona, were selected for the Queensland Residents side.

## Squad List
### 2013 squad

The following players contracted to the North Queensland Cowboys played for the Cutters in 2013: Alex Elisala, Kalifa Faifai Loa, Clint Greenshields, Chris Grevsmuhl, Sam Hoare, Rory Kostjasyn, Tyson Martin, Anthony Mitchell, Michael Morgan, Curtis Rona, Zac Santo, Tariq Sims and Jason Taumalolo.

## Squad movement
### Gains

| Player | Signed From | Until End of |
| Joel Clinton | Hull Kingston Rovers | 2013 |
| Matt Constantinou | Melbourne Storm | 2013 |
| Jake Cooley | Nelson Bays RU | 2013 |
| Karl Davies | Melbourne Storm | 2013 |
| Delane Edwards | Fremantle Roosters | 2013 |
| Michael Koko | Melbourne Storm | 2013 |
| Sam Miles | Emerald Tigers | 2013 |
| Dan Murphy | Warwick Cowboys | 2013 |
| Jason Netherton | Hull Kingston Rovers | 2013 |
| Dave Petersen | Hull Kingston Rovers | 2013 |
| Chris Ulugia | Parramatta Eels (mid-season) | 2013 |
| Pulou Vaituutuu | Mounties RLFC | 2013 |

### Losses

| Player | Signed To | Until End of |
| Rohan Ahern | Released | – |
| Lewis Balcomb | Retired | – |
| Neil Budworth | Retired | – |
| Trevor Exton | Released | – |
| Luke Fatnowna | Retired | – |
| Damon Koolstra | Easts Tigers | 2013 |
| Jason Netherton | Hull KR (mid-season) | 2013 |
| Grant Rovelli | Souths Sharks Mackay | 2013 |
| Michael Thomas | Easts Tigers | 2013 |
| Andrew Ward | Released | – |

## Fixtures
### Regular season

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Score | Tries | Goals |
| Saturday, 16 March | Round 1 | Northern Pride | Barlow Park | 12 – 44 | Bobongie, Milne | Taylor (2) |
| Saturday, 23 March | Round 2 | CQ Capras | Virgin Australia Stadium | 38 – 12 | Greenshields (2), Rona (2), Elisala, Faraimo, Milne | Faifai Loa (5) |
| Sunday, 31 March | Round 3 | Wynnum Manly Seagulls | BMD Kougari Oval | 10 – 36 | Faraimo, Taylor | Taylor (1) |
| Saturday, 6 April | Round 4 | Easts Tigers | Virgin Australia Stadium | 14 – 6 | Morgan (2), Milne | Taylor (1) |
| Sunday, 14 April | Round 5 | Redcliffe Dolphins | Dolphin Oval | 34 – 18 | Comerford, Faifai Loa, Faraimo, Hoare, Rona | Taylor (5) |
| Saturday, 20 April | Round 6 | Norths Devils | Virgin Australia Stadium | 34 – 16 | Faraimo (2), Milne, Rona, Webster | Taylor (5) |
| Saturday, 27 April | Round 7 | Tweed Heads Seagulls | Virgin Australia Stadium | 22 – 22 | Andrews, Elisala, Milne, Rona | Taylor (3) |
| | Round 8 | Bye | | | | |
| Saturday, 11 May | Round 9 | Wynnum Manly Seagulls | Virgin Australia Stadium | 20 – 12 | Faifai Loa (2), Andrews, Hoare | Taylor (2) |
| Sunday, 19 May | Round 10 | Souths Logan Magpies | Davies Park | 22 – 23 | Taumalolo (3), Gesch, Rona | Taylor (1) |
| Sunday, 26 May | Round 11 | Burleigh Bears | Pizzey Park | 42 – 24 | Rona (2), Greenshields, Faifai Loa, Faraimo, Martin, Taylor, Webster | Taylor (5) |
| Sunday, 1 June | Round 12 | Ipswich Jets | Virgin Australia Stadium | 16 – 28 | Rona (2), Milne | Taylor (2) |
| Saturday, 8 June | Round 13 | Redcliffe Dolphins | Virgin Australia Stadium | 26 – 20 | Grevsmuhl, Kostjasyn, Milne, Rona | Minto (5) |
| | Round 14 | Bye | | | | |
| Saturday, 23 June | Round 15 | Easts Tigers | Langlands Park | 16 – 40 | Milne, Rona, Taumalolo | Taylor (2) |
| Saturday, 29 June | Round 16 | Ipswich Jets | North Ipswich Reserve | 20 – 18 | Faifai Loa, Gesch, Minto, Taylor | Taylor (2) |
| Saturday, 6 July | Round 17 | Northern Pride | Virgin Australia Stadium | 26 – 16 | Faraimo, Hoare, Mitchell, Morgan, Taylor | Taylor (2), Faifai Loa (1) |
| Saturday, 20 July | Round 18 | Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles | Moranbah | 38 – 18 | Faraimo (2), Minto (2), Bobongie, Milne, Taylor | Taylor (5) |
| Saturday, 27 July | Round 19 | Burleigh Bears | Virgin Australia Stadium | 26 – 26 | Bobongie, Milne, Taylor, Taumalolo, Ulugia | Taylor (3) |
| Saturday, 3 August | Round 20 | Norths Devils | Green Energy Sports Park | 38 – 24 | Milne (3), Faraimo, Martin, Mitchell, Webster | Minto (5) |
| Saturday, 10 August | Round 21 | Souths Logan Magpies | Virgin Australia Stadium | 12 – 22 | Mitchell, Morgan | Taylor (2) |
| Saturday, 17 August | Round 22 | CQ Capras | Browne Park | 34 – 28 | Faifai Loa, Faraimo, Gesch, Minto, Morgan, Taylor | Taylor (5) |
| Sunday, 25 August | Round 23 | Tweed Heads Seagulls | Piggabeen Sports Complex | 41 – 24 | Gesch, Minto, Mitchell, Morgan, Taumalolo, Taylor | Taylor (6), Bobongie (1), Minto (1, 1 FG) |
| Saturday, 31 August | Round 24 | Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles | Virgin Australia Stadium | 36 – 6 | Andrews, Faifai Loa, Faraimo, Milne, Morgan, Murphy, Taumalolo | Minto (4) |
| Legend: Win Loss Draw Bye |||||||

### Finals

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Score | Tries | Goals |
| Sunday, 8 September | Elimination Final | Easts Tigers | Virgin Australia Stadium | 18 – 31 | Koko (2), Hoare | Taylor (3) |
| Saturday, 14 September | Semi Final | Ipswich Jets | Virgin Australia Stadium | 27 – 16 | Faraimo (2), Faifai Loa, Taylor | Taylor (3), Minto (2, 1 FG) |
| Sunday, 22 September | Preliminary Final | Northern Pride | Langlands Park | 20 – 16 | Faifai Loa, Faraimo, Taumalolo, Taylor | Taylor (2) |
| Sunday, 29 September | Grand Final | Easts Tigers | North Ipswich Reserve | 27 – 20 | Faraimo (2), Milne, Mitchell, Morgan | Milne (1), Minto (1, 1 FG), Taylor (1) |
| Legend: Win Loss Draw Bye |||||||
Mackay Cutters' Grand Final winning side: 1 Liam Taylor, 2 Bureta Faraimo, 15 Michael Morgan, 4 Kalifa Faifai Loa, 5 David Milne, 6 Dan Murphy, 7 Matt Minto, 8 Tyson Andrews, 9 Anthony Mitchell, 10 Sam Hoare, 17 Jason Taumalolo, 12 Chris Gesch, 13 Jardine Bobongie (c). Interchange: 11 Dean Webster, 16 Karl Davies, 18 Kelvin Nielsen, 20 Jason Schirnack. Coach: Kim Williams.

## Statistics

| * | Denotes player contracted to the North Queensland Cowboys for the 2013 season |
| Name | T | G | FG | Pts |
| Tyson Andrews | 3 | - | - | 12 |
| Jardine Bobongie | 3 | 1 | - | 14 |
| Michael Comerford | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| Alex Elisala | 2 | - | - | 8 |
| Kalifa Faifai Loa | 9 | 6 | - | 48 |
| Bureta Faraimo | 17 | - | - | 68 |
| Chris Gesch | 4 | - | - | 16 |
| Clint Greenshields | 3 | - | - | 12 |
| Chris Grevsmuhl | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| Sam Hoare | 4 | - | - | 16 |
| Michael Koko | 2 | - | - | 8 |
| Rory Kostjasyn | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| Tyson Martin | 2 | - | - | 8 |
| David Milne | 16 | 1 | - | 66 |
| Matt Minto | 5 | 18 | 3 | 59 |
| Anthony Mitchell | 5 | - | - | 20 |
| Michael Morgan | 8 | - | - | 32 |
| Dan Murphy | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| Curtis Rona | 12 | - | - | 48 |
| Jason Taumalolo | 8 | - | - | 32 |
| Liam Taylor | 11 | 63 | - | 170 |
| Chris Ulugia | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| Dean Webster | 3 | - | - | 12 |
| Totals | 122 | 89 | 3 | 669 |

## Honours
### Club

* Player of the Year: Tyson Andrews
* Players' Player: Bureta Faraimo
* Sponsor's Player of the Year: Jardine Bobongie
* Rookie of the Year: Karl Davies
* Club Person of the Year: Chris Fraser