The 2001 Queensland Cup season was the 6th season of Queensland's top-level statewide rugby league competition run by the Queensland Rugby League. The competition, known as the Bundy Gold Cup due to sponsorship from Bundaberg Rum, featured 11 teams playing a 26-week long season (including finals) from March to September.
The Toowoomba Clydesdales defeated the Redcliffe Dolphins 28–26 in the grand final at Dolphin Oval to claim their second premiership. Redcliffe Adam Mogg was named the competition's Player of the Year.
Teams The number of teams in the Queensland Cup was reduced from 12 to 11 in 2001 with the withdrawal of inaugural club, the Cairns Cyclones. The Easts Tigers re-branded as the East Coast Tigers.
For the 2001 season, the Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm were again affiliated with the Toowoomba Clydesdales and Norths Devils, respectively. After partnering for the 2000 season, the Auckland Warriors ended their affiliation with the Souths Magpies.
Colours Club Home ground(s) Burleigh Bears Pizzey Park Central Comets Browne Park East Coast Tigers Langlands Park Ipswich Jets Bendigo Bank Oval Logan Scorpions Meakin Park Norths Devils Bishop Park Redcliffe Dolphins Dolphin Oval Souths Magpies Davies Park Toowoomba Clydesdales Newtown Oval, ANZ Stadium, Athletic Oval Wests Panthers Purtell Park Wynnum Seagulls Kougari Oval
Ladder 2001 Queensland Cup Team 1 Toowoomba Clydesdales (P)20 18 1 1 2 794 310 +484 412 Burleigh Bears20 15 1 4 2 660 401 +259 353 Redcliffe Dolphins20 14 0 6 2 617 393 +224 324 Norths Devils20 11 3 6 2 558 446 +112 295 East Coast Tigers20 12 0 8 2 501 450 +51 286 Wynnum Seagulls20 8 3 9 2 445 546 -101 237 Central Comets20 7 3 10 2 468 517 -49 218 Ipswich Jets20 63 11 2 447 536 -89 199 Logan Scorpions20 4 1 15 2 385 581 -196 1310 Wests Panthers20 4 1 15 2 392 798 -406 1311 Souths Magpies20 3 0 17 2 388 677 -289 10
Finals series HomeScore AwayMatch InformationDateVenue Qualifying / Elimination finals Norths Devils 10 – 52 East Coast Tigers 25 August 2001 Bishop Park Burleigh Bears 8 – 40 Redcliffe Dolphins 25 August 2001 Pizzey Park Major semi-finals Burleigh Bears 30 – 23 East Coast Tigers 1 September 2001 Pizzey Park Toowoomba Clydesdales 10 – 20 Redcliffe Dolphins 1 September 2001 Athletic Oval Preliminary final Toowoomba Clydesdales 34 – 20 Burleigh Bears 8 September 2001 Athletic Oval Grand final Redcliffe Dolphins 26 – 28 Toowoomba Clydesdales 15 September 2001 Dolphin Oval
Grand final
Redcliffe DolphinsPositionToowoomba ClydesdalesAdam Mogg FB Ken McGuinnessGeorge Wilson WG Damien QuinnJason Webber CE Steve IrwinPhil Graham CE Brent TateRicky Hewinson WG Tony DugganRod West FE Casey McGuireMick Roberts HB Nathan MurphyTroy Lindsay PR Kirk ReynoldsonCraig O'Dwyer (c) HK Michael RyanRussell Lahiff PR Damon Keating (c)Luke Scott SR Darren IngramDanny Burke SR Paul CarigeTony Gould LK Neale WyattBarry Denduck Bench Elia TuqiriStuart Cruickshank Bench Nathan FriendGreg Cameron Bench Ben CzislowskiAndrew Wynyard Bench Christian RobertsonNeil Wharton Coach Kevin Walters
Toowoomba dominated the regular season, finishing first (winning their second minor premiership) and only losing one game. After earning a bye in the first week of the finals, they lost their second game of the season to Redcliffe in the major semi-final. This forced them into the preliminary final, where they defeated Burleigh to set up a Grand final rematch with the Dolphins, their third meeting in a grand final. Redcliffe finished the regular season in third and qualified for their third straight grand final after defeating the Clydesdales in Week 2.
First half Redcliffe got off to the best start possible when centre Jason Webber scored inside the first minute after a Toowoomba error. Seven minutes later, Craig O'Dwyer latched onto an Adam Mogg grubber to give the Dolphins their second try. Toowoomba hit back not long after when hooker Michael Ryan scored from dummy half. The scores were then levelled when Tony Duggan dived on a loose ball in the in-goal and Damien Quinn converted from the sideline. The Clydesdales took their first lead of the match in the 35th minute when prop Kirk Reynoldson scored. The lead was short lived, as Redcliffe tied the game two minutes before the break when winger George Wilson crossed out wide.
Second half The Dolphins came out firing after half time, scoring inside three minutes when bench forward Andrew Wynyard broke through for a try. The scoreline remained unchanged for the next 20 minutes until a Ken McGuinness cutout pass saw Quinn score in the corner. Quinn then converted his own try from the sideline to lock the score at 22-all. Redcliffe clawed ahead once again when Luke Scott scored inside the final 10 minutes, setting up a tense finish. With 30 seconds left on the clock and Toowoomba pressuring Redcliffe's try line, halfback Casey McGuire scored next to the posts to level the scores at 26-all. Quinn then stepped up to kick the simple conversion and give Toowoomba their second premiership victory. Clydesdales' fullback Ken McGuinness was named man of the match.
Five years later, Toowoomba pair Brent Tate and Casey McGuire won an NRL premiership with the Brisbane Broncos, when they defeated the Melbourne Storm in the 2006 grand final. Their Clydesdales teammate Nathan Friend was on the losing Storm side.
Player statistics
Leading try scorers PosPlayerTeamTries1Brent Webb Wests Panthers222Phil Graham Redcliffe Dolphins203Greg Bourke Burleigh Bears19David Seage Wynnum Seagulls195Justin Loomans Central Comets18Jason Webber Redcliffe Dolphins18
Leading point scorers PosPlayerTeamTGFGPts1Greg Bourke Burleigh Bears1994-2642Damien Quinn Toowoomba Clydesdales1597-2543Damien Richters Redcliffe Dolphins1176-1984John Wilshire East Coast Tigers1760-1885Marty Turner Norths Devils12501149
End-of-season awards Courier Mail Medal: Adam Mogg ( Redcliffe Dolphins) Rookie of the Year: Martin Allen ( Easts Tigers)
See also
Queensland Cup Queensland Rugby League
References