2018 Mackay Cutters season

The 2018 Mackay Cutters season was the 11th in the club's history. Coached by Steve Sheppard and captained by Tom Murphy, they competed in the QRL's Intrust Super Cup.[1] The club missed the finals for the fifth consecutive season, finishing last and winning their third wooden spoon.[2]

2018 Mackay Cutters season
Queensland Cup Rank14th
Play-off resultMissed finals
2018 recordWins: 4; draws: 1; losses: 18
Points scoredFor: 386; against: 688
Team information
CEOTroy Rovelli
CoachSteve Sheppard
Captain
  • Tom Murphy
StadiumBB Print Stadium
Top scorers
TriesKurt Wiltshire (8)
GoalsNicho Hynes (19)
PointsNicho Hynes (58)
← 2017 2019 →

Season summary

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The Cutters entered 2018 with a younger and less experienced side following the departures of co-captains Andrew Davey and Setaimata Sa. New recruits included Wests Tigers NSW Cup duo Jordan Grant and Darcy Cox, Northern Pride forward Jack Brock and former Canberra Raiders U20 back Jack Hickson.

Another poor start to the season followed for the club, as they won just three of their first nine games. Things went from bad to worse after their bye week, as they went on a club record 10-game losing streak. Halfback Cooper Bambling rejoined the club mid-season after joining the Canberra Raiders in the off-season but his return would not help the club's fortunes.[2] The streak ended in Round 21 with a 16-all draw against the Redcliffe Dolphins. The club won just one more game and finished the season in last place.

Jordan Grant won the club's Player of the Year and Players' Player awards in his first season with the Cutters.[3]

Squad List

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2018 squad

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Mackay Cutters
First team squad Coaching staff
  • Blake Atherton CE
  • Cooper Bambling HB
  • Jayden Batchelor CE
  • Sheldon Bobbert CE
  • Jardine Bobongie LK
  • Aaron Booth HK
  • Yamba Bowie FB, WG
  • Jack Brock PR
  • Nick Brown PR
  • Zac Butler HB
  • Darcy Cox LK
  • Jesse Dee CE
  • Johnny Faletagoa'i WG
  • Leonati Feiloakitau PR
  • Dane Francis WG
  • Tyler Gardiner HK
  • Jordan Grant PR
  • Bailey Hartwig FE
  • Jack Hickson FE
  • Jayden Hodges HK
  • Nicho Hynes FE, FB
  • Kellen Jenner CE
  • Jack Joass FB, WG
  • Lona Kaifoto SR
  • Ryan Kinlyside PR
  • Bennett Leslie SR
  • Jared Maguire WG
  • Tyson Martin SR
  • Tom Murphy (c)SR
  • John O'Brien SR
  • Nathan Saumalu CE
  • Brenden Treston SR

Head coach

  • Steve Sheppard



Legend:
  • (c) Captain(s)
  • (vc) Vice-captain(s)



Squad movement

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Gains

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Player Signed From Until End of Notes
Cooper Bambling   Canberra Raiders (mid-season)
2018
Jack Brock   Northern Pride
2018
Zac Butler   Western Mustangs
2018
Darcy Cox   Wests Tigers
2018
Jesse Dee   Illawarra Cutters
2018
Dane Francis   St George Illawarra Dragons
2018
Jordan Grant   Wests Tigers
2018
Bailey Hartwig   Norths Devils
2018
Jack Hickson   Woden Valley Rams
2018

Losses

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Player Signed From Until End of Notes
Cooper Bambling   Canberra Raiders
2018
Jack Blagbrough   Leigh Centurions
2018
Andrew Davey   Townsville Blackhawks
2018
Jake Eden Released
Gareth Moore Released
Jacob Pottinger Released
Isaac Richardson Released
Setaimata Sa   Wests Tigers Mackay
2018
Kouma Samson   Mount Albert Lions
2018
Semisi Tyrell   Mount Albert Lions
2018

Fixtures

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Regular season

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Date Round Opponent Venue Score Tries Goals
Saturday, 10 March Round 1   Townsville Blackhawks BB Print Stadium 12 – 56 Atherton, Joass Hynes (2)
Sunday, 18 March Round 2   Easts Tigers Suzuki Stadium 24 – 26 Dunn, Faletagoa'i, Laybutt, Saumalu, Wiltshire Laybutt (2)
Saturday, 24 March Round 3   Central Queensland Capras BB Print Stadium 18 – 16 Hodges, Laybutt, Wiltshire Laybutt (3)
Saturday, 31 March Round 4   Northern Pride Barlow Park 16 – 22 Bowie (2), Coote, Hodges
Saturday, 7 April Round 5   Sunshine Coast Falcons BB Print Stadium 4 – 32 Atherton
Saturday, 14 April Round 6   Ipswich Jets North Ipswich Reserve 28 – 18 Faletagoa'i (2), Bobongie, Leslie, Wiltshire Bowie (4)
Saturday, 21 April Round 7   Redcliffe Dolphins BB Print Stadium 10 – 38 Bowie, Saumalu Bowie (1)
Saturday, 28 April Round 8   Tweed Heads Seagulls BB Print Stadium 24 – 52 Dunn, Hodges, Saumalu, Wiltshire Bowie (4)
Saturday, 5 May Round 9   Norths Devils Bishop Park 26 – 10 Bobbert, Brown, Cox, Hodges, Hynes Hynes (3)
Round 10 Bye
Sunday, 20 May Round 11   Souths Logan Magpies Davies Park 30 – 42 Bowie, Coote, Faletagoa'i, Hynes, Murphy, Wiltshire Hynes (3)
Saturday, 26 May Round 12   Burleigh Bears Pizzey Park 10 – 20 Bambling, Brown Hynes (1)
Saturday, 2 June Round 13   Wynnum Manly Seagulls BB Print Stadium 20 – 34 Atherton, Faletagoa'i, Hynes, Wiltshire Hynes (2)
Sunday, 10 June Round 14   PNG Hunters National Football Stadium 12 – 26 Bambling, Hodges Joass (2)
Saturday, 16 June Round 15   Townsville Blackhawks Jack Manski Oval 22 – 28 Atherton, Faletagoa'i, Grant, Joass Joass (3)
Saturday, 30 June Round 16   Central Queensland Capras Browne Park 6 – 20 Laybutt Joass (1)
Friday, 6 July Round 17   Ipswich Jets BB Print Stadium 0 – 54
Saturday, 14 July Round 18   Easts Tigers BB Print Stadium 10 – 44 Hynes, Leslie Hynes (1)
Saturday, 21 July Round 19   Sunshine Coast Falcons Denison Park 18 – 40 Atherton, Brown, Saumalu Hynes (3)
Sunday, 29 July Round 20   Tweed Heads Seagulls Piggabeen Sports Complex 22 – 24 Atherton, Bowie, Hynes, Saumalu, Treston Hynes (1)
Saturday, 4 August Round 21   Redcliffe Dolphins Dolphin Stadium 16 – 16 Leslie (2), Grant Hynes (2)
Saturday, 11 August Round 22   Northern Pride BB Print Stadium 12 – 24 Bowie, Wright Laybutt (2)
Saturday, 18 August Round 23   Norths Devils BB Print Stadium 32 – 24 Bambling, Batchelor, Grant, Laybutt, Leslie, Wiltshire Laybutt (4)
Saturday, 25 August Round 24   Souths Logan Magpies BB Print Stadium 14 – 22 Bowie, O'Brien, Wiltshire Hynes (1)
Legend:   Win   Loss   Draw   Bye

Statistics

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Denotes player contracted to the North Queensland Cowboys for the 2018 season
Name App T G FG Pts
Jye Andersen 7 - - - -
Blake Atherton 18 6 - - 24
Cooper Bambling 14 3 - - 12
Jayden Batchelor 2 1 - - 4
Sheldon Bobbert 7 1 - - 4
Jardine Bobongie 6 1 - - 4
Yamba Bowie 23 7 9 - 46
Jack Brock 5 - - - -
Nick Brown 22 3 - - 12
Zac Butler 1 - - - -
Josh Chudleigh 3 - - - -
Lachlan Coote 8 2 - - 8
Darcy Cox 8 1 - - 4
Jesse Dee 3 - - - -
Mitchell Dunn 17 2 - - 8
Johnny Faletagoa'i 21 6 - - 24
Leonati Feiloakitau 2 - - - -
Dane Francis 1 - - - -
Jordan Grant 23 3 - - 12
Bailey Hartwig 1 - - - -
Jack Hickson 7 - - - -
Sam Hoare 11 - - - -
Jayden Hodges 21 5 - - 20
Nicho Hynes 21 5 19 - 58
Kellen Jenner 9 - - - -
Jack Joass 5 2 6 - 20
Lona Kaifoto 14 1- - - -
Kyle Laybutt 14 4 11 - 38
Bennett Leslie 19 5 - - 20
Jared Maguire 1 - - - -
Tyson Martin 2 - - - -
Sam Murphy 3 - - - -
Tom Murphy 13 1 - - 4
John O'Brien 2 1 - - 4
Nathan Saumalu 21 5 - - 20
Brenden Treston 13 1 - - 4
Kurt Wiltshire 13 8 - - 32
Shane Wright 10 1 - - 4
Totals 74 45 0 386

Honours

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Club

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  • Player of the Year: Jordan Grant
  • Players' Player: Jordan Grant
  • Rookie of the Year: Jye Andersen
  • Club Person of the Year: Danell Curtis

References

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  1. ^ DMcKenzie (3 February 2018). "Three's a charm for Mackay Cutters". Daily Mercury. Archived from the original on 14 May 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  2. ^ a b Aidan Cureton (20 August 2018). "Junior stars pioneering bright future for Cutters". Daily Mercury. Archived from the original on 20 August 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  3. ^ "Cutters aim to cover loss of Player of the Year Grant". QRL. 21 November 2018. Archived from the original on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  4. ^ troy.kippen (8 May 2018). "Raiders machine breaks contract, returns to Cutters". Northern Star. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Mackay Cutters gains and losses". QRL. 14 December 2017. Archived from the original on 19 April 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2020.