PREVIEW: 2024 Queensland Cup & QRLW

A brief guide to each team in both of the senior Queensland rugby league competitions

Bears

M: Here’s an interesting fact. The Bears haven’t won in Redcliffe since their last premiership in 2019. Not being able to Get It Done on northern Brisbane’s field of dreams will be an impediment to the Bears’ routinely annual premiership aspirations. These are now unfulfilled for nearing on 5 years but we nonetheless count them in the mix in 2024. It’s going to take a little getting used to for both fans and the club to have the Broncos on-board but I think that will be a net benefit to Burleigh, as Broncos have a generally higher calibre of Dude than the Titans. Guess: 15-5, 1st

W: Plenty of teams have positives but few have the depth of star power that Burleigh have across the pitch. The Temara sisters, Chelsea Lenarduzzi, Rilee Jorgensen, Tazmin Gray and the most reliable kicker in the women’s game, Lauren Brown are all going to play starring roles. These were just in the first dozen signings announced. The two-time and defending champions will put forward an intimidating roster and so while the rest of the league have their strong suits, the Bears are sitting on a royal flush. Guess: 8-1, 1st

Blackhawks

M: There are no more Cowboys but there is a lot more space for Townsville-based Guys. The season will hinge on whether the lack of pressure from Railway Estate will offset the increased pressure from parochial locals who do not, and make no attempt to, understand what’s happened and the relative lack of resources from Redfern. Even acknowledging that the results didn’t match the talent or points in 2023, Terry Campese comes into a mess and if he can get everyone pulling in the right direction, that will be enough. Guess: 7-13, 12th

W: Coming in 2026

Capras

M: The leakage of talent out of Rockhampton has slowed, but continued with Bailey Butler and Tyler Szepanowski heading south to the Gold Coast and Nixon Putt going north all the way to Castleford. The question is: is it the system or is it the parts? We should have a pretty good answer by the end of the year whether the third year of coach Lionel Harbin and his system can overcome the Capras’ historic retention issues. Another finals appearance should see Rockhampton Leagues Club throw the bank at him. Guess: 12-8, 7th

W: The Capras’ appeared in a grand final in 2022 with Tamika Upton at fullback and lost in the last minutes to Shaniah Power and the NQ Gold Stars. Otherwise the Capras have floundered towards the bottom of the ladder in 2021 (2-7, Upton was at Burleigh) and in 2023 (1-6, Upton didn’t play). Now the prodigal daughter has returned and brought the Southwells with her to presumably mess about before getting serious for Origin. Even though I think Jesse is a tad overrated at NRLW level, she could destroy the opposition here, even in a greatly enhanced competition. Guess: 5.5-3.5, 4th

Cutters

M: When Mackay had the full support of the Cowboys, they tended to not be very good. Not since the premiership of 2013 have the Cutters really threatened to stake a place in the upper echelon. That was, in fact, their last finals appearance, over a decade ago now, and Mackay have bobbed in the mid-table and then fallen to the tail end of the league since. While an injection of Cowboys will help and losing Dave Elliott to the Devils wasn’t ideal, Michael Comerford is an his second year at the club and needs to give the fans and the club a Harbin-esque renaissance. We’ll see. Guess: 5-15, 13th

W: With the Pride slated to join the competition next year, this is the final year of the Cutters being the only North Queensland team. That makes 2024 a particularly important season to improve on last year’s semi-final loss to Burleigh to return the trophy to the North. In three seasons of QRLW, no team with a winning record has missed the finals. The competition at the top of the table will likely be so fierce that a good team is going to miss a finals berth and while I’ve got heaps of time for Emma Manzelmann and Emily Bella, I’m tipping that team to be the Cutters. Guess: 5-4, 6th

Clydesdales

M: Last season showed there was a gulf forming between the haves (i.e. those with a proper two-way feeder relationship with a NRL club) and the have-nots. The Clydesdales, in their first season back since 2006 and with a decidedly more one-way relationship with the Bulldogs of Sydney, defied those expectations, picking up three wins. Two of those came against western rivals Ipswich, but going 1-17 against the rest of the league highlights how much work there is to do to close that gap. Building on last year’s foundation but without NRL players means Western haven’t moved as far forward as Ipswich or Mackay, let alone the rest of the competition. Guess: 3-17, 15th.

W: Luckily for the Dales, it’s a lot easier and cheaper to spin up a competitive women’s program from nothing. It’s a shorter season, there’s a talent pool of nearly-professional players looking for game time and not a lot have pre-existing obligations. As one of two new teams, Western have been the biggest movers in the market, picking up the following rep-calibre players: Ali Brigginshaw, Kezie Apps, Shenae Ciesiolka, Steph Hancock, Keeley Davis, Jessikah Reeves and Therese Aiton. I’m not banking on that instantly gelling into a contender but they’ll be pressing for a finals place to the end. Guess: 5.5-3.5, 5th

Devils

M: The premiership run came to a half with a fairly resounding thud in 2023. Having been abandoned by the Broncos, Nundah defected to the Dolphins. Between that, the retirement of Jack Ahearn and the need to retool to a post-premiership reality, it’s a new look Norths Devils for 2024. Gerome Burns was the sole light on last year’s Jets side and has upgraded to a starting gig at Bishop Park. Pending some late Dolphins walk-ups, Julian Christian has been given first crack at inheriting Ahearn’s mantle. Kierran Moseley is still there and had a cracking All-Stars. There’s a wide variance of potential outcomes, so let’s pin them to the mean. Guess: 11-9, 8th

W: It was pretty clear that the Devils were throwing some amount of energy at making an impact on the BMD Premiership last year and that resulted in a 3-6 record and a supremely pissed off Ali Brigginshaw. Brigginshaw and co decamped for Toowoomba and Nundah have been left with a roster that has some highlights - Annetta Nu’uausala, Jocelyn Kelleher and Lauren Dam - but lacks real thrust. I have a lot of time for new coach Meg Ward, who has the benefits of a) being a woman, b) having been there, done that and c) based on the fact she is constantly on TV around the game, is clearly very passionate but this is unlikely to be a competitive year. Guess: 2-7, 9th

Dolphins

M: With efforts and resources directed to the top flight entry, Redcliffe had a quiet year in the shadow of the new NRL franchise. The Dolphins still finished fifth and played one of the weirdest finals in recent memory, a 42-36 loss to the Falcons in which the Birds didn’t score a try in the last 27 minutes. Moving on from that disappointment, the Dolphins very quietly assembled quite a capable roster for this season. At #3 and #4, Redcliffe will field Treymain Spry, let go by the Titans, and Valynce Te Whare, well down the NRL’s side depth chart after a hit and miss time in The Show. Trai Fuller is back, the pack looks beefy and Brent Woolf and Harrison Graham will share the hooking rotation. The halves combination is brand new and might be where this all falls apart but we’ve seen this franchise perform too consistently for too long to really doubt their selections. Guess: 13-7, 4th

W: Coming in 2026

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Falcons

M: I am always fascinated by the Falcons. Whether its the gold and black strip or the nice looking stadium, they always seem to have something interesting happening on the pitch. The off-season recruitment spree to bring in the likes of Caius Fatili and Cody Hunter looks well targetted to fill a noted gap between the dudes the Storm were furnishing them with and Sunshine Coast A-graders. It is very difficult to envision anything attached to the Storm franchise being below mediocre for more than a season, so the floor tends to be quite high. Some seasons the ceiling is an inch above that and some seasons it’s several thousand feet. We won’t know which season we’re in until about round 12. If you wanted a really outside pick for the premiership, this is it. Guess: 12-8, 6th

W: I’ve never really liked Maddie Studdon as a NRLW or rep player - I’ve no feelings toward her personally, which is an important distinction to make - but it’s not hard to assume that she is a cut above the level of this competition. Similarly, I’ve never really liked Hayley Maddick as a NRLW player but she can capably play five-eighth or fullback in BMD, so that the two form one half of a potentially electric spine. There’s also Annette Brander and Holli Wheeler holding up the pack, although it remains to be seen quite how hard the southern imports go in this competition. The Falcons will have the measure of the lesser lights of the competition but it will be very competitive up front and I see neither the weapons nor the established foundation to climb over the back of the pack. Guess: 4-5, 7th

Hunters

The Hunters were displaced from home for two seasons, based out of Runaway Bay instead of Fort Moresby. After completing their first normal season since 2019 in 2023, now there’s this. If the Hunters can focus on the game at hand and block out the noise of what’s happening at home, that will be a small mercy. Paul Aiton, a brand new coach, has his work cut out for him to turn a mix of old hands (see: Judah Rimbu, Brandon Nima and Solo Wane) and the latest round of Digicel Cup grads to have a crack into a competitive side. Undoubtedly, there will be a few wins off the back of sheer effort and luck and the urging of the home crowd at the PNGFS and some electric speed from Morea Morea, and that might be good enough. Guess: 9-11, 11th

Jets

M: Last season was one of the worst QCup campaigns in the competition’s history. The upshot is that it couldn’t possibly get any worse than finishing last without a single win to their name. The Titans are sending the Dudes previously assigned to Burleigh, so that will be worth several wins by itself, and there’s been plenty of turnover in the roster of Guys, which will undoubtedly be a mixed bag as the more talented leave for more competent pastures and the replacements are of unknown provenance. I’m not expecting heaps out of the Jets, other than some wins. Guess: 4-16, 14th

W: Coming next year

Magpies

M: Karmichael Hunt came in and took over a program that was in complete disarray after a weak squad ravaged by injury claimed the wooden spoon in 2022. Things looked brighter with a stable roster featuring some classic Cup guys like Jack Campagnolo, and some future studs, like Ben Te Kura. After taking a 42-12 lead with 20 to go in round 21 against Wynnum Manly, Souths Logan were in premiership-winning form. Then they choked away the minor premiership against the Capras in round 22, ran out of time against the Tigers in week 1 of the finals and then lost a shootout to the Seagulls in a week 2 final devoid of Broncos players. Three consecutive losses by an average six points, season over, no silverware. I don’t think running it back is going to be an issue but with some of the Broncos pieces moving around, now-London Bronco Campagnolo to be replaced by Albert Kelly and the rocket up the ladder coming back to Earth just a little, it’s going to be more challenging. Guess: 13-7, 3rd

W: Kimi Breayley-Nati is coach now, replacing BMD Coach of the Year Maia Tua-Davidson. The Maroons’ Keilee Joseph is in. The Titans’ Kiria-Ratu is now vastly more experienced. Keep an eye out for NRLW premiership winner Ngatokotoru Arakua. While the jury will be out on the coaching until we see the complete body of work and Evania Pelite doesn’t look like she’ll feature this year, those look like some gains for a team that ran undefeated last season and then choked out in the finals (sounds familiar). Let’s expect the Mags to be competitive but with one degree less of bash and barge. Guess: 6-3, 3rd

Pride

M: The Pride were the archetype of overachievers last season. With a points difference worse than all but the bottom three teams in the league, Northern qualified for the post-season and ran Wynnum close in an engaging week 1 battle. Even if everything goes according to plan, and the motivational fuel drawn from the affiliation battle in the background of 2023 is now spent, the Cairnsites will almost certainly need to pay tribute to the gods of mean regression in 2024. Also, your new coach (emphasis mine):

People that I've been heavily influenced by in my coaching career... the biggest three would be Craig, Adam and Anthony Seibold. Anthony was at Melbourne when I was down there as well and he was on our coaching staff at the Knights. I got a lot out of working with him as well.

I don’t care if the other guys are Craig Bellamy or that Smith coached the 2019 Falcons, that’s a definite whomp whomp from me. Cool jersey though. Guess: 9-11, 10th.

W: Coming next year

Seagulls (Tweed)

M: Putting aside their New South Welshness, Tweed have been one of the more distinctive QCup programs for a number of years. Of all the teams in the league, they seem most likely to score 24 points in a half, skimming the ball from sideline to sideline, while simultaneously being most likely to concede 24 points in a half, and often both halves occur in the same game. The last two years have been rough as a result, a winning 11-9 record being insufficient to qualify for finals in 2023 and what can only be described as the Jamayne Isaako game ending 2022. Getting Brayden McGrady back is nice, there’s a real theme of brotherly love throughout the roster, but it’s not clear if that’s going to materially change the outcome. I assume it won’t. Guess: 11-9, 9th

W: The goal should be to win a game, something the women’s Seagulls haven’t done since round 1, 2022, upsetting the eventual premiers and now extinct Gold Stars. The Gulls have Tarryn Aiken, Olivia Kernick and Jaime Chapman because even the franchises at the ass end of the league have certified-AAA stars in 2024. There are softer targets like the Tigers. It shouldn’t be hard. Guess: 2-7, 8th

Seagulls (Wynnum)

M: Wynnum were on the receiving end of gut punches in 2019 and 2021, losing back-to-back grand finals. The Seagulls won the Brisbane comp in 2020, a year affected by the then-novel coronavirus, which you may remember primarily for cancelling the QCup. Putting aside the tens of millions of dead people, many of which were avoidable deaths, Wynnum were clearly the biggest victims of the pandemic, missing out on what I feel would have been a premiership year. 2022 was a disaster, missing finals altogether, repaired with a sixth place finish in 2023, turned into a prelim final appearance thanks to a victory in the battle of Broncos-less Broncos affiliates. Wynnum bowed out meekly in an all-time finals beatdown courtesy of Burleigh, their 2019 adversaries, but there’s a sense of returning to the top tier. Their back five looks great and importantly, not prone to disruption, their biggest risk is a long term injury to Adam Reynolds and Cory Paix isn’t going anywhere. I’m in the Chook Pen until results dictate otherwise. Guess: 14-6, 2nd

W: We’ve already seen what they can do, so here’s a cool picture:

Girls being dudes. Guess: 6-3, 2nd

Tigers

M: A team can win a premiership but that doesn’t mean I have to like it or think they were the best. You can’t make me, it’s a free country. It’s clear that the Tigers had something to offer last year, you don’t win the premiership otherwise, but it’s not really clear what it was. Their path through the finals involved playing the worst versions of Souths Logan, Central Queensland and Burleigh. Is that luck or is that coaching? Let’s assume it was both and also Corey Thompson at fullback made them much better. In 2024, the defending champions can then rely on coaching keeping them buoyant but Thompson has retired and luck tends to even out. Guess: 12-8, 5th

W: Unlike established powerhouses like the Bears, Magpies and Seagulls or even newcomers like the Falcons and Clydesdales, the Tigers boast almost no brand name players. If we’ve learned anything from these early years of the QRLW, it’s that it’s not really possible to do really well without at least a couple of recognisable names (as Brigginshaw’s time at Easts in 2022 showed, the converse does not necessarily hold). Given the male NRL affiliate doesn’t yet have a women’s program, it’s clear that there’s a bit of infrastructure that needs bridging for Easts to keep pace with the rest of the competition. The coaches are already prioritising “development over winning”, which is fine but tips the hand. Guess: 1-8, 10th