| Club information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Northern Pride Rugby League Football Club | ||
| Nickname(s) | The Pride | ||
| Colours |  Teal, Gold | ||
| Founded | 2007 | ||
| Website | northernpride.com.au | ||
| Current details | |||
| Ground(s) |
| ||
| CEO | Denis Keeffe (2007–2009) | ||
| Coach | Andrew Dunemann (2008–2009) | ||
| Captain | Chris Sheppard (2008–2010) | ||
| Competition | Wizard Queensland Cup | ||
| 2009 | 2nd | ||
| |||
| Records | |||
| Premierships | 2 (2010/2014) | ||
| Runners-up | 1 (2009) | ||
| Minor premierships | 2 (2013/2014) | ||
2009 was the second competitive season for the Cairns based CRGT Northern Pride Rugby League Football Club. They were one of 12 clubs that played in the fourteenth season of Queensland's top rugby league competition, QRL's Wizard Queensland Cup.
Contents
- 2009 Season – CRGT Northern Pride
- Staff
- 2009 squad
- Player gains
- Player losses after 2008 season
- 2009 season launch
- 2009 player awards
- 2009 jerseys
- Trial Matches
- Wizard Queensland Cup matches
- 2009 Ladder
- Finals Series
- Grand Final
- 2009 Northern Pride players
- North Queensland Cowboys who played for the Pride in 2009
- 2009 venues
- 2009 Televised Games
- References
- External links
The readmission of the Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles meant 12 clubs competed. with each club playing 11 home games and 11 away games over 26 weeks between March and August. [1]
The Northern Pride worked through the financial troubles they faced at the end of last season, with the North Queensland Cowboys and NRL partnerships guaranteeing funding. [2] New chairman, Bob Fowler, submitted a revised budget for the 2009 season, noting that the former chairman's financial guarantees to cover any shortfall would not be honoured. QRL Managing Director Ross Livermore and QRL Competitions and Operations Manager Bill Hunter approved the new budget. [3] The Pride trained and operated out of their new home, Pride Oval on Irene Street, Mooroobool, and held their first match there, a pre-season trial against PNG Telikom Sun Engineering Resident Kumuls, attracting over 4,000 spectators. [4] The club launched an email newsletter for members called 'Pride Pulse e-newsletter'.
In order to avoid the Wet season rain and a repeat of last seasons Round 1 mud-bath, the Pride's first two matches were away games. Home games were moved from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Saturdays, and for the first time, a Friday night home match was scheduled on the Queen's Birthday long weekend. [5] The QRL expanded the finals series from five teams to six for the 2009 season.
There was some controversy in Round 9 when Mackay Cutters hooker Roy Baira broke Pride five-eighth Luke Millwood's jaw in a high tackle. Referee Brendon Rose penalised the Cutters and placed Baira on report, but did not send him off. Pride coach Dunneman questioned the referees decision, and later questioned the QRL tribunal after Baira was banned for only four weeks for the offence. The QRL fined the Pride $3,000 for Dunemann's comments. [6]
Although the Pride lost three consecutive games between Rounds 14 and 16, they won four of the last five rounds. They finished in second place with fourteen wins for the season, four points behind the minor-premiers, Souths Logan Magpies, and one place better than they finished last year. Second place meant the Pride got to host their week 1 final game, the first ever home final appearance. There was a scheduling clash at Barlow Park, as rival code CDRU had already booked the ground for their grand final. The Pride agreed to delay kick-off until 8:00 pm, when they comprehensively beat Norths Devils 44-16. [7]
The victory should have allowed the Pride to host the preliminary final, but the match was scheduled to be broadcast on TV and the ABC were unable to make outside broadcasts from Cairns. [8] Despite a petition signed by over 750 Pride players, fans, administrators, local Councillors and MPs wishing to keep the game in FNQ, the TV rights prevailed, and the game was played 1,700 kilometres away in Brisbane in front of a small crowd. [9] Despite the loss of home-ground advantage, the Pride beat Central Comets to reach their maiden Grand Final against newcomers Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles.
The final was played at the Sea Eagles home ground, Stockland Park, with the Sea Eagles fielding nine first-grade players from their NRL feeder club, the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles. [10] The Pride lost 32–18. A bet between the mayors of Noosa (Sunshine Coast) and Cairns, resulted in the Cairns mayor, Val Schier, having to wear a Sea Eagles jersey to work. [11]
Coach Andrew Dunemann initially signed up for another year as the Pride's coach, but after a chance meeting with NRL's Newcastle Knights coach Rick Stone, he resigned to take up a position as assistant coach under Stone. [12]
A survey conducted by Cumming Economic determined the Northern Pride's economic benefit to the Cairns region in 2009 was $7,000,000. [13]
