1996 Queensland Cup Explained

Year:1996
Competition:Queensland Cup
Duration:March 30 – August 31, 1996
Teams:16
Count:1st
Mpcount:1st
Matches:129
Points:4,789
Top Point Scorer: James Brown (124)
Top Try Scorer: Ricky Hewinson
Floyd Hill (14)
Player Of The Year: Alan Wieland
Nextseason Year:1997

The 1996 Queensland Cup season was the 1st season of Queensland's premier statewide competition.[1] It had been formed after the Winfield State League was closed after the end of the 1995 Season. It was subsequently superseded by the Queensland Cup.[2] At this time it was considered as the second highest league, directly under the Brisbane Rugby League. It would run under the BRL until 1998 when it would become the highest rugby league competition in the state.

Teams

The inaugural Queensland Cup season featured 16 teams, 12 from south east Queensland, two from north Queensland and one each from central Queensland and Papua New Guinea.

ColoursClubHome ground(s)
Bundaberg GrizzliesSalter Oval
Cairns CyclonesBarlow Park
Central CaprasBrowne Park
Easts TigersLanglands Park
Ipswich JetsNorth Ipswich Reserve
Logan City ScorpionsMeakin Park
Mackay Sea EaglesMackay JRL Grounds
Norths DevilsBishop Park
Pine Rivers BrothersBray Park
Port Moresby VipersLloyd Robson Oval
Redcliffe DolphinsDolphin Oval
Souths MagpiesDavies Park
Sunshine Coast FalconsKawana Sports Ground
Toowoomba ClydesdalesAthletic Oval
Wests PanthersPurtell Park
Wynnum SeagullsKougari Oval

Regular season

The inaugural Queensland Cup consisted of 16 teams and ran for 15 regular season rounds (which included two split rounds) with a top 6 finals system.[3] [4]

Ladder

1996 Queensland Cup
Team
1 Toowoomba Clydesdales (P)151113360226+13423
2 Redcliffe Dolphins151023365193+17222
3 Souths Magpies151014375205+17021
4 Wests Panthers151014359208+15121
5 Cairns Cyclones151005310224+8620
6 Easts Tigers114905315224+9119
7 Wynnum Seagulls15825325225+10018
8 Pine Rivers Brothers15906339354-1518
9 Norths Devils15807334332+216
10 Port Moresby Vipers15807323408-8516
11 Central Capras15708309336−2714
12 Mackay Sea Eagles15618306285+2113
13 Bundaberg Grizzlies1144010211348−1379
14 Logan City Scorpions153210236346−1108
15 Sunshine Coast Falcons151014184397−2132
16 Ipswich Jets150015138478−3400
1Awarded one point due to game being cancelled.

Finals series

HomeScore AwayMatch Information
width=14%Datewidth=14%Venue
Week 1 Qualifying Finals
Cairns Cyclones 12 – 16 Easts Tigers3 August 1996Barlow Park
15 – 22 Wests Panthers3 August 1996Davies Park
Toowoomba Clydesdales12 – 10 3 August 1996Athletic Oval
Week 2 Qualifying Finals
Souths Magpies34 – 610 August 1996Davies Park
Redcliffe Dolphins30 – 10 11 August 1996Dolphin Oval
Semi Finals
Wests Panthers 21 – 8 Souths Magpies17 August 1996Purtell Park
Redcliffe Dolphins 6 – 0 Toowoomba Clydesdales17 August 1996Athletic Oval
Preliminary Final
Toowoomba Clydesdales19 – 8 Wests Panthers24 August 1996Athletic Oval
Grand Final
6 – 8 Toowoomba Clydesdales31 August 1996Suncorp Stadium

Grand Final

Redcliffe DolphinsPositionToowoomba Clydesdales
Barry DenduckKyle Warren
Stephen LeydenPeter Stennier
Ricky HewinsonAndrew Richards
Mark ShipwayJeffery Slater
Aaron DouglasDarren Lawson
Tom O'ReillyCameron Hamblin
Peter RobinsonDamian Fry
Grant ClealRussell Voll
Darren SmallhorneMick Jenkins
Danny NutleyKayne Spicer
Ian Graham (c)Scott Kuhnemann
Kahu TweedieTony Evans
Tony GouldDon Saunders (c)
Graham CotterBench Paul Sutton
James HincheyBench Ross Murray
Bevan CanningBench Shaun Lawson
Cameron HurrenBench Craig Scanlan
John BoxsellCoach Gary Lawrence

The inaugural Queensland Cup Grand Final featured minor premiers, the Toowoomba Clydesdales, and the second placed Redcliffe Dolphins, in what would be the fourth meeting between the two sides in 1996. The first encounter was in Round 13, with Redcliffe defeating Toowoomba 18-8 to secure the two competition points. The sides then met twice in the final series, with both matches being low-scoring, defensive battles. In the qualifying final, the Clydesdales recorded a narrow 12-10 win over the Dolphins, while two weeks later Redcliffe held on for a 6-0 victory to progress to the Grand Final.

First half

Toowoomba second-rower Scott Kuhnemann recorded the only points in the first half, kicking a penalty goal in the 21st minute. This came after Redcliffe captain Ian Graham and Toowoomba's Paul Sutton were both sin binned for fighting.

Second half

The first try of the final was eventually scored by Clydesdales' interchange player Shaun Lawson, who dummied and stepped through the Dolphins' defence to score under the posts. Redcliffe then hit back through centre Mark Shipway, who received the ball 35 metres out from the try line and sprinted around the Toowoomba defence to get his side back into the contest.

Redcliffe were then denied twice in the dying minutes by the Clydesdales' defence. Halfback Peter Robinson was stopped just before the line by Toowoomba fullback Kyle Warren, who knocked himself unconscious in the process, while Cameron Hurren had the ball knocked out of his arms, just moments later, as he went over the try line. As of 2019, the 8–6 scoreline is still the lowest ever in a Queensland Cup Grand Final.

Player statistics

The following statistics are correct as of the conclusion of Round 15.

Leading try scorers

Poswidth=120 PlayerTeamTries
1Ricky Hewinson Redcliffe Dolphins15
Floyd Hill Souths Magpies15
3Robert Volu Port Moresby Vipers14
4Seko Pae Port Moresby Vipers13
Robbie Schmidt Cairns Cyclones13

Leading point scorers

Poswidth=120 PlayerTeamwidth=20 Twidth=20 Gwidth=20 FGwidth=20 Pts
1James Brown Wests Panthers650-124
2Ron Troutman Wynnum Seagulls745-118
3Scott Maguire Pine Rivers Brothers4501117
4Floyd Hill Souths Magpies1528-116
5Brendan Liston Easts Tigers340-92

End-of-season awards

Brisbane Rugby League

The Queensland Rugby League also decided to continue the tradition of crowning a Brisbane club premier as was tradition since 1922. The competition, which was run as a second-tier title, started with the Brisbane teams who missed the finals, with the finalists filtering in upon their elimination from the Queensland Cup finals.

HomeScore AwayMatch Information
DateVenue
Week 1 Qualifying Finals
Wynnum Seagulls 28 – 22 Ipswich Jets
Norths Devils 28 – 20 Logan City Scorpions
Week 2 Qualifying Finals
Pine Rivers Brothers28 – 4
Easts Tigers120 – 14
Minor Semi Final
Pine Rivers Brothers 19 – 18 Easts Tigers1
Major Semi Final
Souths Magpies 24 – 16 Pine Rivers Brothers
Preliminary Final
Souths Magpies22 – 16 Wests Panthers
Grand Final
Redcliffe Dolphins 16 – 12 Souths MagpiesSuncorp Stadium
Source:[5]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Queensland R.LEAGUE 1996 Season Page Retrieved 17 Dec 2007
  2. Wikipedia Winfield State League Retrieved 17 Dec 2007
  3. Queensland R.LEAGUE 1996 Table Retrieved 17 Dec 2007
  4. Queensland R.LEAGUE 1996 Results Retrieved 17 Dec 2007
  5. Web site: Rugby League – Welcome to Roger's Website . 2023-08-15 . en-US.