# 2017 Mackay Cutters season

The 2017 Mackay Cutters season was the tenth in the club's history. Coached by Steve Sheppard and captained by Andrew Davey and Setaimata Sa, they competed in the QRL's Intrust Super Cup. The club missed the finals for the fourth consecutive season, finishing eighth.

## Season summary

Following a wooden spoon season in 2016, the Cutters underwent a major roster overhaul, led by new head coach Steve Sheppard. The club's key signings included former Samoa and New Zealand international Setaimata Sa and former NRL player Jayden Hodges. Sa was awarded the co-captaincy of the team, alongside second-rower Andrew Davey. Hodges first season with Mackay was short lived after he tore his ACL in the team's first trial in February, ruling him out for the season.
The Cutters did not find much success in the first half of the season, winning just four of their first 12 games. Six wins, and two draws, from their final 11 games saw them fight for a finals spot but they finished short, four points outside of the Top 6 in eighth spot. Co-captain Andrew Davey was named the club's Player of the Year at the end of the season. In 2017, the Cutters used just two North Queensland Cowboys-contracted players, the least in club history.

## Squad movement
### Gains

| Player | Signed From | Until End of |
| Cooper Bambling | North Queensland Cowboys | 2017 |
| Yamba Bowie | Cairns Brothers | 2017 |
| Nick Brown | North Queensland Cowboys | 2017 |
| Jake Eden | Souths Logan Magpies | 2017 |
| Jayden Hodges | Manly Warringah Sea Eagles | 2017 |
| Nicho Hynes | Manly Warringah Sea Eagles | 2017 |
| Jack Joass | Souths Logan Magpies | 2017 |
| Lona Kaifoto | Townsville Blackhawks | 2017 |
| Tom Murphy | Sunshine Coast Falcons | 2017 |
| Setaimata Sa | Widnes Vikings | 2017 |
| Kouma Samson | Glenora Bears | 2017 |
| Nathan Saumalu | Canterbury Bulls | 2017 |
| Semisi Tyrell | Warriors | 2017 |

### Losses

| Player | Signed From | Until End of |
| Delayne Ashby | Illawarra Cutters | 2017 |
| Joss Boyton | Released | – |
| Jack Creith | Easts Tigers | 2017 |
| Andrew Gay | West Wales Raiders | 2017 |
| Ryan Kinlyside | Released | – |
| Nicholas Mataia | Released | – |
| Kelvin Nielsen | Released | – |
| John Papalii | Released | – |
| Michael Pearsall | Norths Devils | 2017 |
| Jordan Pereira | St George Illawarra (mid-season) | 2017 |
| Steve Rapira | Released | – |
| Tone Susuga | Released | – |
| Liam Taylor | Released | – |
| Regan Verney | Ivanhoes Knights | 2017 |

## Fixtures
### Regular season

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Score | Tries | Goals |
| Saturday, 4 March | Round 1 | Northern Pride | BB Print Stadium | 4 – 24 | Saumaulu | |
| Saturday, 11 March | Round 2 | Tweed Heads Seagulls | BB Print Stadium | 38 – 6 | Bowie (2), Bambling, Booth, Pereira, Saumalu, Uele | Hynes (5) |
| Saturday, 18 March | Round 3 | Townsville Blackhawks | Jack Manski Oval | 12 – 60 | Pereira, Uele | Hynes (2) |
| Saturday, 25 March | Round 4 | Wynnum Manly Seagulls | BMD Kougari Oval | 22 – 18 | Uele (2), Bowie, Pereira | Hynes (3) |
| Saturday, 1 April | Round 5 | PNG Hunters | BB Print Stadium | 16 – 36 | Faletagoa'i, Hynes, Pereira | Hynes (2) |
| Saturday, 8 April | Round 6 | Central Queensland Capras | Browne Park | 38 – 22 | Saumalu (3), Davey (2), Faletagoa'i, Sa, Uele | Hynes (3) |
| Sunday, 16 April | Round 7 | Souths Logan Magpies | Davies Park | 24 – 42 | Joass (2), Bambling, Saumalu, Uele | Hynes (2) |
| Saturday, 22 April | Round 8 | Easts Tigers | BB Print Stadium | 33 – 10 | Bambling, Bowie, Davey, Sa, Saumalu, Uele | Bambling (4, 1 FG) |
| Sunday, 30 April | Round 9 | Norths Devils | BB Print Stadium | 10 – 34 | Bambling, Saumalu | Bambling (1) |
| Saturday, 13 May | Round 10 | Redcliffe Dolphins | Dolphin Oval | 6 – 14 | Pereira | Bambling (1) |
| Saturday, 20 May | Round 11 | Sunshine Coast Falcons | Sunshine Coast Stadium | 18 – 28 | Bowie, Hynes, Tyrell | Hynes (3) |
| Saturday, 27 May | Round 12 | Burleigh Bears | BB Print Stadium | 28 – 34 | Saumalu (2), Booth, Davey, Hynes | Booth (4) |
| Saturday, 3 June | Round 13 | Wynnum Manly Seagulls | BB Print Stadium | 20 – 14 | Bowie (2), Hynes, Uele | Hynes (2) |
| Saturday, 10 June | Round 14 | Townsville Blackhawks | BB Print Stadium | 20 – 20 | Bambling, Bowie, Faletagoa'i, Pereira | Hynes (2) |
| | Round 15 | Bye | | | | |
| Sunday, 25 June | Round 16 | Norths Devils | Bishop Park | 52 – 4 | Bambling (2), Faletagoa'i (2), Hynes (2), Pereira (2), Joass, Uele | Joass (4), Bambling (1), Hynes (1) |
| Sunday, 2 July | Round 17 | Northern Pride | Barlow Park | 26 – 18 | Bowie (2), Bambling, Booth | Joass (5) |
| Saturday, 8 July | Round 18 | Easts Tigers | Suzuki Stadium | 10 – 34 | Hynes, Kaifoto | Joass (1) |
| Saturday, 15 July | Round 19 | Central Queensland Capras | BB Print Stadium | 38 – 20 | Joass (2), Booth, Davey, Faletagoa'i, Saumalu, Uele | Joass (5) |
| Saturday, 22 July | Round 20 | PNG Hunters | National Football Stadium | 22 – 22 | Bowie (2), Faletagoa'i, Wright | Joass (3) |
| | Round 21 | Bye | | | | |
| Saturday, 5 August | Round 22 | Sunshine Coast Falcons | BB Print Stadium | 30 – 26 | Bambling, Bowie, Brown, Davey, Saumalu | Joass (5) |
| Saturday, 12 August | Round 23 | Burleigh Bears | Pizzey Park | 16 – 28 | Uele, Leslie | Joass (2) |
| Saturday, 19 August | Round 24 | Ipswich Jets | North Ipswich Reserve | 30 – 20 | Bowie, Davey, Hynes, Leslie, Samson | Joass (5) |
| Saturday, 26 August | Round 25 | Souths Logan Magpies | BB Print Stadium | 18 – 32 | Boyd, Hynes, Saumalu | Joass (3) |
| Legend: Win Loss Draw Bye |||||||

## Statistics

* Denotes player contracted to the North Queensland Cowboys for the 2017 season
| Name | App | T | G | FG | Pts |
| Blake Atherton | 3 | - | - | - | - |
| Cooper Bambling | 23 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 51 |
| Jayden Batchelor | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| Jack Blagbrough | 12 | - | - | - | - |
| Aaron Booth | 22 | 4 | 4 | - | 24 |
| Yamba Bowie | 23 | 14 | - | - | 56 |
| Daniel Boyd | 1 | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| Nick Brown | 23 | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| Andrew Davey | 21 | 7 | - | - | 28 |
| Jake Eden | 9 | - | - | - | - |
| Johnny Faletagoa'i | 18 | 7 | - | - | 28 |
| Alex Farrell | 2 | - | - | - | - |
| Leonati Feiloakitau | 7 | - | - | - | - |
| Tyler Gardiner | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| Nicho Hynes | 21 | 9 | 25 | - | 86 |
| Kellen Jenner | 5 | - | - | - | - |
| Jack Joass | 22 | 5 | 33 | - | 86 |
| Lona Kaifoto | 18 | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| Yosepha Kepa | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| Bennett Leslie | 10 | 2 | - | - | 8 |
| Gareth Moore | 9 | - | - | - | - |
| Tom Murphy | 11 | - | - | - | - |
| Jordan Pereira | 15 | 8 | - | - | 32 |
| Jacob Pottinger | 10 | - | - | - | - |
| Isaac Richardson | 9 | - | - | - | - |
| Setaimata Sa | 20 | 2 | - | - | 8 |
| Kouma Samson | 17 | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| Nathan Saumalu | 17 | 13 | - | - | 52 |
| Eliki Taufahema | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| Semisi Tyrell | 6 | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| Braden Uele | 21 | 12 | - | - | 48 |
| Shane Wright | 12 | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| Totals | | 98 | 69 | 1 | 531 |

## Honours
### Club

* Player of the Year: Andrew Davey
* Players' Player: Nick Brown
* Rookie of the Year: Cooper Bambling
* Club Person of the Year: Jodie Grosskreutz