2003 Queensland Cup

The 2003 Queensland Cup season was the 8th 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.

2003 Queensland Cup
DurationMarch 15 – September 20, 2003
Teams12
Premiers Redcliffe Dolphins (4th title)
Minor premiers Burleigh Bears (1st title)
Matches played138
Points scored7,799
Top points scorer(s) Steven West (264)
Player of the year Denny Lambert
(Courier Mail Medal)
Top try-scorer(s) Aaron Barba (33)

The Redcliffe Dolphins defeated the Burleigh Bears 31–18 in the Grand Final at Dolphin Oval, becoming the first club to win back-to-back premierships. Wynnum halfback Denny Lambert was named the competition's Player of the Year, winning the Courier Mail Medal.[1][2][3]

Teams

The Tweed Heads Seagulls, the oldest provincial club in Australia, gained entry to the competition for the 2003 season. The club applied for the 2002 season but were unsuccessful. They re-applied after the Logan Scorpions, an inaugural Queensland Cup club, ceased operations. Seagulls became the first New South Wales-based team to enter the competition. Souths Magpies acquired what remained of the Logan club and re-branded as the Souths Logan Magpies. Also in 2003, the East Coast Tigers reverted to their original name, Easts Tigers, after two seasons.

The Brisbane Broncos, Melbourne Storm and North Queensland Cowboys were again affiliated with the Toowoomba Clydesdales, Norths Devils and North Queensland Young Guns respectively.

Colours Club Home ground(s)
 Burleigh Bears Pizzey Park
 Central Comets Browne Park
 Easts Tigers Langlands Park
 Ipswich Jets Bendigo Bank Oval
 North Queensland Young Guns Dairy Farmers Stadium
 Norths Devils Bishop Park
 Redcliffe Dolphins Dolphin Oval
 Souths Logan Magpies Davies Park
 Toowoomba Clydesdales Stadium Toowoomba, Suncorp Stadium
 Tweed Heads Seagulls Piggabeen Sports Complex
 Wests Panthers Purtell Park
 Wynnum Seagulls Kougari Oval

Ladder
2003 Queensland Cup
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 Burleigh Bears 221615707366+34133
2 Redcliffe Dolphins (P) 221615789486+30333
3 Ipswich Jets 221516732465+26731
4 Wynnum Seagulls 221516700536+16431
5 Tweed Heads Seagulls 221408606564+4228
6 Toowoomba Clydesdales 2211110738591+14723
7 North Queensland Young Guns 2211011638457+18122
8 Norths Devils 2210111615589+2621
9 Easts Tigers 2210012626641-1520
10 Central Comets 227015466749-28314
11 Souths Logan Magpies 224018484978-4948
12 Wests Panthers 2200223611040-6790

Finals series
Home Score Away Match Information
Date Venue
Qualifying / Elimination Finals
Wynnum Seagulls 40 – 22 Tweed Heads Seagulls 30 August 2003 Kougari Oval
Redcliffe Dolphins 28 – 22 Ipswich Jets 31 August 2003 Dolphin Oval
Semi-finals
Burleigh Bears 26 – 24 Redcliffe Dolphins 6 September 2003 Pizzey Park
Ipswich Jets 12 – 42 Wynnum Seagulls 6 September 2003 Bendigo Bank Oval
Preliminary Final
Redcliffe Dolphins 46 – 26 Wynnum Seagulls 13 September 2003 Dolphin Oval
Grand Final
Burleigh Bears 18 – 31 Redcliffe Dolphins 20 September 2003 Dolphin Oval
Qualifying / Elimination FinalsMajor / Minor Semi-finalsPreliminary FinalGrand Final
1 Burleigh26 Burleigh18
Redcliffe24 Redcliffe31
2 Redcliffe28 Redcliffe46
3 Ipswich22 Wynnum26
Ipswich12
Wynnum42
4 Wynnum40
5 Tweed Heads22

Grand Final
Saturday, 30 September
Burleigh Bears 18 – 31 Redcliffe Dolphins
Tries:
Reggie Cressbrook 1
Tony Gray 1
Trent Purdon 1
Goals:
Reggie Cressbrook 3		 1st: 6 - 20
2nd: 12 - 11
 Tries:
3 Aaron Barba
1 Brian Jellick
1 Ben Jones
Goals:
5 Justin McKay
Field Goals:
1 Shane Perry
Dolphin Oval
Attendance: 7,000
Referee: Adam Neale
Player of the Match: Shane Perry (Redcliffe)
Burleigh Bears Position Redcliffe Dolphins
Trent PurdonFBJustin McKay
Dimitri PeloWGPaul Shilvock
Adam HutchinsonCEDamien Richters
Reggie CressbrookCEBrian Jellick
Aseri LaingWGAaron Barba
Ryan GundryFEShane Perry
Brent McConnellHBMick Roberts (c)
Adam WatenePRShane Tronc
Ryan DagwellHKJason Campbell
Shane O'FlanaganPRAdam Starr
Stan BerrymanSRBen Jones
Tony GraySRDanny Burke
Dean Allen (c)LKGrant Flugge
Jeremy LateoBenchMatt Anderton
Matt HarridenBenchTroy Lindsay
Afa GafaBenchDaniel Green
Faron AndersonBenchAndrew Wynyard
Rick StoneCoachNeil Wharton

Burleigh, who finished as minor premiers ahead of Redcliffe on points differential, earned a week one bye in the finals before defeating the Dolphins in the major semi final to secure a spot in their second Grand Final. Redcliffe, who defeated Ipswich in the first week of the finals, faced Wynnum in the preliminary final after their loss to Burleigh. A dominant 46–26 win over the Seagulls saw them qualify for their fifth straight Grand Final and set up a rematch of the 1999 decider against Burleigh.[4]

First half

Burleigh started the Grand Final in the best way possible when centre Reggie Cressbrook intercepted a pass in the opening set to score under the posts. Redcliffe hit back through the competition's top try scorer Aaron Barba, who scored in the 18th minute. Barba got his second try of the game when he chased down a Shane Perry kick from a scrum win to score untouched. Barba scored his third try of the contest when he scooped up a kick from inside his own half and ran 70 metres to score just before half time.

Second half

Redcliffe seemingly put the game beyond doubt four minutes into the second half when centre Damien Richters scored out wide. Burleigh staged a small fightback with two tries in five minutes to Tony Gray and Trent Purdon but the Dolphins truly put the game to bed when Ben Jones scored with eight minutes to play. In the 78th minute, five-eighth Shane Perry wrapped up the victory with a field goal to extend the final winning margin to 13. The win gave the Dolphins' their fourth premiership in eight seasons and their first back-to-back titles.[5]

Player statistics

End-of-season awards

See also

References
  1. "Tondoon Botanic Gardens plant fair". The Courier Mail. 20 June 2018.
  2. "TBT: 2003: Denny Lambert Wins Player of the Year - Wynnum Manly Seagulls". 23 January 2020.
  3. "Queensland Rugby League". queensland.rleague.com. Archived from the original on 5 February 2006. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  4. "Queensland Cup - Week 2 -Semi-finals » League Unlimited".
  5. "2003 QLD Cup Grand Final Redcliffe 31 v Burleigh 18". YouTube.
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