2016 Townsville Blackhawks season explained

Year:	2016
Team Colour:	green
Font Colour:	white
League:	Queensland Cup
League Rank:	3rd
League Wins:	16
League Draws:	1
League Losses:	6
Points For:	694
Points Against:	403
Playoff Result:	Lost semi final
Ceo Title:	CEO
Ceo:	Justin Wilkins
Coach Title:	Coach
Coach:	Kristian Woolf
Top Tries:	Jonathon Reuben (20)
Top Goals:	Kyle Laybutt (47)
Top Points:	Kyle Laybutt (122)
Next Season:	2017

The 2016 Townsville Blackhawks season was the second in the club's history. Coached by Kristian Woolf and co-captained by Glenn Hall and Anthony Mitchell, they compete in the Intrust Super Cup.

Season summary

The year started off on a sour note, with club captain Daniel Beasley tearing his ACL and being ruled out for the season.^[1] In his place, Glenn Hall and Anthony Mitchell were announced as co-captains of the team.^[2] Coming off a minor premiership and Grand Final appearance in 2015, the Blackhawks got off to a strong start to their second season in the Intrust Super Cup, winning their first five games. On May 19, inaugural Blackhawk Neville Costigan retired due to a chronic knee injury.^[3]

Milestones

• Round 1: Sam Foster, Sam Hoare, Delouise Hoeter, Kyle Laybutt, Willie Minoga, David Munro and Kieran Quabba made their debuts for the club.
• Round 1: Sam Hoare scored his first try for the club.
• Round 2: Delouise Hoeter scored his first try for the club.
• Round 3: Kyle Laybutt scored his first try for the club.
• Round 4: Lona Kaifoto made his debut for the club.
• Round 5: Hezron Murgha made his debut for the club.
• Round 5: Hezron Murgha scored his first try for the club.
• Round 6: Conor Carey and Brenden Santi made his debut for the club.
• Round 12: Matthew Bowen and Andrew Niemoeller made his debut for the club.
• Round 16: Davin Crampton made his debut for the club.
• Round 19: Daniel Strickland made his debut for the club.

Squad Movement

Gains

Player	Signed From	Until End of	Notes
Matthew Bowen	Wigan Warriors
Conor Carey	North Queensland Cowboys
Davin Crampton	Gold Coast Titans
Sam Foster	Tweed Heads Seagulls
Glenn Hall	North Queensland Cowboys
Delouise Hoeter	Wests Tigers
Lona Kaifoto	Burdekin Roosters
Willie Minoga	PNG Hunters
David Munro	North Queensland Cowboys
Hezron Murgha	North Queensland Cowboys
Andrew Niemoeller	North Queensland Cowboys
Temone Power	North Queensland Cowboys
Kieran Quabba	North Queensland Cowboys
Brenden Santi	Wests Tigers

Losses

Player	Signed To	Until End of	Notes
Neville Costigan	Retired
Jahrome Hughes	North Queensland Cowboys
Tom Humble	North Thuringowa Devils
Jack Kelleher	Townsville Brothers
Chris McLean	Retired
Mitchell Seri	Herbert River Crushers
Tyler Smith	Released
Ricky Thorby	Retired
Dennis Tomarchio	Townsville Brothers

Fixtures

Pre-season

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Score	Tries	Goals
Saturday, 6 February	Trial 1	Northern Pride	Jack Manski Oval	22  - 10	Niemoeller (2), Minoga, Parker-Walshe	Parker-Walshe (3)
Thursday, 11 February	Trial 2	North Queensland Cowboys	Jack Manski Oval	16  - 18	Martin, Pangai, Reuben	Laybutt (2)
Legend:

Regular season

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Score	Tries	Goals
Saturday, 5 March	Round 1	Redcliffe Dolphins	Jack Manski Oval	18  - 16		Foster (1)
Sunday, 13 March	Round 2	Ipswich Jets	North Ipswich Reserve	30  - 18	Parker-Walshe (2), Hoeter, Pangai, Reuben	Laybutt (5)
Saturday, 19 March	Round 3	Souths Logan Magpies	Jack Manski Oval	46  - 26	Reuben (2), Hall, Hoeter, Hughes, Laybutt, Martin, Mitchell, O'Neill	Laybutt (5)
Saturday, 26 March	Round 4	Wynnum Manly Seagulls	Jack Manski Oval	50  - 10	Pangai (2), Reuben (2), Hall, Hoeter, Martin, Mitchell, O'Neill, Parker-Walshe	Laybutt (5)
Sunday, 3 April	Round 5	Tweed Heads Seagulls	Piggabeen Sports Complex	42  - 8	Murgha (2), Hoeter, Hughes, Minoga, Norford, Pangai, Parker-Walshe	Jensen (3), Laybutt (2)
Sunday, 10 April	Round 6	PNG Hunters	National Football Stadium	10  - 11	Martin, Minoga	Laybutt (1)
Sunday, 17 April	Round 7	Sunshine Coast Falcons	Sunshine Coast Stadium	40  - 12	Hughes (2), Martin (2), Norford, Reuben, Underwood	Jensen (4), Laybutt (2)
Sunday, 24 April	Round 8	Northern Pride	Jack Manski Oval	26  - 13		Laybutt (3)
Sunday, 1 May	Round 9	Burleigh Bears	Pizzey Park	28  - 28		Laybutt (3), Jensen (1)
Saturday, 14 May	Round 10	CQ Capras	Jack Manski Oval	34  - 16	Murgha (2), Underwood (2), Martin, O'Neill	Laybutt (3), Jensen (2)
Saturday, 21 May	Round 11	Mackay Cutters	Jack Manski Oval	52  - 8	Reuben (3), Hughes (2), Parker-Walshe (2), Hoeter, Jensen, Quabba	Laybutt (6)
Saturday, 28 May	Round 12	Easts Tigers	Suzuki Stadium	20  - 29	Hoeter (2), Pangai, Reuben	Laybutt (2)
Sunday, 5 June	Round 13	Norths Devils	Jack Manski Oval	32  - 12		Bowen (2), Jensen (2)
Sunday, 12 June	Round 14	Redcliffe Dolphins	Dolphin Oval	16  - 18	Hughes, Kaifoto, Murgha	Bowen (2)
Saturday, 18 June	Round 15	Ipswich Jets	Jack Manski Oval	12  - 24	Hoeter, Reuben	Bowen (2)
Saturday, 25 June	Round 16	Sunshine Coast Falcons	Jack Manski Oval	22  - 12		Foster (3)
Saturday, 2 July	Round 17	Souths Logan Magpies	Davies Park	12  - 30		Jensen (2)
	Round 18	Bye
Saturday, 16 July	Round 19	Burleigh Bears	Jack Manski Oval	20  - 26		Bowen (1), Jensen (1)
Saturday, 23 July	Round 20	CQ Capras	Alec Inch Oval	74  - 12		Bowen (7), Jensen (4)
Friday, 29 July	Round 21	Mackay Cutters	BB Print Stadium	16  - 14	Kaifoto, Pangai, Parker-Walshe	Bowen (2)
Sunday, 7 August	Round 22	Northern Pride	Barlow Park	22  - 20		Bowen (1)
Saturday, 13 August	Round 23	PNG Hunters	Jack Manski Oval	24  - 20	Laybutt (2), Hoeter, Niemoeller	Laybutt (3), Murgha (1)
	Round 24	Bye
Sunday, 28 August	Round 25	Norths Devils	Bishop Park	48  - 22		Laybutt (6)
Legend:

Finals

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Score	Tries	Goals
Sunday, 4 September	Elimination Final	Easts Tigers	Jack Manski Oval	46  - 4	Pangai (2), Parker-Walshe (2), Reuben (2), Hoeter, Jensen, Niemoeller	Jensen (2), Martin (2), Laybutt (1)
Saturday, 10 September	Semi Final	Ipswich Jets	Jack Manski Oval	10  - 18	Hoeter, Parker-Walshe	Bowen (1)
Legend:

Statistics

Denotes player contracted to the North Queensland Cowboys for the 2016 season

Name	App	T	G	FG	Pts
	9	2	18	-	44
Conor Carey	9	3	-	-	12
Davin Crampton	8	1	-	-	4
Sam Foster	9	-	4	-	8
	17	2	-	-	8
	3	1	-	-	4
	23	15	-	-	60
	21	10	-	-	40
Corey Jensen	25	4	21	-	58
Lona Kaifoto	12	2	-	-	8
	17	7	47	-	122
	16	2	-	-	8
Lenny Magey	1	-	-	-	-
Rhyse Martin	25	11	2	-	48
Willie Minoga	21	3	-	-	12
	24	4	-	-	16
David Munro	24	-	-	-	-
Hezron Murgha	15	7	1	-	30
Andrew Niemoeller	14	2	-	-	8
Nathan Norford	15	3	-	-	12
Samsen O'Neill	13	5	-	-	20
	19	15	-	-	60
Michael Parker-Walshe	19	13	-	-	52
Kieran Quabba	10	1	-	-	4
Jonathon Reuben	17	20	-	-	80
	19	3	-	-	12
	4	-	-	-	-
	6	2	-	-	8
Noel Underwood	10	3	-	-	12
Totals		141	93	0	750

Honours

Club

• Player of the Year: Jahrome Hughes^[4]
• Players' Player: Corey Jensen
• Back of the Year: Michael Parker-Walshe
• Forward of the Year: Corey Jensen

League

• Top Try Scorer: Jonathon Reuben^[5]
• Fullback of the Year: Jahrome Hughes
• Centre of the Year: Mosese Pangai
• Second Rower of the Year: Rhyse Martin

Notes and References

1. News: Not backward steps for Beasley. Townsville Bulletin. 16 February 2016 . 2017-01-13.
2. News: Blackhawks co-captain Glenn Hall says partnership a work in progress . Townsville Bulletin . 3 March 2016 . 2017-01-13.
3. Web site: Costigan succumbs to knee injury « Mendi Townsville & Districts Blackhawks RLFC. Blackhawkstsv.com.au. 19 May 2016 . 2017-01-13.
4. Web site: Hughes and Jensen big winners at 2016 awards . 27 September 2016 .
5. Web site: QRL Award winners .