1998 Queensland Cup

The 1998 Queensland Cup season was the 3rd season of Queensland's top-level statewide rugby league competition.

1998 Queensland Cup
DurationMarch 14 – September 19, 1998
Teams16
Premiers Norths Devils (1st title)
Minor premiers Norths Devils (1st title)
Matches played185
Points scored9,184
Top points scorer(s) John Wilshere (276)
Player of the year Shane Perry
Top try-scorer(s) George Wilson (27)

The competition was contested by sixteen teams over a 27-week long season (including finals), with the Norths Devils defeating the Wests Panthers 35–16 in the Grand Final at Suncorp Stadium. Logan halfback Shane Perry was named the competition's Player of the Year.

Teams

The competition returned to a 16-team format in 1998 with the Bundaberg Grizzlies returning to the competition after a year's absence and the admission of the Townsville Stingers and Gold Coast Vikings. The Port Moresby Vipers withdrew after two seasons in the competition after they were unable to continue to pay their travel and accommodation costs. Also in 1998, the Pine Rivers Brothers played as the Brisbane Brothers, while the Logan City Scorpions became the Logan Scorpions.

In 1998, a number of NRL clubs partnered with Queensland Cup sides, sending players not selected in first grade to play in the competition. The Brisbane Broncos were affiliated with Brisbane Brothers, the Gold Coast Chargers with the Gold Coast Vikings, the Melbourne Storm with the Norths Devils, the North Queensland Cowboys with the Townsville Stingers and the Adelaide Rams with the Wests Panthers.

Colours Club Home ground(s)
 Brisbane Brothers Crosby Park
 Bundaberg Grizzlies Salter Oval
 Burleigh Bears Pizzey Park
 Cairns Cyclones Barlow Park
 Central Capras Browne Park
 Easts Tigers Langlands Park
 Gold Coast Vikings Carrara Stadium
 Ipswich Jets North Ipswich Reserve
 Logan Scorpions Meakin Park
 Norths Devils Bishop Park
 Redcliffe Dolphins Dolphin Oval
 Souths Magpies Davies Park
 Toowoomba Clydesdales Athletic Oval
 Townsville Stingers Malanda Stadium
 Wests Panthers Purtell Park
 Wynnum Seagulls Kougari Oval

Results

In 1998, the Queensland Cup became a full 22-round competition, unlike the previous two seasons which had 17 and 18 regular season rounds.

Ladder
1998 Queensland Cup
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 Norths Devils (P) 221615872394+47833
2 Brisbane Brothers 221606731364+36732
3 Wests Panthers 221606748408+34032
4 Redcliffe Dolphins 221606647314+33332
5 Gold Coast Vikings 221507673423+25030
6 Wynnum Seagulls 221507531382+14930
7 Townsville Stingers 221336686435+25129
8 Burleigh Bears 221408604442+16228
9 Easts Tigers 221219522497+2525
10 Cairns Cyclones 228212500642-14218
11 Central Capras 228014497701-20416
12 Logan Scorpions 226115488694-20613
13 Ipswich Jets 226016350606-25612
14 Souths Magpies 226016381763-38212
15 Toowoomba Clydesdales 225017310755-44510
16 Bundaberg Grizzlies 2200222861006-7200

Finals series
Home Score Away Match Information
Date Venue
Week 1 Semi Finals
Gold Coast Vikings 30 – 10 Wynnum Seagulls 22 August 1998 Carrara Stadium
Wests Panthers 10 – 20 Redcliffe Dolphins 22 August 1998 Purtell Park
Norths Devils 28 – 10 Brisbane Brothers 23 August 1998 Kougari Oval
Week 2 Semi Finals
Wests Panthers 18 – 16 Gold Coast Vikings 29 August 1998 Pizzey Park
Brisbane Brothers 24 – 28 Redcliffe Dolphins 29 August 1998 Purtell Park
Week 3 Semi Finals
Norths Devils 16 – 12 Redcliffe Dolphins 5 September 1998 Dolphin Oval
Brisbane Brothers 16 – 18 Wests Panthers 6 September 1998 Crosby Park
Preliminary Final
Redcliffe Dolphins 14 – 27 Wests Panthers 12 September 1998 Dolphin Oval
Grand Final
Norths Devils 35 – 18 Wests Panthers 19 September 1998 Suncorp Stadium

Grand Final
Sunday, 19 September
Norths Devils 35 – 16 Wests Panthers
Tries:
Matt Geyer 3
Anthony Bonus 1
Kevin Carmichael 1
Craig O'Dwyer 1
Goals:
John Wilshire 4
Kevin Carmichael 1
Field Goals:
Andrew Hamilton 1		 1st: 6 - 16
2nd: 29 - 0
Report		 Tries:
2 Jacob Twist
1 Mark Maguire
Goals:
2 Tony Devlin
Suncorp Stadium
Attendance: 4,283
Referee: Tony Maksoud
Norths Devils Position Wests Panthers
Paul HubbardFBTony Devlin
Matthew DuxWGMark Maguire
Steven BellCEShaun Valentine
Matt GeyerCECraig Smith
John WilshireWGScott Williamson
Craig O'DwyerFECraig Bowen (c)
Kevin Carmichael (c)HBJason Twist
Anthony BonusPRDavid Asplin
Dale WilliamsHKJason Campbell
Wade FentonPRRobert Campbell
Andrew HamiltonSRCameron Roper
Daniel FrameSRAlan Wieland
Mark ProtheroeLKJoel Twohill
Ricky PaulBenchDavid Fuller
Matt RuaBenchPeter Liddell
Ryan GundryBenchSam Faalafi
Tristan Brady-SmithBenchDavid Liddell
Mark MurrayCoachWayne Treleaven

Norths, who finished the season as minor premiers, qualified for their first Grand Final after defeating Brothers and Redcliffe in the finals series. Wests, who finished third, had a tougher road to their first Grand Final appearance, losing in Week 1 to Redcliffe. From there, the Panthers won three straight elimination games to qualify for the decider. When the two sides met in the regular season, Norths defeated the Panthers 42–22 in Round 5 at Purtell Park.[1]

First half

Wests halfback Jason Twist scored the first points of the game after four minutes with a try close the posts. 15 minutes later, Wests added four more points when winger Mark Maguire crossed in the corner. The Panthers added to their tally soon after when Twist crossed for his second, backing up Shaun Valentine who made a break down the field. Trailing 16-0, Norths finally got on the board when centre Matt Geyer scored the first of his three tries.

Second half

The second half was all Norths, as they ran in 29 unanswered points to secure their maiden premiership. Devils' prop Anthony Bonus crashed over right next to the posts to cut the lead to four, before Geyer scored his second to level the scores. John Wilshire's sideline conversion put Norths in front by two, their first lead of the game coming in the 60th minute. Captain Kevin Carmichael was the next to score for Norths, with second-rower Andrew Hamilton kicking a field goal 10 minutes later to extend Norths' lead to seven. Norths finished with two late tries to Craig O'Dwyer and Geyer to cap a remarkable 19-point win. The 16-0 deficit they overcame is (as of 2019), the biggest comeback in a Queensland Cup Grand Final.[2][3]

Geyer and Matt Rua would go onto play in the Melbourne Storm's NRL Grand Final win over the St George Illawarra Dragons a year later, while Steven Bell would win an NRL premiership with the Manly Sea Eagles in 2008.[4][5]

Player statistics

End-of-season awards

See also

References
  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20130318182027/http://queensland.rleague.com/results/1998/qld-cup.php
  2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOD6-twV6g8
  3. https://www.qrl.com.au/news/20182/03/07/20-years-on---remembering-the-1998-grand-final/
  4. https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/09/26/where-are-they-now-1999-nrl-grand-finalists/
  5. https://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/apn-bell-to-hang-up-boots-in/60908/
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