2002 North Queensland Cowboys season explained

Year:2002
Team Colour:navy
Font Colour:white
League:NRL
League Rank:11th
League Wins:8
League Draws:0
League Losses:16
Points For:496
Points Against:803
Playoff Result:Missed finals
Ceo Title:CEO
Ceo:Denis Keeffe
Coach Title:Coach
Avg Attendance:12,133
High Attendance:24,212 (vs. Brisbane Broncos, Round 1)
Top Tries:Matt Sing (16)
Top Goals:Josh Hannay (48)
Top Points:Josh Hannay (108)
Next Season:2003

The 2002 North Queensland Cowboys season was the 8th in the club's history. Coached by Murray Hurst and captained by Paul Bowman, they competed in the NRL's 2002 Telstra Premiership. Graham Murray replaced Hurst after three rounds and helped the club to their highest finish (11th) and most competition points (20) at the time.

Season summary

The Cowboys underwent another rebuild in 2002 following a disastrous 2001 season. A number of players were moved on, with the key recruit being former Australian and Queensland winger Matt Sing. Sing was an instant success for the club, finishing the 2002 season as the team's top try scorer and being named their Player of the Year. He would later earn his way back into representative sides, becoming a club legend for the Cowboys, being named in their 10th and 20th Anniversary Teams and an inaugural inductee into their Hall of Fame in 2016.[1] [2]

The 2002 season began with three straight losses and looked to be even worse than the year before. Following their Round 3 defeat to the Melbourne Storm, coach Murray Hurst was sacked and replaced by former Sydney Roosters boss Graham Murray, who had taken the Roosters to the Grand Final just two years earlier.[3] Another key piece of their rebuild, Murray would later lead the club to their first finals series and first Grand Final, and was their most successful head coach until the arrival of Paul Green.

Although the success was not instant, the signs were there, as the side won three of their first six games under Murray. Five straights losses soon followed, before ending the year with four wins from their final seven games, giving hope for the 2003 season. The club finished the regular season in 11th, their highest ever finish, with 20 competition points, also a record.

Off the field, Peter Parr joined the club as football manager for the 2002 season. A former administrator with the Perth Reds and Brisbane Broncos, Parr later held the positions of CEO and General Manager and was instrumental in the club's future successes and bringing players, such as Johnathan Thurston, to the club.[4]

2002 also saw the retirement of club stalwart and foundation player Peter Jones, who held the club's most games record until 2004. Jones, the first player to play 100 games for the club, would remain on the Cowboys football operations staff until the end of 2012.[5] While one club great retired, another emerged, with Aaron Payne making his debut in Round 12. Payne would go onto play 219 games for the club and start at hooker in their first ever Grand Final appearance in 2005.

Milestones

Squad Movement

2002 Gains

Player Signed From
Western Suburbs Magpies
Toowoomba Clydesdales
Newcastle Knights
Sydney Roosters
Canterbury Bulldogs

2002 Losses

Player Signed To
Penrith Panthers
Retired
Limoux Grizzlies
Redcliffe Dolphins
Retired
Retired
Retired
Wigan Warriors
Retired
Cronulla Sharks
Parramatta Eels (mid-season)
Widnes Vikings
Northern Eagles
Castleford Tigers

Fixtures

Regular season

Date Round Opponent Venue Score TriesGoals Attendance
16 MarchRound 1 Brisbane BroncosDairy Farmers Stadium6 – 42 DoyleHannay (1/1)24,212
23 MarchRound 2 Newcastle KnightsEnergyAustralia Stadium18 – 50 Bradford, Petersen, Matt SingHannay (3/3)14,868
30 MarchRound 3 Melbourne StormOlympic Park10 – 38Hannay, MorrisonHannay (1/2)8,828
6 AprilRound 4 WarriorsDairy Farmers Stadium20 – 50Morrison (2), Bowen, HannayHannay (2/4)9,657
13 AprilRound 5 South Sydney RabbitohsDairy Farmers Stadium30 – 18Bowen, Bradford, Morrison, Muspratt, WilliamsHannay (5/6)11,014
21 AprilRound 6 Sydney RoostersAussie Stadium12 – 58Fien, SingMorrison (2/2)7,318
27 AprilRound 7 Penrith PanthersPenrith Stadium28 – 18Fien (2), Bowen, Petersen, WilliamsMorrison (4/5)8.759
5 MayRound 8 Parramatta EelsParramatta Stadium19 – 20Doyle, Morrison, SingMorrison (3/5), Fien (1 FG)11,174
11 MayRound 9 Wests TigersDairy Farmers Stadium40 – 16Bowen (2), Sing (2), Fien, Hannay, McGuinnessHannay (6/9)13,089
18 MayRound 10 Penrith PanthersDairy Farmers Stadium8 – 38BowmanHannay (2/2)10,512
26 MayRound 11 Canberra RaidersCanberra Stadium20 – 32Sing (2), Alberts, GatisBowen (2/4)7,128
1 JuneRound 12 St George Illawarra DragonsDairy Farmers Stadium40 – 32Bowman (2), Gatis, Peter Jones, Morrison, Sing, WilliamsMorrison (6/7)10,561
9 JuneRound 13 WarriorsEricsson Stadium6 – 34PhillipsMorrison (1/1)14,616
16 JuneRound 14 Brisbane BroncosANZ Stadium8 – 52Bowen, BowmanBowen (0/1), Hannay (0/1)10,215
22 JuneRound 15 Cronulla SharksDairy Farmers Stadium16 – 46Bowen, Muckert, SingHannay (2/3)13,568
29 JuneRound 16 St George Illawarra DragonsWIN Stadium18 – 45Bowen, Fien, SingHannay (3/3)7,987
Round 17Bye
13 JulyRound 18 Northern EaglesDairy Farmers Stadium12 – 28Bowen, SingHannay (2/2)8,505
20 JulyRound 19 Canberra RaidersDairy Farmers Stadium34 – 18Sing (2), Bowen, Bowman, Muckert, WilliamsHannay (5/6)8,121
28 JulyRound 20 Northern EaglesBrookvale Oval30 – 18Williams (2), Bowman, Dezolt, MaddisonHannay (3/6)6,520
3 AugustRound 21 Canterbury BulldogsDairy Farmers Stadium26 – 34Bowman (2), Dezolt, MorrisonHannay (5/6)12,231
10 AugustRound 22 Melbourne StormDairy Farmers Stadium30 – 40Sing (2), Bowen, Dezolt, Fien, SheppardBowen (3/4), Hannay (0/2)9,238
Round 23Bye
24 AugustRound 24 Cronulla SharksToyota Park14 – 36Bowman, Dezolt, WilliamsHannay (1/3)12,658
31 AugustRound 25 South Sydney RabbitohsAussie Stadium36 – 34Williams (3), Bowen, Bowman, Fien, SingHannay (4/7)9,129
7 SeptemberRound 26 Parramatta EelsDairy Farmers Stadium15 – 6Williams (2)Hannay (3/5), Fien (1 FG)14,892
Legend:

Statistics

NameAppTGFGPts
51--4
3----
24125-58
1410--40
32--8
3----
16----
84--16
112--8
247-230
151--4
19348-108
181--4
1----
16----
18----
81--4
12----
91--4
9----
15716-60
132--8
171--4
5----
82--8
41--4
3----
91--4
2316--64
13----
21----
3----
2----
13----
2113--52
Totals 89 69 2 496
Source:[6]

Representatives

The following players played a representative match in 2002.

John Buttigieg
John Doyle

Honours

Club

Feeder Clubs

References

-19.3161°N 146.7119°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Cowboys Hall of Fame unveiled. 6 September 2016.
  2. Web site: Introducing your 20-year team!. 17 May 2015.
  3. Web site: If Cowboys need help, Bennett is their man. 3 April 2002.
  4. North Queensland Cowboys seasonhttps://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/teams/cowboys/peter-parr-is-the-creator-of-the-cowboys-enviable-culture/news-story/1406b89c0ffda792617c66abae7e4ef7
  5. Web site: Last of the original Cowboys to ride off into the sunset. 10 August 2002.
  6. Web site: NRL 2002 - North Queensland Cowboys - Rugby League Project.