# 1986 Brisbane Rugby League season

The 1986 Brisbane Rugby League premiership was the 77th season of Brisbane's professional rugby league football competition. Nine teams from across Brisbane competed for the premiership, which culminated in a grand final match between the Wynnum-Manly and Past Brothers clubs. The season was notable as premiers Wynnum-Manly became the first club to complete a "grand slam" of all four major titles in a single BRL season, winning the pre-season competition, the Winfield State League, the Woolies Trophy (contested between the two sides leading the Winfield premiership at the end of the first round-robin), and the Winfield Cup premiership itself.

## Season summary

The format of the Winfield Cup was changed for the 1986 season, with the pre-season games no longer awarding competition points. The first round of the regular season was played on March 30, after the pre-season but before the Winfield State League. Each club then played either 3 or 4 games against another Brisbane side during the State League, followed by the remaining 13 games of the regular season. This resulted in each team playing 16 first-grade games over 18 rounds. The inclusion of the Ipswich Jets, the first team to join the BRL since Wynnum-Manly rejoined in 1951, resulted in the reintroduction of the bye. Teams that played three first-grade games during the State League received one bye in the regular season, while those that played four times received two (excluding byes for the Woolies Trophy contested between Valleys and Wynnum-Manly). The season resulted in a top four of Wynnum-Manly, Redcliffe, Past Brothers and Fortitude Valley.

### Teams

| Club | Home ground | Coach | Captain |
| Eastern Suburbs | Langlands Park | Wayne Lindenberg | Larry Brigginshaw |
| Fortitude Valley | Neumann Oval | Peter McWhirter | Michael Booth |
| Ipswich | North Ipswich Reserve | Tommy Raudonikis | Glen Haggarth |
| Northern Suburbs | Bishop Park | Greg Oliphant | Craig Grauf |
| Past Brothers | Corbett Park | Ross Strudwick | Trevor Bailey |
| Redcliffe | Dolphin Oval | Darryl Van de Velde | Mark Murray |
| Southern Suburbs | Davies Park | Graeme Atherton | Norm Carr |
| Western Suburbs | Purtell Park | Trevor Day | Tony Currie |
| Wynnum-Manly | Kougari Oval | Wally Lewis | Wally Lewis |

### Pre-Season

The 1986 Woolies pre-season competition took place over 5 rounds, from February 14 to March 16. Four pre-season competition points were available in each match, with one point going to the side that scored the most points in each half and two points to the winning side. Unlike previous years, no points for the regular season were awarded for wins in the pre-season competition. The pre-season final was held on March 23, between Wynnum-Manly and Brothers. The Brethren were without captain Trevor Bailey, who would also miss the Winfield State League and five rounds of the regular season. Centre Robert Grogan captained Brothers in Bailey's absence against a Wally Lewis captain-coached Wynnum-Manly side, scoring the first try of the match to give the Brethen a 4-2 lead at halftime. Wynnum-Manly would ultimately win the final 10-8 after tries from Scott Lewis and Craig Farrugia.

#### Results

| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | F1 | F2 |
| Eastern Suburbs Tigers | NOR -22 | VAL -19 | X | BRO -10 | RED -16 | | |
| Fortitude Valley Diehards | X | EST +19 | IPW +30 | WYN -4 | SOU +1 | BRO -2 | |
| Ipswich Jets | X | BRO -18 | VAL -30 | SOU -22 | WYN -16 | | |
| Northern Suburbs Devils | EST +22 | X | RED -10 | WST +6 | BRO -22 | | |
| Past Brothers | X | IPW +18 | SOU +11 | EST +10 | NOR +22 | VAL +2 | WYN -2 |
| Redcliffe Dolphins | WST -10 | WYN +13 | NOR +10 | X | EST +16 | WYN -7 | |
| Southern Suburbs Magpies | X | WST +19 | BRO -11 | IPW +22 | VAL -1 | | |
| Western Suburbs Panthers | RED +10 | SOU -19 | WYN -20 | NOR -6 | X | | |
| Wynnum-Manly Seagulls | X | RED -13 | WST +20 | VAL +4 | IPW +16 | RED +7 | BRO +2 |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | F1 | F2 |

#### Ladder

| | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| 1 | Past Brothers | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 101 | 40 | +61 | 16.5 |
| 2 | Wynnum-Manly (P) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 72 | 47 | +25 | 14.5 |
| 3 | Fortitude Valley | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 92 | 46 | +46 | 13.5 |
| 4 | Redcliffe | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 59 | 30 | +29 | 12.5 |
| 5 | Southern Suburbs | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 73 | 44 | +29 | 12 |
| 6 | Northern Suburbs | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 62 | 66 | -4 | 9 |
| 7 | Western Suburbs | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 38 | 71 | -33 | 7 |
| 8 | Eastern Suburbs | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 28 | 95 | -67 | 3 |
| 9 | Ipswich | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 42 | 128 | -86 | 2 |

### Regular Season Results

| Team | 1 | ST1 | ST2 | ST3 | ST4 | ST5 | ST6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | WT | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | F1 | F2 | GF |
| Eastern Suburbs Tigers | IPW +6 | SOU -18 | NOR +20 | Y | WYN -26 | Y | WST -2 | BRO -2 | RED +8 | VAL -14 | X | WST -7 | NOR -24 | SOU +6 | X | WYN -34 | IPW +4 | BRO -40 | RED -28 | VAL -14 | X | | | |
| Fortitude Valley Diehards | X | Y | RED +10 | BRO +14 | WST +14 | Y | NOR -4 | WYN +8 | SOU +36 | EST +14 | IPW +10 | RED -10 | WST +6 | BRO -5 | WYN -16 | NOR -12 | X | WYN -18 | SOU -4 | EST +14 | IPW +24 | BRO -2 | | |
| Ipswich Jets | EST -6 | Y | WST +9 | NOR +19 | Y | RED -12 | Y | SOU +8 | WYN -16 | BRO -28 | VAL -10 | X | RED -28 | NOR -19 | X | WST +12 | EST -4 | SOU -2 | WYN -32 | BRO -22 | VAL -24 | | | |
| Northern Suburbs Devils | WYN -20 | Y | EST -20 | IPW -19 | Y | SOU +10 | VAL +4 | WST +20 | BRO -34 | X | RED -11 | SOU -1 | EST +24 | IPW +19 | X | VAL +12 | WYN -7 | WST +4 | BRO -14 | X | RED -14 | | | |
| Past Brothers | WST +14 | WYN -12 | Y | VAL -14 | RED -34 | Y | Y | EST +2 | NOR +34 | IPW +28 | SOU -7 | WYN -8 | X | VAL +5 | X | RED -3 | WST +12 | EST +40 | NOR +14 | IPW +22 | SOU +8 | VAL +2 | RED +12 | WYN -8 |
| Redcliffe Dolphins | SOU +5 | WST +2 | VAL -10 | Y | BRO +34 | IPW +12 | Y | X | EST -8 | WYN +20 | NOR +11 | VAL +10 | IPW +28 | WST +28 | X | BRO +3 | SOU +20 | X | EST +28 | WYN -7 | NOR +14 | WYN -20 | BRO -12 | |
| Southern Suburbs Magpies | RED -5 | EST +18 | Y | WYN -2 | Y | NOR -10 | Y | IPW -8 | VAL -36 | WST -26 | BRO +7 | NOR +1 | WYN -20 | EST -6 | X | X | RED -20 | IPW +2 | VAL +4 | WST +14 | BRO -8 | | | |
| Western Suburbs Panthers | BRO -14 | RED -2 | IPW -9 | Y | VAL -14 | Y | EST +2 | NOR -20 | X | SOU +26 | WYN -22 | EST +7 | VAL -6 | RED -28 | X | IPW -12 | BRO -12 | NOR -4 | X | SOU -14 | WYN -18 | | | |
| Wynnum-Manly Seagulls | NOR +20 | BRO +12 | Y | SOU +2 | EST +26 | Y | Y | VAL -8 | IPW +16 | RED -20 | WST +22 | BRO +8 | SOU +20 | X | VAL +16 | EST +34 | NOR +7 | VAL +18 | IPW +32 | RED +7 | WST +18 | RED +20 | X | BRO +8 |
| Team | 1 | ST1 | ST2 | ST3 | ST4 | ST5 | ST6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | WT | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | F1 | F2 | GF |
* X - Bye
* Y - Team played a non-first grade State League match
* Opponent for round listed above margin

### Ladder

| | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| 1 | Wynnum-Manly (P) | 16 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 385 | 185 | +200 | 30 |
| 2 | Redcliffe | 16 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 365 | 175 | +190 | 30 |
| 3 | Past Brothers | 16 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 332 | 231 | +101 | 24 |
| 4 | Fortitude Valley | 16 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 309 | 212 | +97 | 24 |
| 5 | Northern Suburbs | 16 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 222 | 255 | -33 | 20 |
| 6 | Southern Suburbs | 16 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 236 | 331 | -95 | 16 |
| 7 | Eastern Suburbs | 16 | 5 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 217 | 382 | -165 | 14 |
| 8 | Ipswich | 16 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 234 | 391 | -157 | 12 |
| 9 | Western Suburbs | 16 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 214 | 352 | -138 | 10 |
Source:

### Woolies Trophy

The 1986 Woolies Trophy match was held on July 13, between rounds 12 and 13 of the regular season. The Trophy was contested by Wynnum-Manly and Fortitude Valley, the teams that led the competition after the end of round 9, with the other sides having an extra bye.

#### Match details

* 13 July 1986
| Wynnum-Manly Seagulls | 20 – 4 | Fortitude Valley Diehards |
| Tries: 4 S Lewis 3' G Miles 11' B Lindner 47' B Naylor 66' Goals: 2 C Scott 11', 26' | 1st: 12 – 4 2nd: 8 – 0 | Goals: 2 M Booth 8', 20' |
* Lang Park, Brisbane Referee: Eddie Ward

## Finals

| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | Match Information | Match Information | Match Information |
| Home | Score | Away | Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Crowd |
| Semi-finals |||||||
| Past Brothers | 10-8 | Fortitude Valley | 31 August 1986 | Lang Park | Eddie Ward | 8,000 |
| Wynnum-Manly | 26-6 | Redcliffe | 7 September 1986 | Lang Park | Ian Irwin | |
| Preliminary Final |||||||
| Past Brothers | 14-2 | Redcliffe | 14 September 1986 | Lang Park | David Manson | 8,000 |
| Grand Final |||||||
| Wynnum-Manly | 14-6 | Past Brothers | 21 September 1986 | Lang Park | Eddie Ward | 25,000 |

## Grand Final

* 21 September 1986
| Wynnum-Manly Seagulls | 14 – 6 | Past Brothers |
| Tries: 2 W Lewis 68' P Attell 75' Goals: 3/5 C Scott 7', 9', 59' | 1st: 4 – 6 2nd: 10 – 0 | Tries: 1 P Gill 24' Goals: 1/1 T Bailey 24' |
* Lang Park, Brisbane Attendance: 22,500 Referee: Eddie Ward Player of the Match: Steve Carter
| Brothers | Position | Wynnum Manly |
| Clinton Mohr | FB | Colin Scott |
| 2. Vince O'Brien | WG | 2. Scott Lewis |
| 3. Robert Grogan | CE | 3. Brent Naylor |
| 14. John Tapp | CE | 4. Gene Miles |
| 4. Jeff Burns | WG | 5. Scott Nichols |
| 6. Peter Gill | FE | 6. Wally Lewis (C./C.) |
| 7. Greg Smith | HB | 7. Peter Dawes |
| 8. Dan Stains | LK | 8. Bob Lindner |
| 9. Shane McErLean | SR | 9.Ian French |
| 10. Gary Smith | SR | 10. Mel Green |
| 11. Ray Baumber | PR | 11. Darryl Jenner |
| 12. Trevor Bailey (c) | HK | 12. Craig Farrugia |
| 13. Steve Carter | PR | 13. Greg Dowling |
| 5. Joe Kilroy | Reserve | Phil Attell |
| 16. B Williams | Reserve | R Rateri |
| Ross Strudwick | Coach | Wally Lewis |

## Winfield State League

The 1986 Winfield State League was the inaugural season of the Queensland Rugby League's statewide competition. A total of 14 teams competed in the season, 8 of which were BRL Premiership clubs. The remaining six were regional teams from across the state, hence the State League name. The Seagulls would pull off a massive victory in the semi-finals against Ipswich, before defeating Redcliffe by a large margin in the Grand Final to win their third consecutive Winfield State League title.