The 2014 Queensland Cup season was the 19th season of Queensland's top-level statewide rugby league competition run by the Queensland Rugby League. The competition, known as the Intrust Super Cup due to sponsorship from Intrust Super, featured 13 teams playing a 30-week long season (including finals) from March to September.[1]

2014 Queensland Cup
DurationMarch 1 – September 28, 2014
Teams13
Premiers Northern Pride (2nd title)
Minor premiers Northern Pride (2nd title)
Matches played162
Points scored7,501
Top points scorer(s) Khan Ahwang (197)
Player of the year Luke Page (Courier Mail Medal)
Top try-scorer(s) Garry Lo (24)
← 2013
2015 →

The Northern Pride won their second premiership after defeating the Easts Tigers 36–4 in the Grand Final at Suncorp Stadium. Souths Logan Magpies' prop Luke Page was named the competition's Player of the Year, winning the Courier Mail Medal.[2][3]

Teams

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In 2014, the competition expanded to the 13 teams with the inclusion of the PNG Hunters. The Hunters are the first Papua New Guinea-based club to play in the Queensland Cup since the Port Moresby Vipers, who took part in the 1996 and 1997 seasons.[4] The Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles returned to their original name, the Sunshine Coast Falcons, and returned to their usual black and gold colour scheme.

The Canberra Raiders re-introduced their affiliation with the Souths Logan Magpies for the 2014 season.[5]

Colours Club Home ground(s) Head coach(s) Captain(s) NRL Affiliate
Burleigh Bears Pizzey Park Carl Briggs → Jim Lenihan Darren Griffiths   Gold Coast Titans
Central Queensland Capras Browne Park Jason Hetherington Gavin Hiscox   Brisbane Broncos
Easts Tigers Langlands Park Craig Ingebrigtsen Steven Thorpe   Melbourne Storm
Ipswich Jets North Ipswich Reserve Ben Walker & Shane Walker Keiron Lander   Brisbane Broncos
Mackay Cutters Stadium Mackay Kim Williams Tyson Martin   North Queensland Cowboys
Northern Pride Barlow Park Jason Demetriou Brett Anderson & Jason Roos   North Queensland Cowboys
Norths Devils Bishop Park Mark Gliddon Brendon Gibb   Brisbane Broncos
Papua New Guinea Hunters Kalabond Oval Michael Marum Israel Eliab None
Redcliffe Dolphins Dolphin Oval Troy Lindsay Jon Green & Marty Hatfield   Brisbane Broncos
Souths Logan Magpies Davies Park Josh Hannay Phil Dennis   Canberra Raiders
Sunshine Coast Falcons Sunshine Coast Stadium Ivan Henjak → Glen Dreger Ryan Hansen None
Tweed Heads Seagulls Piggabeen Sports Complex Aaron Zimmerle Matt King   Gold Coast Titans
Wynnum Manly Seagulls BMD Kougari Oval Jon Buchanan Tim Natusch   Brisbane Broncos

Ladder

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2014 Queensland Cup
Pos Team Pld W D L B PF PA PD Pts
1   Northern Pride (P) 24 20 0 4 2 677 414 263 44
2   Wynnum Manly Seagulls 24 17 0 7 2 690 400 290 38
3   Easts Tigers 24 16 1 7 2 667 409 258 37
4   Tweed Heads Seagulls 24 15 1 8 2 617 511 106 35
5   Ipswich Jets 24 15 0 9 2 642 514 128 34
6   Papua New Guinea Hunters 24 14 1 9 2 648 557 91 33
7   Burleigh Bears 24 11 1 12 2 549 599 -50 27
8   Norths Devils 24 11 0 13 2 572 544 28 26
9   Mackay Cutters 24 11 0 13 2 472 546 -74 26
10   Souths Logan Magpies 24 10 0 14 2 535 620 -85 24
11   Redcliffe Dolphins 24 8 1 15 2 566 617 -51 21
12   Central Queensland Capras 24 4 1 19 2 415 773 -358 13
13   Sunshine Coast Falcons 24 1 0 23 2 230 776 -546 6

Regular season

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The 2014 Queensland Cup regular season featured 26 rounds, with each team playing 24 games and receiving two byes.

Final series

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Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time (Local) Venue
Elimination / Qualifying Final
  Tweed Heads Seagulls 10 – 28   Ipswich Jets 7 September 2014, 2:00 pm Piggabeen Sports Complex
  Wynnum Manly Seagulls 12 – 18   Easts Tigers 7 September 2014, 2:00 pm BMD Kougari Oval
Major / Minor Semi-final
  Northern Pride 8 – 7   Easts Tigers 13 September 2014, 5:30 pm Barlow Park
  Wynnum Manly Seagulls 34 – 22   Ipswich Jets 14 September 2014, 1:30 pm BMD Kougari Oval
Preliminary Final
  Easts Tigers 30 – 12   Wynnum Manly Seagulls 21 September 2014, 2:30 pm Langlands Park
Grand Final
  Northern Pride 36 – 4   Easts Tigers 28 September 2014, 3:55 pm Suncorp Stadium
Qualifying / Elimination FinalsMajor / Minor Semi-finalsPreliminary FinalGrand Final
1  Northern Pride8  Northern Pride36
  Easts7  Easts4
2  Wynnum Manly12  Easts30
3  Easts18  Wynnum Manly12
  Wynnum Manly34
  Ipswich22
4  Tweed Heads10
5  Ipswich28

Grand Final

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Sunday, 28 September
3:55pm (AEST)
Northern Pride   36 – 4   Easts Tigers
Tries:
Javid Bowen 2
Brett Anderson 1
Davin Crampton 1
Kyle Feldt 1
Ryan Ghietti 1
Goals:
Shaun Nona 6
1st: 18 - 0
2nd: 18 - 4
Report
Tries:
1 Jarrod McInally
Suncorp Stadium
Attendance: 7,135
Referee: Clayton Sharpe
Player of the Match: Shaun Nona (Northern Pride)
Northern Pride Position Easts Tigers
Hezron Murgha FB Cameron Munster
Javid Bowen WG Jarrod McInally
Brett Anderson (c) CE Shane Neumann
Kyle Feldt CE Hymel Hunt
Semi Tadulala WG Richie Kennar
Shaun Nona FE Liam Tyson
Sam Obst HB Cody Walker
Ricky Thorby PR Felise Kaufusi
Jason Roos (c) HK Tom Butterfield
Ethan Lowe PR Matthew Zgrajewski
Blake Leary SR Dane Hogan
Tyrone McCarthy SR Troy Giess
Ben Spina LK Kenny Bromwich
Davin Crampton Bench Donald Malone
Ryan Ghietti Bench Steven Thorpe (c)
Sheldon Powe-Hobbs Bench Mitch Garbutt
Joel Riethmuller Bench Liam McDonald
Jason Demetriou Coach Craig Ingebrigtsen

The Northern Pride dominated the regular season, winning 16 games as they won their second consecutive minor premiership. They defeated Easts 8–7 in the major semi final to qualify for their third Grand Final. Easts, who finished third, defeated Wynnum Manly in the first week of the finals before their one-point loss to the Pride. A week later, they again faced Wynnum Manly, winning 30–12 to qualify for their second consecutive Grand Final and their fourth overall.

First half

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The Northern Pride opened the scoring in the 15th minute when centre Kyle Feldt crossed after a set play to the right. They added another try five minutes later when Hezron Murgha sent Javid Bowen over with a short ball. They went into the half time break with an 18–0 lead after Davin Crampton scored next to the posts in the 35th minute.

Second half

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The Pride started the second half as they ended the first, when Shaun Nona caught his own rebounded kick and found his captain Brett Anderson, who scored in the corner. The lead jumped to 30 in the 51st minute when Ryan Ghietti scored thanks to a Blake Leary line break. After 65 minutes, the Tigers finally got on the scoreboard after winger Jarrod McInally scored a consolation try. The Pride wrapped up the win with their sixth try of the game, after Bowen crossed out wide for his second in the 79th minute. Shaun Nona converted to bring the final score to 36–4, the biggest winning margin in a Queensland Cup Grand Final (as of 2019).[6] Nona was awarded the Duncan Hall Medal for man of the match.[7]

North Queensland Cowboys-contracted Pride players Kyle Feldt and Ethan Lowe would go onto to play in the Cowboys' 2015 NRL Grand Final win over the Brisbane Broncos, while Pride head coach Jason Demetriou joined the Cowboys as an assistant coach in 2015 and was on the coaching staff for the Grand Final win.

NRL State Championship

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After winning the Grand Final, the Northern Pride qualified for the inaugural NRL State Championship on NRL Grand Final day. They defeated the Penrith Panthers 32–28.[8][9]

Sunday, 5 October
3:50pm (AEDT)
Penrith Panthers  
2014 NSW Cup Premiers
28 – 32   Northern Pride
2014 QLD Cup Premiers
Tries:
Luke Capewell (17') 1
Eto Nabuli (24') 1
Waqa Blake (36') 1
Kierran Moseley (44') 1
Kieran Moss(51') 1
Goals:
Wes Naiqama 4/5
(19', 26', 46', 53')
Half Time: 16–16
Tries:
Javid Bowen (12', 31', 63') 3
Blake Leary (7') 1
Semi Tadulala (59') 1
Tyrone McCarthy (72') 1
Goals:
Shaun Nona 2/5
(32', 40' pen)
Javid Bowen 2/2
(65', 73')
ANZ Stadium, Sydney
Referee: Adam Cassidy

Player statistics

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End-of-season awards

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Draw".
  2. ^ Garry, Chris (28 September 2014). "Northern Pride win Intrust Super Cup grand final over Easts Tigers with record margin". The Courier Mail.
  3. ^ Garry, Chris (10 September 2014). "Medal win a new chapter for Page". The Courier Mail.
  4. ^ "Inside the PNG Hunters camp". 25 February 2014.
  5. ^ "Papalii to play for Souths Logan Magpies". 2 May 2014.
  6. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "2014 QLD Cup Grand Final Northern Pride 36 v Easts 4". YouTube.
  7. ^ "Nona: I want to thank my team". 28 September 2014.
  8. ^ "State Championship preview: Panthers v Pride". October 2014.
  9. ^ "The greatest game never played". October 2014.