2017 Mackay Cutters season

2017 Mackay Cutters season
Queensland Cup Rank	8th
Play-off result	Missed finals
2017 record	Wins: 10; draws: 2; losses: 11
Points scored	For: 531; against: 566
Team information
CEO	Troy Rovelli
Coach	Steve Sheppard
Captain	Andrew Davey Setaimata Sa
Stadium	BB Print Stadium
Top scorers
Tries	Yamba Bowie (14)
Goals	Jack Joass (33)
Points	Nicho Hynes Jack Joass (86)
<  2016 2018  >

The 2017 Mackay Cutters season was the tenth in the club's history. Coached by Steve Sheppard and captained by Andrew Davey and Setaimata Sa, they competed in the QRL's Intrust Super Cup. ^{[1] [2]} The club missed the finals for the fourth consecutive season, finishing eighth.

Season summary

Following a wooden spoon season in 2016, the Cutters underwent a major roster overhaul, led by new head coach Steve Sheppard. The club's key signings included former Samoa and New Zealand international Setaimata Sa and former NRL player Jayden Hodges. Sa was awarded the co-captaincy of the team, alongside second-rower Andrew Davey. Hodges first season with Mackay was short lived after he tore his ACL in the team's first trial in February, ruling him out for the season. ^[3]

The Cutters did not find much success in the first half of the season, winning just four of their first 12 games. Six wins, and two draws, from their final 11 games saw them fight for a finals spot but they finished short, four points outside of the Top 6 in eighth spot. Co-captain Andrew Davey was named the club's Player of the Year at the end of the season. In 2017, the Cutters used just two North Queensland Cowboys-contracted players, the least in club history.

Squad List

2017 squad

Mackay Cutters

First team squad								Coaching staff
Blake Atherton – CE Cooper Bambling – FE Jayden Batchelor – CE Jack Blagbrough – PR Aaron Booth – HK Yamba Bowie – FB, WG Daniel Boyd – FE Nick Brown – PR Andrew Davey (c) – SR Jake Eden – SR Johnny Faletagoa'i – WG		Alex Farrell – SR Leonati Feiloakitau – PR Tyler Gardiner – HK Jayden Hodges – HK Nicho Hynes – FE, FB Kellen Jenner – CE Jack Joass – FB, WG Lona Kaifoto – SR Yosepha Kepa – FE Bennett Leslie – SR Tyson Martin – SR		Gareth Moore – PR Tom Murphy – SR Jordan Pereira – WG Jacob Pottinger – HK Isaac Richardson – PR Setaimata Sa (c) – SR Kouma Samson – SR Nathan Saumalu – CE Eliki Taufahema – HK Semisi Tyrell – CE				Head coach Steve Sheppard Legend: (c) Captain(s) (vc) Vice-captain(s)

Squad movement

Gains

Player	Signed From	Until End of	Notes
Cooper Bambling	North Queensland Cowboys	2017	[4]
Yamba Bowie	Cairns Brothers	2017	[4]
Nick Brown	North Queensland Cowboys	2017	[4]
Jake Eden	Souths Logan Magpies	2017	[4]
Jayden Hodges	Manly Warringah Sea Eagles	2017	[4]
Nicho Hynes	Manly Warringah Sea Eagles	2017	[4]
Jack Joass	Souths Logan Magpies	2017	[4]
Lona Kaifoto	Townsville Blackhawks	2017	[4]
Tom Murphy	Sunshine Coast Falcons	2017	[4]
Setaimata Sa	Widnes Vikings	2017	[4]
Kouma Samson	Glenora Bears	2017	[4]
Nathan Saumalu	Canterbury Bulls	2017	[4]
Semisi Tyrell	Warriors	2017	[4]

Losses

Player	Signed From	Until End of	Notes
Delayne Ashby	Illawarra Cutters	2017	[4]
Joss Boyton	Released	–	[4]
Jack Creith	Easts Tigers	2017	[4]
Andrew Gay	West Wales Raiders	2017	[4]
Ryan Kinlyside	Released	–	[4]
Nicholas Mataia	Released	–	[4]
Kelvin Nielsen	Released	–	[4]
John Papalii	Released	–	[4]
Michael Pearsall	Norths Devils	2017	[4]
Jordan Pereira	St George Illawarra (mid-season)	2017	[4]
Steve Rapira	Released	–	[4]
Tone Susuga	Released	–	[4]
Liam Taylor	Released	–	[4]
Regan Verney	Ivanhoes Knights	2017	[4]

Fixtures

Regular season

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Score	Tries	Goals
Saturday, 4 March	Round 1	Northern Pride	BB Print Stadium	4 – 24	Saumaulu
Saturday, 11 March	Round 2	Tweed Heads Seagulls	BB Print Stadium	38 – 6	Bowie (2), Bambling, Booth, Pereira, Saumalu, Uele	Hynes (5)
Saturday, 18 March	Round 3	Townsville Blackhawks	Jack Manski Oval	12 – 60	Pereira, Uele	Hynes (2)
Saturday, 25 March	Round 4	Wynnum Manly Seagulls	BMD Kougari Oval	22 – 18	Uele (2), Bowie, Pereira	Hynes (3)
Saturday, 1 April	Round 5	PNG Hunters	BB Print Stadium	16 – 36	Faletagoa'i, Hynes, Pereira	Hynes (2)
Saturday, 8 April	Round 6	Central Queensland Capras	Browne Park	38 – 22	Saumalu (3), Davey (2), Faletagoa'i, Sa, Uele	Hynes (3)
Sunday, 16 April	Round 7	Souths Logan Magpies	Davies Park	24 – 42	Joass (2), Bambling, Saumalu, Uele	Hynes (2)
Saturday, 22 April	Round 8	Easts Tigers	BB Print Stadium	33 – 10	Bambling, Bowie, Davey, Sa, Saumalu, Uele	Bambling (4, 1 FG)
Sunday, 30 April	Round 9	Norths Devils	BB Print Stadium	10 – 34	Bambling, Saumalu	Bambling (1)
Saturday, 13 May	Round 10	Redcliffe Dolphins	Dolphin Oval	6 – 14	Pereira	Bambling (1)
Saturday, 20 May	Round 11	Sunshine Coast Falcons	Sunshine Coast Stadium	18 – 28	Bowie, Hynes, Tyrell	Hynes (3)
Saturday, 27 May	Round 12	Burleigh Bears	BB Print Stadium	28 – 34	Saumalu (2), Booth, Davey, Hynes	Booth (4)
Saturday, 3 June	Round 13	Wynnum Manly Seagulls	BB Print Stadium	20 – 14	Bowie (2), Hynes, Uele	Hynes (2)
Saturday, 10 June	Round 14	Townsville Blackhawks	BB Print Stadium	20 – 20	Bambling, Bowie, Faletagoa'i, Pereira	Hynes (2)
	Round 15	Bye
Sunday, 25 June	Round 16	Norths Devils	Bishop Park	52 – 4	Bambling (2), Faletagoa'i (2), Hynes (2), Pereira (2), Joass, Uele	Joass (4), Bambling (1), Hynes (1)
Sunday, 2 July	Round 17	Northern Pride	Barlow Park	26 – 18	Bowie (2), Bambling, Booth	Joass (5)
Saturday, 8 July	Round 18	Easts Tigers	Suzuki Stadium	10 – 34	Hynes, Kaifoto	Joass (1)
Saturday, 15 July	Round 19	Central Queensland Capras	BB Print Stadium	38 – 20	Joass (2), Booth, Davey, Faletagoa'i, Saumalu, Uele	Joass (5)
Saturday, 22 July	Round 20	PNG Hunters	National Football Stadium	22 – 22	Bowie (2), Faletagoa'i, Wright	Joass (3)
	Round 21	Bye
Saturday, 5 August	Round 22	Sunshine Coast Falcons	BB Print Stadium	30 – 26	Bambling, Bowie, Brown, Davey, Saumalu	Joass (5)
Saturday, 12 August	Round 23	Burleigh Bears	Pizzey Park	16 – 28	Uele, Leslie	Joass (2)
Saturday, 19 August	Round 24	Ipswich Jets	North Ipswich Reserve	30 – 20	Bowie, Davey, Hynes, Leslie, Samson	Joass (5)
Saturday, 26 August	Round 25	Souths Logan Magpies	BB Print Stadium	18 – 32	Boyd, Hynes, Saumalu	Joass (3)
Legend:   Win  Loss  Draw  Bye

Statistics

Denotes player contracted to the North Queensland Cowboys for the 2017 season

Name	App	T	G	FG	Pts
Blake Atherton	3	-	-	-	-
Cooper Bambling	23	9	7	1	51
Jayden Batchelor	1	-	-	-	-
Jack Blagbrough	12	-	-	-	-
Aaron Booth	22	4	4	-	24
Yamba Bowie	23	14	-	-	56
Daniel Boyd	1	1	-	-	4
Nick Brown	23	1	-	-	4
Andrew Davey	21	7	-	-	28
Jake Eden	9	-	-	-	-
Johnny Faletagoa'i	18	7	-	-	28
Alex Farrell	2	-	-	-	-
Leonati Feiloakitau	7	-	-	-	-
Tyler Gardiner	1	-	-	-	-
Nicho Hynes	21	9	25	-	86
Kellen Jenner	5	-	-	-	-
Jack Joass	22	5	33	-	86
Lona Kaifoto	18	1	-	-	4
Yosepha Kepa	1	-	-	-	-
Bennett Leslie	10	2	-	-	8
Gareth Moore	9	-	-	-	-
Tom Murphy	11	-	-	-	-
Jordan Pereira	15	8	-	-	32
Jacob Pottinger	10	-	-	-	-
Isaac Richardson	9	-	-	-	-
Setaimata Sa	20	2	-	-	8
Kouma Samson	17	1	-	-	4
Nathan Saumalu	17	13	-	-	52
Eliki Taufahema	1	-	-	-	-
Semisi Tyrell	6	1	-	-	4
Braden Uele	21	12	-	-	48
Shane Wright	12	1	-	-	4
Totals		98	69	1	531

Honours

Club

• Player of the Year: Andrew Davey
• Players' Player: Nick Brown
• Rookie of the Year: Cooper Bambling
• Club Person of the Year: Jodie Grosskreutz

References

1. "Cutters appoint 2017 coach". QRL. 9 August 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
2. madolynpeters (22 January 2017). "Cutters announce captains for 2017". Daily Mercury. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
3. madolynpeters (12 February 2017). "Hodges goes down in his debut game for Cutters". Daily Mercury. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
4. "Gains and Losses: Mackay Cutters". QRL. 9 November 2016. Archived from the original on 6 April 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2020.