2009 was the second competitive season for the Cairns based CRGT Northern Pride Rugby League Football Club. They competed in the QRL state competition, which in 2009 was called the Wizard Queensland Cup. The addition of the Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles meant 12 clubs participated, with each club playing 22 matches (11 home and 11 away) over 26 weeks. In 2009 the Wizard Queensland Cup introduced a six-team finals series (compared to five in previous years).
The Pride finished second and reached the Grand Final, losing 32-18 to the Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles at Stockland Park. Coach Andrew Dunemann left at the end of the season to take up a position as assistant coach to Rick Stone at the Newcastle Knights.
Coach: Andrew Dunemann
Assistant Coaches: David Maiden & Cameron Miller
Captain: Chris Sheppard
Chief Executive: Denis Keeffe
Operations Manager: Chris Sheppard
Competition: Wizard Queensland Cup
Most Improved Player (sponsored by the CDRL) - Nick Slyney
Cairns Plan Printing Best Back - Rod Jensen
Skytrans Airlines Best Forward - Mark Cantoni
WIN Television Players’ Player - Tom Humble
John O'Brien Perpetual Club Person of the Year - Sheron McDougall
Skill360 Northern Pride Player of the Year - Tom Humble
Rod Jensen from Huddersfield Giants
Germaine Paulson from NRL South Sydney Rabbitohs
Ben Spina from NYC North Queensland Cowboys Under-20 and Blackwater Crushers
Chris Riesen from NYC North Queensland Cowboys Under-20 (CDRL rookie of the year)
Scott Idec from NYC North Queensland Cowboys Under-20 and CDRL Southern Suburbs
Tom Humble from NYC North Queensland Cowboys Under-20 and Blackwater Crushers
Callan Myles from CDRL Ivanhoes Knights
Steven Kim from CDRL Ivanhoes Knights
John O’Sullivan
Robbie Kyles
Jackson Nicolau to Gold Coast Titans
Farran Willett to Ipswich Jets
Stephen Sheppard to CDRL Mareeba
Chris Afamasaga
Eric Warria
Kahu Wehi
Ryan Bartlett
Stephen Sheppard
Thursday 12 March 2009, 6.30pm - Centre Stage, Cairns Central
Echo Adventures, Tully - 31 January-1 February
2009 CRGT Northern Pride jerseys
In 2009 games were televised by ABC TV and shown live across Queensland through the ABC1 channel at 2.00pm (AEST) on Saturday afternoons. The commentary team was Gerry Collins, Warren Boland and David Wright.
1: Northern Pride lost 10-30 : Round 5, Saturday 11 April 2009 against Burleigh Bears from Pizzey Park, Miami, Gold Coast
2: Northern Pride lost 18-30 : Round 15, Saturday 27 June 2009 against Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles from Stockland Park, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast
3: Northern Pride won 54-24 : Round 18, Saturday 25 July 2009 against Redcliffe Dolphins from Dolphin Oval, Redcliffe
4: Northern Pride won 22-10 : Semi-Final, Saturday 5 September 2009 against Central Comets from BMD Kougari Oval, Wynnum
5: Northern Pride lost 18-32 : Grand Final, Saturday 12 September 2009 against Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles from Stockland Park, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast
