The 2021 Queensland Cup season was the 26th season of Queensland's top-level statewide rugby league competition run by the Queensland Rugby League. The 2021 season saw the return of the competition, after it was cancelled after just one round in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] The Queensland Cup was to be played over 19 rounds in 2021,[2] but due to restrictions and difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Queensland, has been reduced to 18 rounds, with the finals delayed into October.[3]

2021 Queensland Cup
Teams14
Premiers Norths Devils (2nd title)
Minor premiers Norths Devils (2nd title)
Matches played128
Top points scorer(s) Todd Murphy (156)
Player of the year Jayden Berrell
(Petero Civoniceva Medal)
Top try-scorer(s) Jonathon Reuben
Nat McGavin
Luke Polselli
Ezra Mam (12)
← 2020
2022 →

Teams

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In 2021, the line-up of teams remains unchanged for the seventh consecutive season. On 4 September 2020, the Easts Tigers announced that they would be rebranding and playing as the Brisbane Tigers from the 2021 season onward.[4]

The 2021 season is the first in the partnership between the Redcliffe Dolphins and New Zealand Warriors. The Dolphins had been affiliated with the Brisbane Broncos since 2006. The Warriors affiliation with the Dolphins is their first in the Queensland Cup since their partnership with the Souths Magpies in the 2000 season.[5]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the PNG Hunters are based out of the Gold Coast for the 2021 season, playing their home games at Runaway Bay's Bycroft Oval.[6]

Colours Club Home ground(s) Head coach(s) Captain(s) NRL Affiliate
Brisbane Tigers Totally Workwear Stadium Jon Buchanan[7] Darren Nicholls   Melbourne Storm
Burleigh Bears Pizzey Park Rick Stone Luke Page   Gold Coast Titans
Central Queensland Capras Browne Park Guy Williams[8] Jack Madden   Brisbane Broncos
Ipswich Jets North Ipswich Reserve Keiron Lander Nathaniel Neale   Newcastle Knights
Mackay Cutters BB Print Stadium Michael Crawley Ross Bella   North Queensland Cowboys
Northern Pride Barlow Park Ty Williams Jayden Hodges, Chris Ostwald   North Queensland Cowboys
Norths Devils Bishop Park Rohan Smith Jack Ahearn   Brisbane Broncos
Papua New Guinea Hunters Bycroft Oval Matt Church Ila Alu None
Redcliffe Dolphins Moreton Daily Stadium Adam Mogg Cameron Cullen   New Zealand Warriors
Souths Logan Magpies Davies Park Steve Bretherton[9] Christian Hazard   Brisbane Broncos
Sunshine Coast Falcons Sunshine Coast Stadium Sam Mawhinney Dane Hogan, Todd Murphy   Melbourne Storm
Townsville Blackhawks Jack Manski Oval Aaron Payne Sam Hoare   North Queensland Cowboys
Tweed Heads Seagulls Piggabeen Sports Complex Ben Woolf Lamar Liolevave   Gold Coast Titans
Wynnum-Manly Seagulls BMD Kougari Oval Adam Brideson Sam Scarlett   Brisbane Broncos

Ladder

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2021 Queensland Cup
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1   Norths Devils (P) 17 15 0 2 521 320 +201 30
2   Wynnum Manly Seagulls 17 12 0 5 513 374 +139 24
3   Burleigh Bears 17 12 0 5 457 342 +115 24
4   Tweed Heads Seagulls 17 10 2 5 458 384 +74 22
5   Redcliffe Dolphins 17 11 0 6 450 397 +53 22
6   Souths Logan Magpies 17 10 1 6 517 446 +71 21
7   Townsville Blackhawks 17 9 1 7 468 361 +107 19
8   Sunshine Coast Falcons 17 9 0 8 448 390 +58 18
9   Northern Pride 17 8 2 7 376 387 -11 18
10   Papua New Guinea Hunters 17 6 0 11 386 479 -93 12
11   Brisbane Tigers 17 4 1 12 364 456 -92 9
12   Mackay Cutters 17 4 0 13 330 556 -226 8
13   Ipswich Jets 17 3 1 13 365 561 -196 7
14   Central Queensland Capras 17 1 2 14 303 503 -200 4

Final series

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Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time (Local) Venue
Qualifying & Elimination Finals
  Redcliffe Dolphins 40 - 20   Sunshine Coast Falcons 18 September 2021, 2:10pm Moreton Daily Stadium
  Wynnum Manly Seagulls 22 - 14   Burleigh Bears 19 September 2021, 1:10pm BMD Kougari Oval
  Souths Logan Magpies 30 - 24   Townsville Blackhawks 19 September 2021, 2:00pm Marsden State High School
  Norths Devils 22 - 16   Tweed Heads Seagulls 19 September 2021, 3:05pm Bishop Park
Semi-finals
  Tweed Heads Seagulls 41 - 22   Redcliffe Dolphins 25 September 2021, 2:10pm Tugun RLFC
  Burleigh Bears 26 - 6   Souths Logan Magpies 26 September 2021, 3:10pm Pizzey Park
Preliminary Finals
  Wynnum Manly Seagulls 40 - 18   Tweed Heads Seagulls 3 October 2021, 12:15pm Suncorp Stadium
  Norths Devils 34 - 16   Burleigh Bears 3 October 2021, 2:45pm Suncorp Stadium
Grand Final
  Norths Devils 16 - 10   Wynnum Manly Seagulls 10 October 2021, 3:15pm Moreton Daily Stadium

Grand Final

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Sunday, 10 October
3:15pm (AEST)
Norths Devils   16 – 10   Wynnum Manly
Tries:
Leivaha Pulu (7') 1
Tyrone Roberts (31') 1
Michael Molo (73') 1
Goals:
Tyrone Roberts (33') 1
Connor Broadhurst (75') 1
1st: 10 - 6
2nd: 6 - 4
Report
Tries:
1 (37') Selwyn Cobbo
1 (66') David Mead
Goals:
1 (39') Jack Campagnolo
Moreton Daily Stadium
Attendance: 7,264
Referee: Nick Pelgrave
Player of the Match: Michael Molo (Norths)
Norths Devils Position Wynnum Manly Seagulls
Jack Ahearn (c) FB Selwyn Cobbo
Nene Macdonald WG David Mead
Jacob Gagan CE Delouise Hoeter
Bernard Gregorius CE Jesse Arthars
Jonathon Reuben WG Richard Kennar
Connor Broadhurst FE Jack Campagnolo
Tyrone Roberts HB Sam Scarlett (c)
Michael Molo PR Aaron Rockley
Danny Levi HK Jayden Berrell
Piki Rogers PR Max Elliott
Moses Noovao-McGreal SR Zeb Taia
Leivaha Pulu SR TC Robati
Michael Sio LK Luke Bateman
Matthew Milson Bench Kalolo Saitaua
Jerome Veve Bench Matiu Love-Henry
Ben Nakubuwai Bench Tristan Hope
Liam Horne Bench Francis Kalisolaite-Tualau
Hiale Roycroft Reserve Edward Burns
Rohan Smith Coach Adam Brideson

First half

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Second half

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QRL awards

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[10]

Team of the Year

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Position Nat Winner Club
Fullback   Trai Fuller   Redcliffe Dolphins
Wing   Jonathon Reuben   Norths Devils
Centre   Sami Sauiluma   Burleigh Bears
Five-eighth   Jack Campagnolo   Wynnum Manly Seagulls
Halfback   Jack Ahearn   Norths Devils
Prop   Nathaniel Neale   Ipswich Jets
Hooker   Jayden Berrell   Wynnum Manly Seagulls
Second-row   Josh Stuckey   Northern Pride
Lock   Luke Bateman   Wynnum Manly Seagulls

[10]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Four QRL statewide competitions cancelled for 2020". QRL. 27 March 2020.
  2. ^ "QRL commits to statewide footprint as key changes unveiled". QRL. 19 October 2020.
  3. ^ Hillier, Michael (16 August 2021). "Intrust Super Cup and Hastings Deering Colts update". qrl.com.au. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Eastern Suburbs to play as the Brisbane Tigers from 2021". Brisbane Tigers. 4 September 2020.
  5. ^ "Uniting with the Dolphins". NZ Warriors. 8 June 2020.
  6. ^ "PNG Hunters pumped ahead of season opener". Post Courier. 17 March 2021.
  7. ^ "Buchanan replaces Broncos bound Matterson". Brisbane Tigers. 19 October 2020.
  8. ^ "CQ Capras named new head coach". The Daily Mercury. 12 January 2021.
  9. ^ "Steve Bretherton to take on Magpies Head Coaching Job". Souths Logan Magpies. 8 October 2020.
  10. ^ a b Hillier, Michael (24 September 2021). "Honours for Berrell and Teitzel at QRL Awards". qrl.com.au. Retrieved 27 September 2021.