2002 Queensland Cup

The 2002 Queensland Cup season was the 7th season of Queensland's top-level statewide rugby league competition run by the Queensland Rugby League. The competition featured 12 teams playing a 26-week long season (including finals) from March to September.

2002 Queensland Cup
DurationMarch 16 – September 21, 2002
Teams12
Premiers Redcliffe Dolphins (3rd title)
Minor premiers Redcliffe Dolphins (3rd title)
Matches played138
Points scored7,846
Top points scorer(s) Damien Richters (246)
Player of the year Scott Thorburn
(Courier Mail Medal)
Top try-scorer(s) Dan Kennedy (34)

The Redcliffe Dolphins defeated the Ipswich Jets 34–10 in the Grand Final at Dolphin Oval to claim their third premiership. Easts halfback Scott Thorburn was named the competition's Player of the Year, winning the Courier Mail Medal.[1][2]

Teams

The Queensland Cup returned to a 12-team format in 2002 with the inclusion of the North Queensland Young Guns, who served as the North Queensland Cowboys feeder club.[3]

Along with the Cowboys using the Young Guns as their affiliate, the Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm were again affiliated with the Toowoomba Clydesdales and Norths Devils, respectively.

Colours Club Home ground(s)
 Burleigh Bears Pizzey Park
 Central Comets Browne Park
 East Coast Tigers Langlands Park
 Ipswich Jets Bendigo Bank Oval
 Logan Scorpions Meakin Park
 North Queensland Young Guns Dairy Farmers Stadium
 Norths Devils Bishop Park
 Redcliffe Dolphins Dolphin Oval
 Souths Magpies Davies Park, Brandon Park
 Toowoomba Clydesdales Newtown Oval, ANZ Stadium
 Wests Panthers Purtell Park
 Wynnum Seagulls Kougari Oval

Ladder
2002 Queensland Cup
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 Redcliffe Dolphins (P) 221804833376+45736
2 East Coast Tigers 221615704488+21633
3 Ipswich Jets 221606673402+27132
4 Burleigh Bears 221516768497+27131
5 Norths Devils 221408774441+36328
6 North Queensland Young Guns 221408713541+17228
7 Toowoomba Clydesdales 221309792624+16826
8 Wynnum Seagulls 221309654529+12526
9 Central Comets 224117434814-3809
10 Wests Panthers 224018432854-4228
11 Souths Magpies 223118488840-3527
12 Logan Scorpions 2200223031192-8890

Finals series
Home Score Away Match Information
Date Venue
Qualifying / Elimination Finals
Burleigh Bears 20 – 42 Norths Devils 31 August 2002 Pizzey Park
East Coast Tigers 22 – 28 Ipswich Jets 31 August 2002 Langlands Park
Semi-finals
Redcliffe Dolphins 17 – 16 Ipswich Jets 7 September 2002 Dolphin Oval
East Coast Tigers 16 – 18 Norths Devils 7 September 2002 Langlands Park
Preliminary Final
Ipswich Jets 29 – 26 Norths Devils 14 September 2002 Bendigo Bank Oval
Grand Final
Redcliffe Dolphins 34 – 10 Ipswich Jets 21 September 2002 Dolphin Oval
Qualifying / Elimination FinalsMajor / Minor Semi-finalsPreliminary FinalGrand Final
1 Redcliffe17 Redcliffe34
Ipswich16 Ipswich10
2 East Coast22 Ipswich29
3 Ipswich28 Norths26
East Coast16
Norths18
4 Burleigh20
5 Norths42

Grand Final
Saturday, 21 September
Redcliffe Dolphins 34 – 10 Ipswich Jets
Tries:
Aaron Barba 2
Barry Berrigan 1
Trent Leis 1
Damien Richters 1
Paul Shilvock 1
Goals:
Damien Richters 5		 1st: 22 - 0
2nd: 12 - 10
 Tries:
1 Aaron Bulow
1 Steven West
Goals:
1 Steven West
Dolphin Oval
Attendance: 9,000
Referee: Tony Maksoud
Player of the Match: Barry Berrigan (Redcliffe)
Redcliffe Dolphins Position Ipswich Jets
Trent LeisFBMarshall Chalk
Paul ShilvockWGSteven West
Damien RichtersCEAaron Bulow
Brian JellickCERichard Allwood
Aaron BarbaWGFaron Anderson
Shane PerryFEBrendon Lindsay
Mick RobertsHBRicky Bird
Troy LindsayPRJamie Mathiou
Barry BerriganHKMatt Doeg
Adam StarrPRDanny McAllister
Luke Scott (c)SRAnthony Seibold
Danny BurkeSRAndrew Hamilton
Grant FluggeLKDanny Coburn
Russell LahiffBenchKerry Theuerkauf
David StaggBenchReggie Cressbrook
Andrew WynyardBenchChris Anderson
Shane TroncBenchBrian McCarthy
Neil WhartonCoachGary Greinke

Redcliffe finished the regular season with the minor premiership, their third, and cruised through the finals. After earning a first round bye, they defeated Ipswich by a point in the major semi final, qualifying for their sixth overall and fourth consecutive Grand Final. Ipswich qualified for the finals for the first time after finishing third, and defeated the East Coast Tigers in the first week of the playoffs. The loss to Redcliffe saw them face Norths in the preliminary final, in which they won 29–26 to set up a rematch with the Dolphins in the Grand Final. In the regular season, Redcliffe defeated Ipswich on both occasions (20–18 in Round 2 and 24–12 in Round 12).[4]

First half

It took just 10 seconds for tensions to flare in the decider after Jets' prop Danny McAllister was hit with a high tackle from the kick off by Dolphins' captain Luke Scott. An all-in brawl erupted, with both teams coming together in a melee. Moments after the referees had finally regained order, the fight erupted again between Scott and McAllister. Both players were subsequently sent to the sin bin. In the 12th minute, Redcliffe opened the scoring through winger Aaron Barba. It was a dominant first half for the Dolphins, who led 22–0 at half time after tries to Bara (his second), Damien Richters and Barry Berrigan added tries.

Second half

Three minutes into the second half, Redcliffe pushed their lead to 28 when winger Phil Shilvock scored, the try all but wrapping up the game. Ipswich finally got on the scoreboard in the 49th minute when winger Steven West latched onto a Ricky Bird grubber. Redcliffe scored again in the 61st minute, when a pinpoint Shane Perry chip kick found Trent Leis, who scored in his third Grand Final. Jets' centre Aaron Bulow scored seven minutes later but the game was well out of reach for Ipswich, as Redcliffe secured their third premiership. Dolphins' hooker Barry Berrigan was named man of the match.[5]

The victorious Redcliffe side featured two players who would play in the Brisbane Broncos 2006 NRL Grand Final win over the Melbourne Storm, with Shane Perry starting at halfback and David Stagg starting at centre in the victory.[6]

Player statistics

End-of-season awards

See also

References
  1. "Individual Records".
  2. "Queensland Rugby League". queensland.rleague.com. Archived from the original on 5 February 2006. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  3. "QUEENSLAND CUP ROUND 18 PREVIEW! » League Unlimited". League Unlimited. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  4. "Ipswich Jets - Newspaper Clippings from 2000 - 2004" (PDF). ipswichjets.com.au. Ipswich Jets. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  5. "2002 QLD Cup Grand Final Redcliffe 34 v Ipswich 10". YouTube.
  6. "The Grand Final That Queensland Built? » League Unlimited".
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