Townsville Blackhawks

The Townsville & Districts Blackhawks are an Australian semi-professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in Queensland's top rugby league competition, the Queensland Cup. The club was admitted to the Queensland Cup in September 2014, first competing in the 2015 season.[1] The side plays their home games at Jack Manski Oval.

Townsville & Districts Blackhawks
Club information
Full nameTownsville & Districts Blackhawks Rugby League Football Club
Nickname(s)Blackhawks
Colours  Green
  Black
  White
Founded10 September 2014 (2014-09-10)
Websiteblackhawkstsv.com.au
Current details
Ground(s)
CEOJustin Wilkins
CoachAaron Payne
CaptainJosh Chudleigh
CompetitionIntrust Super Cup
2022 season10th
Current season
Records
Premierships (2nd grade)0
Runners-up (2nd grade)1 (2015)
Minor premierships (2nd grade)1 (2015)
Wooden spoons (2nd grade)0
Most capped84 – Kyle Laybutt
Highest points scorer310 – Carlin Anderson

History
Former Blackhawks player Noel Underwood, 2015

The beginnings of a Townsville team's bid to return to the Queensland Cup date back to 2007, when the Townsville-based North Queensland Young Guns folded at the end of the season. Before the Young Guns entered the competition in 2002, Townsville was represented in the Queensland Cup by the Townsville Stingers, who only lasted one season in 1998. In 2008, the Queensland Cup expanded to Cairns with the Northern Pride and Mackay with the Mackay Cutters. Both clubs became feeder sides for the Townsville-based NRL club, the North Queensland Cowboys.

In 2012, the Townsville Brothers League club sent a letter to Townsville & Districts Rugby League (TDRL) chairman Ross Anderson outlining their interest in joining the Queensland Cup.[2]

On 10 September 2014, Queensland Rugby League chairman Peter Betros announced that the Brothers-led Townsville Blackhawks bid had been successful and the side would compete in the 2015 competition. The club will be backed by the North Queensland Cowboys, who will use the Blackhawks as one of their feeder sides, along with the Pride and the Cutters.

On 29 September 2014, former North Queensland Cowboys Under 20s head coach and Brisbane Broncos assistant coach Kristian Woolf was announced as the inaugural head coach of the Blackhawks.[3]

On 16 October 2014, the Blackhawks announced their first six signings for their inaugural season. They included former NRL players Tom Humble, Anthony Mitchell and Ricky Thorby, former North Queensland Cowboys Under 20s players Corey Jensen and Chris McLean, and United States international Taylor Welch.

On 28 February 2015, Daniel Beasley was named inaugural club captain at the team's season launch.

On 7 March 2015, the Blackhawks played their first Queensland Cup game, defeating the Mackay Cutters 30-16 at Jack Manski Oval. Jahrome Hughes scored the club's first try.[4]

The Blackhawks finished their inaugural season as minor premiers and runners-up in the Grand Final, losing to the Ipswich Jets.

On 9 November 2015, it was announced that Townsville’s Cyril Connell (under-16) and Mal Meninga (under-18) Cup sides, formerly known as the Townsville Stingers, will now be known as the Townsville & Districts Blackhawks in their respective competitions.[5]

On 28 September 2018, Aaron Payne was announced as the club's second head coach, after inaugural coach Kristian Woolf joined the Newcastle Knights NRL side as an assistant coach.[6]

Season summaries
P=Premiers, R=Runners-Up, M=Minor Premierships, F=Finals Appearance, W=Wooden Spoons
(brackets represent finals games)
CompetitionGames
Played		Games
Won		Games
Drawn		Games
Lost		Ladder
Position		PRMFWCoachCaptain(s)Details
2015 Queensland Cup
23 (2)19 (1)13 (1)1 / 14
♦
♦
♦
Kristian Woolf
Daniel Beasley
2015 Townsville Blackhawks season
2016 Queensland Cup
23 (2)16 (1)16 (1)3 / 14
♦
Glenn Hall, Anthony Mitchell
2016 Townsville Blackhawks season
2017 Queensland Cup
23 (1)1229 (1)6 / 14
♦
Daniel Beasley
2017 Townsville Blackhawks season
2018 Queensland Cup
23 (1)1508 (1)3 / 14
♦
Andrew Niemoeller
2018 Townsville Blackhawks season
2019 Queensland Cup
23 (2)17 (1)06 (1)4 / 14
♦
Aaron Payne
Sam Hoare
2019 Townsville Blackhawks season
2020 Queensland Cup
1100N/A[7]
2020 Townsville Blackhawks season
2021 Queensland Cup
17 (1)917 (1)7 / 14
♦
2021 Townsville Blackhawks season

Players

2022 squad
Foundation player Ricky Thorby, 2015
Townsville Blackhawks
First team squad Coaching Staff
  • Adam Mitchell – SR
  • Aaron Moore – HB
  • Jaymon Moore – PR
  • Faron Morrris – PR
  • Sam Murphy – HK, LK
  • Andrew Niemoeller – LK, SR
  • Shaun Nona – FE, HB
  • Jordon Remfrey – CE
  • Hamilton Taia – PR
  • Dylan White – FB

Head coach

Assistant coaches

  • Allan Petersen (Assistant coach)
  • Adrian Thomson (Team Manager)
  • Matthew Ham (Strength & Conditioning coach)
  • Christian Quabba (Strength & Conditioning coach)
  • Daniel Strickland (Strength & Conditioning coach)
Legend:
  • (c) Captain(s)
  • (vc) Vice captain(s)

Updated: 27 July 2022
Source(s): Blackhawks

Coaches

The Blackhawks' current coach, Aaron Payne, is their second in club history. Kristian Woolf is their longest serving coach.

NoCoachTenureMatchesWonDrawnLostWin %
1Kristian Woolf2015–2018986443065%
2Aaron Payne2019–present442811564%

Emblems and colours

Despite being backed by the Townsville Brothers League Club, the bid team adopted a new name, logo and colour scheme for the club. The Blackhawks moniker was chosen after Matt Cocker, a local firefighter at Townsville Airport, won a "name the team" competition in 2012.[8] The city of Townsville has a military history and is home to an RAAF Base. The club's primary colours are green, black and white and their major sponsor is Mendi Construction, who are based in Townsville.[9]

Honours
  • Runners Up: 1
2015
  • Minor Premiership: 1
2015

Statistics and Records

Biggest Wins

MarginOpponentScoreVenueDate
72Souths Logan Magpies72–0Jack Manski Oval9 July 2022
72Burleigh Bears78–6Jack Manski Oval9 May 2015
62Central Queensland Capras74–12Alec Inch Oval23 July 2016
54Northern Pride60–6Jack Manski Oval14 July 2019

Biggest Losses

MarginOpponentScoreVenueDate
38PNG Hunters4–42National Football Stadium28 May 2017
26Sunshine Coast Falcons16–42Sunshine Coast Stadium26 August 2017
24Norths Devils14–38Jack Manski Oval20 March 2022
24Sunshine Coast Falcons10–34Jack Manski Oval19 May 2019

Most Consecutive Wins

  • 8, 9 June 2019 – 10 August 2019
  • 8, 22 March 2015 – 17 May 2015

Most Consecutive Losses

  • 4, 10 April 2021 – 9 May 2021
  • 3, 4 August 2018 – 18 August 2018
  • 3, 17 March 2018 – 31 March 2018
  • 3, 12 August 2017 – 3 September 2017

Most Games for Club

Most Tries for Club

Most tries in a match

Most Goals in a Match

Most Points in a Match

Most Tries in a Season

Most Points in a Season

  • 220 (20 tries, 70 goals), Carlin Anderson in 2017

Sponsors
  • Mendi Constructions (Major)
  • Phoenix Constructions
  • QDP Trenchless
  • Parry NQ
  • Allara Learning
  • KFC
  • Bartercard
  • The Lancini Group
  • VCV Townsville
  • Power100
  • Townsville Bulletin
  • Brothers Leagues Club
  • Kirwan Sports Club

See also

References
  1. "QRL announces Townsville's entry". Qrl.com.au. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  2. "Heard the QLD Cup may be expanding". Archived from the original on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  3. Cultivate. "Kristian Woolf". St.Helens R.F.C. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  4. "Intrust Super Cup: Rd 1 report". Cowboys.com.au. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  5. "Stingers turn into Blackhawks". Townsvillebulletin.com.au. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  6. "More Payne more gain". Blackhawks Media. 28 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  7. The 2020 season was cancelled after Round 1 due to the COVID-19 pandemic
  8. "@phillutton78 @VinceRugari credit on the name to Matt Cocker local fire fighter at the airport won a "name the team" comp back in 2012". Twitter. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  9. Lutton, Phil (11 September 2014). "Props to the Blackhawks, who finally win the name game". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 9 October 2017.

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