The 2006 Queensland Cup season was the 11th season of top-level statewide rugby league competition run by the Queensland Rugby League in Queensland, Australia. The competition, known as the Queensland Wizard Cup due to sponsorship from Wizard Home Loans featured 11 teams playing a 26-week long season (including finals) from March to September.
The Redcliffe Dolphins won their fifth premiership, defeating the Toowoomba Clydesdales 27–6 at Suncorp Stadium. Souths Logan Magpies Brandon Costin was named the competition's Player of the Year, winning the Courier Mail Medal.
Teams In 2006, the Queensland Cup retained the same 11 teams that competed in the 2005 season. The Wynnum Seagulls, who played under that name from 1995 to 2005, returned to playing as the Wynnum Manly Seagulls. Colours Club Home ground(s) Head coach(s) Captain(s) NRL Affiliate Burleigh Bears Pizzey Park Jim Lenihan Ryan Gundry None Central Comets Browne Park Matt Parish Herewini Rangi None Easts Tigers Langlands Park Michael Booth Matt Lockyer None Ipswich Jets QLD Group Stadium Trevor Gillmeister Danny Coburn None North Queensland Young Guns Dairy Farmers Stadium Michael Crawley Daniel Strickland North Queensland Cowboys Norths Devils Bishop Park Wayne Treleaven Anthony Boyd Melbourne Storm Redcliffe Dolphins Dolphin Oval Anthony Griffin Troy Lindsay Brisbane Broncos Souths Logan Magpies Brandon Park Mark Gliddon Brandon Costin None Toowoomba Clydesdales Clive Berghofer Stadium Mark Gee Nick Kenny Brisbane Broncos Tweed Heads Seagulls Piggabeen Sports Complex Steve Murphy Matt King None Wynnum Manly Seagulls Kougari Oval Neil Wharton Jimmy Ahmat None
Ladder 2006 Queensland Cup Team 1 Toowoomba Clydesdales20 16 0 4 2 680 462 +218 32 2 North Queensland Young Guns20 14 2 4 2 604 392 +212 30 3 Redcliffe Dolphins (P)20 14 0 6 2 619 434 +185 28 4 Tweed Heads Seagulls20 11 0 9 2 473 455 +18 22 5 Easts Tigers20 10 2 8 2 505 490 +15 22 6 Burleigh Bears20 9 3 8 2 429 435 -6 21 7 Norths Devils20 8 1 11 2 538 570 -32 17 8 Central Comets20 7 1 12 2 409 560 -151 15 9 Wynnum Manly Seagulls20 5 3 12 2 483 562 -79 13 10 Souths Logan Magpies20 5 2 13 2 497 632 -135 12 11 Ipswich Jets20 4 0 16 2 486 731 -245 8
Finals series HomeScore AwayMatch InformationDateVenue Qualifying / Elimination Finals Tweed Heads Seagulls 4 – 12 Easts Tigers 26 August 2006 Piggabeen Sports Complex North Queensland Young Guns 8 – 22 Redcliffe Dolphins 27 August 2006 Townsville Sports Reserve Semi-finals North Queensland Young Guns 18 – 28 Easts Tigers 1 September 2006 Dairy Farmers Stadium Toowoomba Clydesdales 56 – 22 Redcliffe Dolphins 2 September 2006 Clive Berghofer Stadium Preliminary Final Redcliffe Dolphins 30 – 16 Easts Tigers 9 September 2006 Dolphin Oval Grand Final Toowoomba Clydesdales 6 – 27 Redcliffe Dolphins 16 September 2006 Suncorp Stadium
Grand Final
Toowoomba ClydesdalesPositionRedcliffe DolphinsNick Parfitt FB Ryan CullenDenan Kemp WG Chris GiumelliJason Moon CE Greg BourkeJamie Simpson CE Nick EmmettSteve Michaels WG Rory BromleyJoel Moon FE Chris FoxBen Green HB Marty TurnerNick Kenny (c) PR Troy Lindsay (c)John Te Reo HK Mick RobertsBen Vaeau PR Adam StarrChris Muckert SR Grant Flugge Derrick Watkins SR Danny BurkeGreg Eastwood LK Mark ShipwayDavid Taylor Bench Nick WalkerJoe Clarke Bench Shannon FishLynden Murphy Bench Daniel GreenLachlan Morgan Bench Gerard ParleMark Gee Coach Anthony Griffin
Toowoomba finished the regular season as minor premiers and charged into the Grand Final after a dominant 56–22 win over Redcliffe in the major semi final. Redcliffe ended the season in 3rd place and upset the 2nd place North Queensland Young Guns 22–8 in the first week of the finals. After the big loss to Toowoomba, the Dolphins defeated Easts 30–16 to qualify for their eighth Grand Final and their fourth against the Clydesdales. In the regular season, Toowoomba defeated Redcliffe 42–28 in Round 8, while the Dolphins won the return match 34–16 in Round 18.
First half Toowoomba prop Ben Vaeau opened the scoring in just the 3rd minute of the contest when he steamrolled through the Dolphins defence from 10 metres out to score. Redcliffe hit back in the 8th minute when halfback Marty Turner stepped through some soft defence to score under the posts. With 10 seconds remaining in what was a tough first half, the Dolphins took the lead when fullback Ryan Cullen went through under the posts to score. The Dolphins taking a 12–6 lead into the half time break.
Second half Redcliffe maintained their narrow six-point lead for most of the second half, before hooker Mick Roberts kicked a field goal in the 67th minute to extended his side's lead to seven. Just over a minute later the Dolphins had their third try of the game when centre Nick Emmett batted down a Roberts' cross-field kick to his winger Rory Bromley who scored in the corner. Redcliffe pulled off a carbon copy of the try five minutes later when Emmett brought down a Turner kick and handed it off to Bromley who got his second. With two minutes remaining, Mark Shipway scored to seal the contest for Redcliffe and secure their fifth Queensland Cup premiership.
The 2006 Grand Final would be the last game the Toowoomba Clydesdales would ever play in the Queensland Cup. One of the foundation clubs of the competition, the Clydesdales ceased operations at the end of the year due to financial reasons.Nathan Friend Push Return ClydesdalesThe Chronicle
End-of-season awards Courier Mail Medal (Best and Fairest): Brandon Costin ( Souths Logan Magpies) Coach of the Year: Anthony Griffin ( Redcliffe Dolphins) Rookie of the Year: David Tyrrell ( Easts Tigers) Representative Player of the Year: Mick Roberts ( Queensland Residents, Redcliffe Dolphins)
See also
Queensland Cup Queensland Rugby League
References