Queensland Cup

The Brisbane Rugby League

From the early 1920s to the 1970s, the Brisbane Rugby League premiership was the premier competition in the state, and was a thriving success boasting big crowds and large, loyal supporter bases with the respective clubs. Like its NSW counterpart, the clubs were constant, with new teams rarely entering the competition. Traditionally, the clubs were Valleys, Brothers, Norths, Souths, Wests, Easts, Redcliffe and Wynnum-Manly. However, when poker machines were introduced in New South Wales, but not in the Bjelke-Peterson Queensland, the NSWRL's clubs were able to entice Queensland players south of the Tweed with the lure of more money.

This, combined with the admission of non-Sydney teams like the Canberra Raiders and Illawarra Steelers, saw the NSWRL competition during the 1980s begin to supersede the Brisbane competition in popularity and media coverage. Also, other sports were establishing national competitions, and by 1986 the admission of a Brisbane team into the NSWRL had become inevitable. Finally in 1988 both the Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast Giants gained entry.

Effect of the Brisbane Broncos on Rugby League in Queensland

Although the Broncos' signings of many great BRL players like Wally Lewis and Gene Miles got many Brisbanites behind the new team, there were severe ramifications on the local club scene. In the space of one season, the amount of coverage given to the competition in the three media forms dropped significantly, as did attendances at matches.

This had a severe flow on effect to the finances of many clubs, especially those in the inner-city whose demographics had changed significantly since the heyday of the BRL. Between 1988 and 1995 Valleys moved home 3 times, from Albion to the Tweed, back to Albion and finally to Caboolture, before eventually folding at the end of 1995. Other teams that suffered financial trouble and no longer play in the Queensland Cup include Valleys and Wests, while Souths and Logan merged in 2002 to form Souths-Logan.

The Beginning of the Queensland Cup

In 1996 the Queensland Cup began, replacing the Winfield State League, as new Federal Government Laws banned Cigarette companies from sponsoring sport. The Cup was initially branded the Channel Nine Cup, and to date, season 1996 was the most statewide competition in the Cup's history, with teams based in Cairns, Mackay, Bundaberg, Toowoomba, Ipswich and Sunshine Coast. In 1998 Channel Nine did not continue their sponsorship, and the competition became known as the Queensland Cup. In 2000, Bundaberg Rum began a two-year sponsorship of the competition and it was known as the Bundy Gold Cup.

2005 saw the announcement of Wizard Home Loans becoming naming-rights sponsor for the competition. It was known as the Queensland Wizard Cup until 2008. In 2010, Intrust Super were announced as the new major sponsor.

2007 – Loss of the Clydesdales

Although the Queensland Rugby League had anticipated that the same teams from 2006 would participate in the 2007 Wizard Cup, it was announced on 5 December 2006 that the Toowoomba Clydesdales would be withdrawing from the competition for financial reasons. Brisbane Broncos chairman Bruno Cullen said that "It didn't make sense to have this club up there running at what was looking like a $250,000 loss for the year." The following day it was announced that the Aspley Broncos would be replacing the Clydesdales, and acting as the Brisbane Broncos feeder club. There is a possibility that an NRL team (possibly the Storm) may be based out of the Darling Downs (most likely Toowoomba) in the future but this has not been confirmed at this stage.

2008 – Northern Expansion

2008 saw the Queensland Cup once again have teams based in the northern cities of Cairns and Mackay after absences of seven and twelve years, respectively. These new teams replaced the Aspley Broncos and North Queensland Young Guns as part of the rationalisation of rugby league below the NRL level caused by the introduction of the NRL under 20's competition.

2009 - Sunshine Coast enter the fray

Shortly after signing a partnership with National Rugby League team the Manly Sea Eagles to develop rugby league on the Sunshine Coast, the Sunshine Coast Falcons received approval for entry into the 2009 Queensland Cup from the Queensland Rugby League, ultimately winning the premiership as the Sea Eagles in their first year. After Manly cut ties with the Sunshine Coast they reverted to the Falcon colours and logo and signed an agreement with the Melbourne Storm in 2014. In 2016 this relationship will include a Rugby League academy on the Sunshine Coast.

2014/2015 - PNG Hunters and Townsville Blackhawks enter the competition

In 2014, the PNG Hunters entered the competition, mixing an exciting combination of ball movement with raw power to finishing sixth in their inaugural season based out of the East New Britain town of Kokopo. Following the success of the Hunters, the Townsville Blackhawks were given entry in 2015, winning the minor premiership in their first year.

The Draw

The twelve teams play each other twice in a rotating roster running typically from the middle of March to the middle of August. This is known as the regular season. Unlike the National Rugby League, the Queensland Cup regular season is a true home-and-away format, in that each team plays every other team twice, once at home and once away.

The Rounds

Normally, there is a round each weekend, which involves seven games. However, there are two split rounds in the season, where the round takes place over two weekends. This allows for representative games such as the City vs. Country fixture, as well as allowing more games to be shown on free-to-air television, The match of the round is televised live on Nine Network at 1:30pm (AEST) Sundays. Previously, the match of the round had been broadcast on ABC Television each Saturday at 2 pm.

Points and Ladder

The winner of each game per round is awarded two points on the League Ladder. If a game is drawn between the two teams, each team is awarded one point.

At the end of the regular season, the five teams with the highest point totals on the ladder qualify for the finals. In the event of two or more teams sharing the same competition points, the finishing order is decided by points differential i.e. points scored minus points conceded.

Finals Series

In 2009 the Queensland Cup introduced a six-team finals series (compared to five in previous years). Prior to the 2012 season the format was changed back to a 5-team finals series, using the McIntyre System. The Grand Final is typically played in mid-September at its traditional home, Suncorp Stadium. Since 2007 the man-of-the-match in the grand final has received the Duncan Hall Medal.

Teams

The Queensland Cup consists of 14 teams, eight in South East Queensland, three from North Queensland, and one each from Central Queensland, Tweed Heads and Papua New Guinea. The league operates on a single group system, with no divisions or conferences and no relegation and promotion from other leagues.

The level of club rugby league in Queensland is of such a high standard that almost every club in the Queensland Cup has an affiliation with a team in the Australian national competition, the National Rugby League. This gives many young Queensland players the opportunity to be signed into the NRL.

Previous teams

As the Queensland Cup initially began as a representative competition that took over the old Winfield State League before becoming a proper club competition, many of the following clubs are "representative" sides that either withdrew (in the case of the Central Capras, Mackay, Bundaberg, Gold Coast Vikings, etc.) or folded (Cairns Cyclones, Port Moresby Vipers, etc.).

Queensland Cup season honours

The Courier Mail Best & Fairest award, is awarded to the Queensland Cup player voted for as the best and fairest over the entire season. After each game, the referees vote to award three votes to the best player, two votes to the second-best player, and one vote to the third-best player.

Since the 2007 Queensland Cup Grand Final the man-of-the-match has been awarded the Duncan Hall Medal. The medal is named in honor of Duncan Hall, who played 24 games for Queensland and 22 games for Australia.

NRL State Championship Match

From 2014 New South Wales Cup Premiers will play against the Queensland Cup Premiers as a Curtain-raiser match on NRL Grand Final day, with the winner to be crowned the NRL State Champions. The match is played after the NRL National Youth Competition Grand Final and before the NRL Grand Final.

Champions: Queensland Cup

Queensland Cup records

The following records are taken from Queensland Rugby League's official website and are correct as of the end of the 2013 season.

Most games

Most games for one club

Most points

Most tries

Most goals

Most field goals

Games coached

Most consecutive wins

Most games without defeat

Most consecutive losses

Highest scoring match

Lowest scoring match

Most points by a player in a season

Most tries by a player in a season

Most points by a player in a match

Most tries by a player in a match

Most goals by a player in a match

Media coverage & Sponsorship

Although the Queensland Cup has never had the same amount of media coverage that the pre-Brisbane Broncos Brisbane Rugby League did, in recent years it has experienced a resurgence in interest from both the Queensland media and from casual fans alike.

Television

The match of the round is televised live on Nine Network at 2 pm (AEST) Sundays. Previously, the match of the round had been broadcast on ABC Television each Saturday at 2 pm.
The non broadcast games are recorded for judiciary and coaching purposes. They are available from Red Corner Promotions www.redcorner.com.au

Radio

In 2006, community broadcaster Bay FM began broadcasting Wynnum-Manly matches, and Wynnum won radio station Nova 106.9's "Club that Brisbane really really loves" award.

In 2015, a group of community broadcasters including Switch 1197, Valley FM Esk and Phoenix Radio Ipswich began broadcasting matches featuring Ipswich Jets.

Sponsorship

The competition has previously been named the Channel Nine Cup, Bundy Gold Cup and Queensland Wizard Cup, and is now known as the Intrust Super Cup.