2009 Queensland Cup
Introduction The '''2009 Queensland Cup season''' was the 14th season of Queensland's top-level statewide rugby league competition run by the Queensland Rugby League. The competition, known as the '''Queensland Wizard Cup''' due to sponsorship from Wizard Home Loans featured 12 teams playing a 25-week-long season (including finals) from March to September.The Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles, in their first season back in the competition, won their first premiership after defeating the Northern Pride 32–18 at Stockland Park. Burleigh Bears'  Scott Smith was named the competition's Player of the Year, winning the Courier Mail Medal.
Teams In 2009, the Queensland Cup featured 12 teams for the first time since the 2004 season. The Sunshine Coast Falcons, re-branded as the '''Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles''', returned to the competition after the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles injected $1 million into the club and formed a partnership. Colours Club Home ground(s) Head coach(s) Captain(s) NRL Affiliate  '''Burleigh Bears''' Pizzey Park Jim Lenihan Scott Smith  Gold Coast Titans  '''Central Comets''' Browne Park Wayne Barnett Nat Bowman  Brisbane Broncos  '''Easts Tigers''' Langlands Park Darren Smith → Jason Gainey Ben Vaeau  Brisbane Broncos  '''Ipswich Jets''' Briggs Rd Sporting Complex Glenn Lazarus Danny Coburn  Gold Coast Titans  '''Mackay Cutters''' Mackay JRL Grounds Shane Muspratt Jardine Bobongie  North Queensland Cowboys  '''Northern Pride''' Barlow Park Andrew Dunemann Chris Sheppard  North Queensland Cowboys  '''Norths Devils''' Bishop Park Mark Gee → Kevin Carmichael Mark Leafa  Brisbane Broncos  '''Redcliffe Dolphins''' Dolphin Oval Gary O'Brien Danny Burke  Brisbane Broncos  '''Souths Logan Magpies''' Meakin Park, Davies Park Paul Bramley Phil Dennis  Canberra Raiders  '''Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles''' Stockland Park Brandon Costin Cameron Joyce  Manly Warringah Sea Eagles  '''Tweed Heads Seagulls''' Ned Byrne Field Steve Anderson → Steve Lacey Brad Davis  Gold Coast Titans  '''Wynnum Manly Seagulls''' BMD Kougari Oval Shane McNally Darren Bain  Brisbane Broncos
Ladder  2009 Queensland Cup Team        1 Souths Logan Magpies221606711434+277'''32'''2 Northern Pride221408564445+119'''28'''3 Central Comets221309508499+9'''26'''4 '''Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles (P)'''221219562508+54'''25'''5 Norths Devils2211011559524+35'''22'''6 Tweed Heads Seagulls2211011525515+10'''22'''7 Burleigh Bears2211011445517-72'''22'''8 Ipswich Jets229112455454+1'''19'''9 Easts Tigers229112451548-97'''19'''10 Wynnum Manly Seagulls229013484548-64'''18'''11 Redcliffe Dolphins227213472518-46'''16'''12 Mackay Cutters227114315541-226'''15'''
Final series In 2009, after using a five-team finals series for 10 years, the Queensland Cup used a six-team system. The competition used a six-team format from 1996 to 1998, although the system used in 2009 was two weeks shorter.HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and Time (local)Venue '''Semi-finals'''  '''Souths Logan Magpies''' 16 – 8  Tweed Heads Seagulls 29 August 2009, 2:00pm Meakin Park  '''Central Comets''' 21 – 14  Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles 29 August 2009, 7:00pm Browne Park  '''Northern Pride''' 44 – 16  Norths Devils 29 August 2009, 8:00pm Barlow Park '''Preliminary Finals'''  '''Northern Pride''' 22 – 10  Central Comets 5 September 2009, 2:00pm Kougari Oval  Souths Logan Magpies 26 – 30  '''Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles''' 5 September 2009, 3:00pm Meakin Park '''Grand Final'''  Northern Pride 18 – 32  '''Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles''' 12 September 2009, 2:00pm Stockland Park
Grand Final Northern PridePositionSunshine CoastSea EaglesChey Bird  FB  Dennis SandowJosh Vaughan  WG  Michael ChapmanRod Jensen  CE  Shane NeumannJamie Frizzo  CE  Andrew SuniulaGermaine Paulson  WG  Ryan WalkerTom Humble  FE  Tony WilliamsChris Sheppard (c)  HB  Trent HodkinsonBen Laity  PR  Phil MorwoodJason Roos  HK  Cameron Joyce (c)Alex Starmer  PR  Junior PalauNick Slyney  SR  Vic MauroMark Cantoni  SR  Jon GrieveJoel Riethmuller  LK  Jon MuirLuke Millwood  Bench  Tim BrowneGreg Byrnes  Bench  Rob GodfreyChris Reisen  Bench  Steve McPheeRod Griffin  Bench  Heath L'EstrangeAndrew Dunemann  Coach  Brandon CostinThe Northern Pride, who finished the regular season in second, qualified for their first Grand Final after a 22–10 win over the Central Comets in the preliminary final. They were joined by the Sunshine Coast, who finished fourth in their return season, after they defeated reigning premiers Souths Logan 30–26 in the preliminary final.=== First half ===The Pride opened the scoring in the fifth minute when they created a huge overlap, with centre Jamie Frizzo finishing off the play with a try. The Sunshine Coast responded quickly when five-eighth Tony Williams bumped off a defender and threw an offload to centre Shane Neumann who crossed for his first try. The Sea Eagles hit the lead in the 27th minute when winger Michael Chapman scored untouched in the corner. They scored again four minutes later when Ryan Walker scored in the opposite corner. Poor goal kicking kept the Pride in the contest, as Williams missed all three conversion attempts. The Pride converted a penalty from right in front on the stroke of half time to trail by just eight at the break.=== Second half ===The Sunshine Coast extended the lead to 10 in the 47th minute when Williams dived over for a try of his own. The Sea Eagles kept the points coming when Neumann dived over in the corner for his second just six minutes later. With just over 10 minutes remaining, the Pride gave themselves a chance when Rod Jensen scored and cut the Sea Eagles' lead to 10.Three minutes later, the Sunshine Coast all but sealed victory when halfback Trent Hodkinson scored close to the posts. The Pride scored a late consolation try when Humble latched onto a wayward Sea Eagles' pass and ran 80 metres to score under the uprights. In the final minute, Neumann crossed for his hat trick as the Sea Eagles' wrapped up a 14-point victory.Tony Williams, who was awarded the Duncan Hall Medal, and second rower Vic Mauro would go onto play in the Manly Sea Eagles' 2011 NRL Grand Final win over the New Zealand Warriors.
End-of-season awards * '''Courier Mail Medal (Best and Fairest):''' Scott Smith ( Burleigh Bears)* '''QANTAS Player of the Year (Coaches Award):''' Ian Lacey ( Ipswich Jets)* '''Coach of the Year:''' Paul Bramley ( Souths Logan Magpies)* '''Rookie of the Year:''' Matt Gillett ( Norths Devils)* '''Representative Player of the Year:''' Scott Smith ( Queensland Residents,  Burleigh Bears)
See also * Queensland Cup* Queensland Rugby League
References