Queensland Cup GF: Sunshine Coast vs Northern Pride

[DIEHARD]

2009 QLD CUP GRAND FINAL TEAMS, STATS & POINTS OF INTEREST

TWO of the Queensland Cup's youngest and most inexperienced clubs stand just 80 minutes away from creating history.

In an amazing effort, the Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles will contest the 2009 grand final in their first season in the competition.

The Pride, in only its second season in the Queensland Cup, will be out to spoil the Sea Eagles' party in Saturday's 2pm grand final at Stockland Park, Kawana.

In the FOGS Cup, the Redcliffe Dolphins will clash with the Western District Panthers in the premiership decider.

The FOGS Colts decider will see the minor premiership-winning Souths Logan Magpies tackle the dangerous Easts Tigers.

Saturday afternoon's Queensland Cup clash will be televised live on the ABC from 2pm.

The experienced Quentin Hull will provide a detailed preview from 1pm on ABC Local Radio with Darryl Griffiths, Adrian Vowles and Brad Tallon to call all the action from 2pm.

GRAND FINAL - Saturday, September 12
QUEENSLAND CUP
Northern Pride v Sunshine Coast @ Stockland Park 2.00pm
* Live ABC1 Queensland

Northern Pride
1 Chey Bird
2 Josh Vaughan
3 Rod Jensen
4 Jamie Frizzo
5 Germaine Paulson
6 Tom Humble
7 Chris Sheppard [c]
13 Joel Riethmuller
12 Mark Cantoni
11 Nick Slyney
10 Alex Starmer
9 Jason Roos
8 Ben Laity

14 Luke Millwood
15 Greg Byrnes
16 Chris Riesen
17 Rod Griffin

Coach: Andrew Dunemann

Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles
1 Dennis Sandow
2 Michael Chapman
3 Shane Neumann
4 Andrew Suniula
5 Ryan Walker
6 Tony Williams
7 Trent Hodkinson
13 Jon Muir
12 Jon Grieve
11 Vic Mauro
10 Junior Palau
9 Cameron Joyce [c]
8 Phil Morwood

14 Tim Browne
15 Adam Cuthbertson
16 Rob Godfrey
17 Simon Allen

Coach: Brandon Costin

REFEREE: Clayton Sharpe (92nd Qld Cup game; 1st Grand Final)

HEAD TO HEAD QLD CUP: Sunshine Coast 2 Northern Pride 0

HEAD TO HEAD QLD CUP FINALS: First meeting

QLD CUP FINALS EXPERIENCE: Northern Pride: Played 5 Won 3 Lost 2; Sunshine Coast: Played 2 Won 1 Lost 1
QLD CUP GRAND FINALS EXPERIENCE: Both in first Grand Final

HEAD-TO-HEAD 2009
Rd 15, Jun 27, Sun.Cst 30 def Northern 18 (Stockland-TV)
Rd 4, Apr 4, Sun.Cst 16 def Northern 14 (Barlow Park)

LAST GAME
Northern Pride 22 def Central 10 (Kougari-TV)
Sunshine Coast 30 def Souths Logan 26 (Meakin)

FORM 2009
Northern Pride: L W W L L W W W W L W W W L L L W W W L W W W W
Sunshine Coast: W L L W L L L W L L W W W W W L W D W W L W L W

PLAYERS USED 2009: (not including today): Pride 36, Sunshine Coast 35
PLAYED ALL GAMES: (not including today): Pride 0, Sunshine Coast 1
NRL EXPERIENCE (players in today's team): Pride 6, Sunshine Coast 6
NRL EXPERIENCE (total games played today's team): Pride 191, Sunshine Coast 94
QLD CUP EXPERIENCE (total games played today's team): Pride 867, Sunshine Coast 429
QLD CUP GF EXPERIENCE (total games played today's team): Pride 1, Sunshine Coast 0

COACH STATS (G/W/D/L)
Pride: Andrew Dunemann 47/30/0/17 (63.8%)
Sunshine Coast: Brandon Costin: 24/13/1/10 (56.3%)
Head to Head: Costin 2 Dunemann 0

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
(For/Agst/F-A)
Pride 564/445/+119 (2nd)
Sunshine Coast 562/508/+54 (3rd)

PRIDE FACT BOX
Grand Finalists: 1 (2009)
Finalists: 2 (2008, 2009)
Worst Finish: 3rd of 11 (2008)
Biggest Win: 34 (46-12) v Nor 2008, R3
Biggest Loss: 30 (34-4) v TH 2008, R8
Most Points For: 54 (54-24) v Red 2009, R18
Most Points Against: 36 (36-16) v WM 2008, R21
Biggest Win v Today's Opp: n/a
Most For v Today's Opp:18 (18-30), 2009 Round 15
Most Wins in Succession: 7 (2008)
Most Losses in Succession: 4 (2008)
Current Run: Won 4
Most Points Single Game: 34 - T. Humble v Red 2009 R18

SEA EAGLES FACT BOX
Grand Finalists: 1 (2009)
Finalists: 1 (2009)
Worst Finish: n/a
Biggest Win: 46 (46-0) v Cen 2009, Rd 20
Biggest Loss: 24 (36-12) v SL & (46-22) v SL
Most Points For: 54 (54-10) v Eas 2009, Rd 19
Most Points Against: 46 (46-26) v Nor & (46-22) v SL
Biggest Win v Today's Opp: 12 (30-18), 2009 Round 15
Most For v Today's Opp: 30 (30-18), 2009 Round 15
Most Wins in Succession: 5 (2009)
Most Losses in Succession: 3 (2009)
Current Run: Won 1
Most Points Single Game: 18 - H. Matthews v Nor '09 R2
Most tries Single Game: 3 - H. Matthews v Nor '09 R2

POINTS OF INTEREST

NORTHERN PRIDE:

* Northern Pride were third at the halfway point of the competition but eventually finished second, having won seven and lost four games in both halves of the competition
* Northern Pride was second in attack, second in defence and second for-and-against overall - Souths-Logan won all categories.

* Five of the Pride's 24 games have been decided by six points or less, the third least in the competition - they won two and lost three of them.

* Pride have won six and lost six away from home this year.

* Josh Vaughan is the only player on the field to have Qld Cup Grand Final experience, having played for Tweed Heads in their 2007 win over Redcliffe.

* Rod Jensen and Chris Sheppard played for the NQ Young Guns during 2005, but were not in their Grand Final winning team. Jensen played for the Cowboys in their NRL Grand Final loss to the Wests Tigers that year. Clint Amos was in the Young Guns side, but has played only one game for the Pride this year.

* The Cowboys dropping out of the premiership race has not impacted on the Pride team - all their players from the last two weeks are qualified to play, and James Tamou was the closest to being able to come back but had only played 8 Qld Cup games compared with 12 in the NRL.

* The Pride has used 36 players this year, although none have played all 24 games. Rod Jensen, Joel Riethmuller and Ben Laity have played 23. Jensen's only miss was when he was in camp for the Qld Residents side.

* Tom Humble was the Pride's best in the CM Best and Fairest award with 21. Humble also represented Qld Residents (with Rod Jensen) and Country (with Jensen, Mark Cantoni and Joel Riethmuller). Humble was also the competition's leading try-scorer and third in total points (including 34 points against Redcliffe, the fourth highest individual total in Qld Cup history).

SUNSHINE COAST

* Sunshine Coast are the first team in Qld Cup history to make the Grand Final after finishing lower than third after the regular season.

* Despite finishing fourth, Sunshine Coast was third in attack, third in defence and third in for-and-against overall.

* Sunshine Coast was running 10th at the halfway point in the regular season having only won four of their first 11games.

* Sunshine Coast has won six, lost five at home this year - they have won their last five at home however.

* Apart from the inaugural teams, Sunshine Coast are the first team to make the Grand Final in their first year in the competition. Pride has done it in their second year and the Burleigh Bears in their third (1999 - which they won).

* Eleven of Sunshine Coast's 24 games have been decided by six points or less, the most in the competition - they won six, lost four and drew one of them.

* Sunshine Coast have used 37 players in the top grade this year - only one (Jon Grieve ) has played all 24 games.

* Trent Hodkinson was the Sea Eagles' best in the CM Best and Fairest award with 21. Hodkinson also represented Qld Residents and Country. Hodkinson was also the fifth highest point scorer in the competition.

Statistics courtesy of Brad Tallon

FOGS CUP
Redcliffe Dolphins v Western Districts @ Stockland Park 12noon

FOGS Colts
Souths Logan Magpies v Easts Tigers @ Stockland Park 10.15am

Stockland Park is located at 320 Nicklin Way, Kawana
An adult ticket is $10 and concession $5. Children Under 14 are free.

Source: QRL

[Steelers]

Guess who is going to be there cheering for his boys??

Shame about Cuthbertson having to play for Manly, a BIG loss for us.