# 1997 Cairns Cyclones season

The 1997 Cairns Cyclones season was the second season that the Cairns Cyclones rugby league team competed in the Channel Nine Queensland Cup. The Queensland Cup was the second tier competition under the Brisbane Rugby League. The Cyclones were one of fourteen clubs competing in the eighteen-week-long competition. Three teams had left the competition at the end of the 1996 season, the Bundaberg Grizzlies, Mackay Sea Eagles and the Sunshine Coast Falcons and one team, the Gold Coast Burleigh Bears had joined.
The Cairns Cyclones team was managed by Nigel Tillett and coached by Gary Smith.

## 1997 Cairns Cyclones Squad

1. Shannon Van Balen (Fullback) 2. Richard Murgha (Threequarters) 3. Craig Cygler (Threequarters) 4. David Maiden (Threequarters) 5. Peter Dangerfield (Threequarters) 6. Paul Fowler (Halves) 7. Robbie Schmidt (captain) (Halves) 8. Scott Manns (Forwards) 9. Shane Vivian (Forwards) 10. Gavin Sant (Forwards) 11. Peter Deaves (Forwards) 12. Andy Henley (Forwards) 13. Shane Medhurst (Forwards) 14. Mick Skardon (Replacements) 15. Ben Zammataro (Replacements) 16. Nathan Woods (Replacements) 17. Nathan Butterworth (Replacements)
Other players
* Fullback 1. John Clifford
* Winger 2. Fabian Della Bosca
* Prop 8. Andrew Bulmer
* Troy Lorimer
* Steven Hepworth
* Scott Manns
* Aaron Port
* Michal Mahoney
* Cian Jacobs
* Boyd Lorimer
* Tasman Van Balen
* Stephen Tillett

## 1997 Channel Nine Cup
### 1997 Ladder

| Pos. | Team | W | L | D | P/F | P/A | P/D | Pts |
| 1 | Wynnum Manly Seagulls | 14 | 3 | 1 | 498 | 235 | +263 | 29 |
| 2 | Redcliffe Dolphins | 14 | 4 | 0 | 573 | 271 | +302 | 28 |
| 3 | Easts Tigers | 13 | 4 | 1 | 521 | 328 | +193 | 27 |
| 4 | Gold Coast Burleigh Bears | 13 | 4 | 1 | 427 | 347 | +80 | 27 |
| 5 | Wests Panthers | 12 | 4 | 2 | 468 | 271 | +197 | 26 |
| 6 | Central Capras | 10 | 6 | 2 | 455 | 398 | +57 | 22 |
| 7 | Norths Devils | 9 | 9 | 0 | 460 | 346 | +114 | 18 |
| 8 | Port Moresby Vipers | 9 | 9 | 0 | 433 | 518 | -85 | 18 |
| 9 | Cairns Cyclones | 7 | 10 | 1 | 318 | 352 | -34 | 15 |
| 10 | Toowoomba Clydesdales | 6 | 11 | 1 | 312 | 354 | -42 | 13 |
| 11 | Souths Magpies | 6 | 11 | 1 | 315 | 424 | -109 | 13 |
| 12 | Past Brothers | 6 | 12 | 0 | 391 | 524 | -133 | 12 |
| 13 | Ipswich Jets | 1 | 16 | 1 | 276 | 657 | -381 | 3 |
| 14 | Logan Scorpions | 0 | 17 | 1 | 226 | 648 | -422 | 1 |

### 1997 Minor Premiers and Premiers

* Minor Premiers: Wynnum Manly Seagulls
* Premiers: Redcliffe Dolphins

## 1997 Cairns Cyclones Matches

* Round 1 Saturday, 29 March 1997
| Redcliffe Dolphins | 44-14 | Cairns Cyclones |
| | Video Highlights | |
* Venue: Redcliffe
* Round 2 Saturday, 5 April 1997
| Cairns Cyclones | 46-4 | Port Moresby Vipers |
* Venue: Barlow Park, Cairns
* Round 3 Sunday, 13 April 1997
| Norths Devils | 54-12 | Cairns Cyclones |
* Venue: Bishop Park, Nundah
* Round 4 Saturday, 19 April 1997
| Cairns Cyclones | 20-8 | Burleigh Bears |
* Venue: Barlow Park, Cairns
* Round 5 Friday, 25 April 1997
| Logan Scorpions | 20-22 | Cairns Cyclones |
* Venue: Meakin Park, Slacks Creek, Logan City
* Round 6 Sunday, 4 May 1997
| Cairns Cyclones | 12-14 | Souths Magpies |
* Venue: Barlow Park, Cairns
* Round 7 Sunday, 11 May 1997
| Wynnum Seagulls | 14-18 | Cairns Cyclones |
* Venue: Kougari Oval, Manly West, Brisbane
* Round 8 Saturday, 17 May 1997
| Cairns Cyclones | 16-10 | Toowoomba Clydesdales |
* Venue: Victoria Park
* Round 9 Saturday, 24 May 1997
| Wests Panthers | 24-8 | Cairns Cyclones |
* Venue: Purtell Park, Bardon
* Round 10 Saturday, 31 May 1997
| Cairns Cyclones | 10-10 | Central Capras |
* Venue: Barlow Park, Cairns
* Round 11 Saturday, 14 June 1997
| Easts Tigers | 16-28 | Cairns Cyclones |
* Venue: Langlands Park, Stones Corner, Brisbane
* Round 12 Saturday, 21 June 1997
| Cairns Cyclones | 12-22 | Ipswich Jets |
* Venue: Barlow Park, Cairns
* Round 13 Saturday, 28 June 1997
| Cairns Cyclones | 20-22 | Past Brothers |
* Venue: Barlow Park, Cairns
* Round 14 Sunday, 5 July 1997
| Burleigh Bears | 14-6 | Cairns Cyclones |
* Venue: Pizzey Park, Miami, Gold Coast
* Round 15 Saturday, 12 July 1997
| Cairns Cyclones | 8-16 | Norths Devils |
* Venue: Barlow Park, Cairns
* Round 16 Sunday, 20 June 1997
| Port Moresby Vipers | 26-10 | Cairns Cyclones |
* Venue: Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby
* Round 17 Saturday, 26 July 1997
| Cairns Cyclones | 10-18 | Redcliffe Dolphins |
* Venue: Innisfail
* Round 18 Saturday, 3 August 1997
| Past Brothers | 16-46 | Cairns Cyclones |
* Venue: Bray Park, Brisbane