Norths Devils

Last updated

Norths Devils
Norths Devils Logo1.png
Club information
Full nameNorths Devils Rugby League Football Club
Nickname(s)The Devils, Norths, Norty Norfs, The Devs
Colours Norths Devils colours.svg Sky Blue, Navy Blue, Gold
FoundedPast Grammar (1891;133 years ago (1891))
Northern Suburbs District (1933;91 years ago (1933))
Website northsdevilsrlfc.com
Current details
Ground(s)
CEOTroy Rovelli
CoachDave Elliot
Captain Jack Ahearn
Competition Queensland Cup
Brisbane Rugby League
Hastings Deering Colts
Mal Meninga Cup
Cyril Connell Challenge
2022 Premiers
Rugby football current event.png Current season
Records
Premierships13 (1927, 1934, 1938, 1940, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1969, 1980)
Runners-up9 (1931, 1932, 1939, 1941, 1944, 1945, 1967, 1970, 1990)
Minor premierships 11 (1935, 1939, 1940, 1945, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1969, 1974)
Wooden spoons 7 (1949, 1950, 1954, 1976, 1978, 1984, 1994)
Premierships (2nd grade)3 (1998, 2021, 2022)
Runners-up (2nd grade)1 (2010)
Minor premierships (2nd grade) 2 (1998, 2021)
Wooden spoons (2nd grade) 1 (2008)
Premierships (3rd grade)0
Runners-up (3rd grade)2 (2001, 2011)

The Northern Suburbs Devils, or North Brisbane Devils, or often simply referred to as Norths for short, are a rugby league club representing the northern suburbs of Brisbane, Australia. The team colours are sky blue, navy blue and gold. They play in the Hostplus Cup, and, through their predecessors, are one of the oldest clubs in Australia. Norths have won 14 A Grade, 17 Reserve Grade and 14 Colts/Third Grade Premierships. They hold the record for most consecutive first grade Brisbane Rugby League premierships, winning six in a row between 1959 and 1964 and being crowned champions most recently in 2022.

Contents

History

Before rugby league

The first incarnation of Northern Suburbs was the Past Grammars Rugby Union club, which was formed in 1891 as a separate Old Boys football club for Brisbane Grammar School.It shouldn't be confused with the school team known as Past & Present Grammar (made up of students, teachers & past students) which competed from 1888 to 1890. [1] The club was quite successful in its early years, winning premierships in 1892, 1898 and 1899, as well as 1914. [1] Wallaby captain Bob McCowan was a Past Grammar player when he led the national side in 1899.

Switch to rugby league

Following the disbandment of club rugby union in Brisbane towards the end of the First World War, Past Grammars, along with Christian Brothers and University, joined the Rugby Football League in 1920 [2]

From Past Grammars RLFC to Norths

Past Grammars, also known as Grammar Norths, won their first premiership in 1927, before becoming Northern Suburbs, following the introduction of District Football by the Brisbane Rugby League in 1933.

Post-war

In 1959 Clive Churchill (the little master) captain-coached Brisbane Rugby League club Norths to a premiership, his training methods were carried on by Bob Bax who coached Northern Suburbs RLFC to become the first club in BRL history to win three consecutive first grade premierships when they defeated Fortitude Valley 29–5 in the 1961 grand final in front of a then-record club crowd of 19,824 at Lang Park. [3] Norths continued to dominate the decade with 7 grand final wins in 8 appearances. It would be another 11 years before they tasted success again.

Norths' Queensland representative player Nick Geiger was selected as the Australia national team's hooker in the final of the 1977 Rugby League World Cup tournament.

1990s

Norths-Devils LOGO.PNG
Logo in use during 1980s and 1990s

In the 1990s, along with many other Queensland clubs, Norths suffered heavily financially. Eventually it came to the stage that in 1998 they became a feeder club with National Rugby League newcomers, the Melbourne Storm, which attracted much needed finance, as well as some quality players, as well as securing the Devils' future. Also in 1998, the club won its first First Grade premiership since 1980, [4] beating Wests in the Grand Final.

2000s

In the 2006 NRL Grand Final Melbourne's 17 man team had 13 players who had played with Norths in past years, including Matt Geyer, who won a Premiership with the Devils in 1998[ citation needed ] and Melbourne in 1999. In the 2006 Tri-Nations series, 4 Norths players graduated to the Australian Kangaroos squad and 2 players, via Melbourne Storm, represented New Zealand Kiwis [ citation needed ].

In 2008 the Devils signed a partnership agreement with the Brisbane Broncos which sees developing Broncos players train with and compete for the Devils in the Intrust Super Cup.

In 2018 Rohan Smith was recruited to be the Head Coach of the club. In 2019 he led the Devils to the finals, with the team falling agonizingly short of progressing past the first round.

In 2021, Norths won their first premiership since the 1998 season beating The Wynnum Manly Seagulls in the Grand Final as well as achieving the minor premiership. Such success was replicated the following season when Norths won the 2022 Queensland Cup with a 16-10 victory over club rivals Redcliffe marking The Devils first "back to back" premiership run in the Queensland Cup era. [5]

Home grounds

For many years Norths played out of Oxenham Park in Nundah, but they moved to their current home ground, Albert Bishop Park, in 1969. Commonly referred to simply as 'Bishop Park', it borders the Schulz Canal in Nundah, and is named after club stalwart Albert Bishop, MBE. Norths has a licensed Leagues Club, Norths Leagues, at Bishop Park, as well as a second licensed Club at Anzac Avenue, Kallangur, further north of Brisbane.

Season summaries

Easts Tigers versus Norths Devils at Langlands Park, Brisbane Australia. May 4, 2014. Easts vs Norths QLD league May 2014 02.jpg
Easts Tigers versus Norths Devils at Langlands Park, Brisbane Australia. May 4, 2014.

BRL (1920–1995)

SeasonLadder positionResult
Past Grammar
19207thdid not qualify
19243rdSemi-finalists
19256thdid not qualify
19265thdid not qualify
19272ndPremiers
19286thdid not qualify
19295thdid not qualify
19304thSemi-finalists
19313rdLost Grand Final Challenge
19322ndLost Grand Final Challenge
Northern Suburbs
19335thdid not qualify
19342ndPremiers
19351stPreliminary finalists
19363rdPreliminary finalists
19374thSemi-finalists
19382ndPremiers
19391stRunner-up
19401stPremiers
19413rdRunner-up
19424thSemi-finalists
19434thPreliminary finalists
19443rdRunner-up
19451stRunner-up
19465thdid not qualify
19474thSemi-finalists
19485thdid not qualify
19496thWooden spoon
19506thWooden spoon
19513rdSemi-finalists
19523rdSemi-finalists
19533rdSemi-finalists
19546thWooden spoon
19554thSemi-finalists
19566thdid not qualify
19574thSemi-finalists
19585thdid not qualify
19591stPremiers
19602ndPremiers
19611stPremiers
19621stPremiers
19631stPremiers
19643rdPremiers
19653rdSemi-finalists
19661stPremiers
19672ndRunner-up
19684thSemi-finalists
19691stPremiers
19702ndRunner-up
19714thSemi-finalists
19726thdid not qualify
19733rdSemi-finalists
19741stPreliminary finalists
19752ndPreliminary finalists
19768thWooden spoon
19774thSemi-finalists
19788thWooden spoon
19795thdid not qualify
19804thPremiers
19816thdid not qualify
19825thdid not qualify
19837thdid not qualify
19848thWooden spoon
19857thdid not qualify
19865thdid not qualify
19872ndSemi-finalists
19886thdid not qualify
19893rdSemi-finalists
19904thRunner-up
19912ndSemi-finalists
19923rdPreliminary finalists
19937thdid not qualify
199412thWooden spoon
199511thdid not qualify

Queensland Cup

SeasonLadder positionResult
19969thdid not qualify
19977thdid not qualify
19981stPremiers
19992ndPreliminary Finalists
20005thPreliminary Semi-Finalists
20014thPreliminary Semi-Finalists
20025thPreliminary Semi-Finalists
20038thdid not qualify
20042ndSemi-Finalists
20052ndSemi-Finalists
20067thdid not qualify
20078thdid not qualify
200811thWooden spoon
20095thSemi-Finalists
20102ndRunner-Up
201110thdid not qualify
20125thSemi-Finalists
20136thdid not qualify
20148thdid not qualify
201513thdid not qualify
201611thdid not qualify
201711thdid not qualify
20188thdid not qualify
20195thFinalists
2020N/ACompetition cancelled
20211stPremiers
20224thPremiers

Source: [6]

Notable players

Ross henrick

Greatest Team

On 16 August 2008 in the year of the Centenary of Rugby League, Norths Devils announced their greatest team ever. The team is made up of players in their entire 75-year tenure. [7]

  1. Harry Bates
  2. Fonda Metassa
  3. Jack Reardon
  4. Henry Hegarty
  5. Joe Kilroy
  6. Bill Pearson
  7. Jack Stapleton
  8. Vic Rudd
  9. Cameron Smith
  10. Lloyd Weier
  11. Trevor Gillmeister
  12. Mark Graham
  13. Edward "Babe" Collins
  14. Mark Murray
  15. Greg Inglis
  16. Greg Conescu
  17. Ian Massie

Coach:

  1. Bob Bax

Manager:

  1. Albert Bishop

Sponsors

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brisbane Broncos</span> Australian rugby league football club

The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos currently compete in the National Rugby League (NRL). The club has won six premierships, including two New South Wales Rugby League premierships, a Super League premiership and three NRL premierships. The Broncos have won two World Club Challenges, and four minor premierships in multiple competitions. Prior to 2015, Brisbane had never been defeated in a grand final, and since 1991, the club has failed to qualify for the finals five times. The club is one of the most successful clubs in the National Rugby League since it began in 1998, winning three premierships. The club is one of the most successful clubs in the history of rugby league, having won 59.9% of games played since its induction in 1988, second only to Melbourne Storm with 67.3%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne Bennett (rugby league)</span> Australian rugby league coach and former footballer

Wayne James Bennett, also known by the nickname "Benny", is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of the Dolphins in the National Rugby League (NRL), and has previously coached the South Sydney Rabbitohs, the Brisbane Broncos, the Newcastle Knights, the St George Illawarra Dragons, the Canberra Raiders, the Queensland Maroons State of Origin team, the NRL All Stars and the Australian Kangaroos national team as well as the England and Great Britain national teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brisbane Tigers</span> Australian rugby league club, based in Brisbane

The Brisbane Tigers are a rugby league club based at Langlands Park, in the suburb of Coorparoo in Brisbane, Australia. Since 1996, they have competed in the Queensland Cup, having competed in the Brisbane Rugby League from 1934 to 1997, where they won eight premierships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queensland Cup</span> Australian rugby league competition

The Queensland Cup, currently known as the Hostplus Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the highest-level regional rugby league football competition in Queensland, Australia. It is run by the Queensland Rugby League (QRL) and is contested by fifteen teams, thirteen of which are based in Queensland, with one based in New South Wales and one in Central Province, Papua New Guinea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wests Panthers</span> Australian rugby league club

The Western Suburbs Panthers, or the West Brisbane Panthers, or often simply referred to as Wests for short, is a semi professional rugby league club based in the western suburbs of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The club is the oldest in the QRL and despite absences from the top grade in recent years and several name changes the club continued to operate. After leaving the Queensland Cup, they participated in the Brisbane A-Grade competition from 2005 until their senior sides disbanding in 2012. In 2013, the club entered a voluntary hiatus, but was announced to be part of the revived Brisbane Rugby League.

The Brisbane Rugby League premiership was a rugby league football competition in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was first held in 1922 and for every year until 1997. The competition was reinstated in 2001, known as the FOGS premiership under the Queensland Cup. The competition consists of Brisbane's top six rugby league clubs. Each participating team is a feeder club for the Queensland Cup.

John Ribot, also known by the nickname of "Reebs", is an Australian sports administrator, former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 1980s. Once a Queensland State of Origin and Australian international representative, Ribot was the 1980 NSWRFL season's equal top try-scorer. Also a member of the 1982 "Invincibles" Kangaroo touring squad, he played club football in Brisbane for Fortitude Valley, Wests and Redcliffe, and in Sydney for Newtown, Wests and Manly-Warringah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Inglis</span> Australian international rugby league footballer

Gregory Paul Inglis, also known by the nickname of "G.I.", is a retired Indigenous Australian professional rugby league footballer, who regularly played as a centre, fullback, five-eighth and wing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trevor Gillmeister</span> Australia international rugby league footballer

Trevor Gillmeister is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who is employed as a rugby league analyst at Channel 7 Brisbane. During his playing days, Gillmeister played for the Eastern Suburbs Roosters, Brisbane Broncos, Penrith Panthers and the South Queensland Crushers, as well as representing Queensland and Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GPS Rugby</span> Australian rugby union club, based in Brisbane

GPS Rugby Club, colloquially known as Jeeps, is an Australian rugby union club based at Ashgrove in Brisbane that plays in the Queensland Premier Rugby competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shane Perry</span> Australian rugby league footballer

Shane Perry is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s whose usual position was halfback. He played in the National Rugby League for the Western Suburbs Magpies, Canterbury-Bankstown and the Brisbane Broncos, as well as in the Super League for French club Catalans Dragons.

William "Greg" Conescu is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. An Australia national and Queensland State of Origin representative hooker, he played all of his club football in Queensland with Norths Devils Gladstone Brothers, Redcliffe and the Brisbane Broncos.

Paul Gregory Green was an Australian professional rugby league football coach, best known for taking the North Queensland Cowboys to the NRL premiership in 2015, and a professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s.

The 2007 Melbourne Storm season was the 10th in the club's history. They competed for NRL's 2007 Telstra Premiership, finishing the season in 1st place to claim the minor premiership before going on to reach the 2007 NRL grand final, their third. In the grand final the Storm defeated the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles to claim their second premiership. However two years after the event Melbourne were stripped of their 2007 titles after being found guilty of long-term salary cap breaches.

The 2006 Melbourne Storm season was the 9th in the club's history. They competed in the NRL's 2006 Telstra Premiership, winning a record 20 out of 24 regular season games to finish in first place and win the minor premiership, eight points clear of the second-placed Bulldogs. The team backed up their stellar defensive effort the previous year to concede just 404 points in 2006. The retirement of Robbie Kearns saw a rotating captaincy introduced between David Kidwell, Scott Hill, Cameron Smith, Matt Geyer and Michael Crocker. Cooper Cronk also assumed the halfback duties following the departure of Matt Orford. Storm won 13 of their last 14 games of the season to take a great run of form into the finals where they progressed to reach their first Grand Final since 1999 after wins over the Eels and Dragons. This broke a run of three straight semi-final exits for Craig Bellamy’s team.

The 2008 Melbourne Storm season was the 11th in the club's history. They competed in the NRL's 2008 Telstra Premiership and finished the regular season as minor premiers before reaching the grand final in which they were beaten by the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 40–0, the largest margin in grand final history. The minor premiership won by the Storm in 2008 was later stripped by the NRL in 2010 when it was revealed the club had been in breach of salary cap rules.

The 2010 Melbourne Storm season was the 13th in the club's history and competed in the NRL's 2010 Telstra Premiership. After winning the first four games of the season, Storm's season would hit a significant challenge after Round 6 when the NRL penalised the club for salary cap breaches with the team unable to play for points for the remainder of the season. These revelations also saw them stripped of the 2007 and 2009 Premierships and the 2006, 2007 and 2008 minor premiership titles.

The 1998 Melbourne Storm season was the first in the club's history. They competed in the NRL's inaugural Premiership and their first season was a major surprise to many, with the new team reaching the top of the ladder in Round 15 and finishing the regular season in 3rd place, only one win behind minor premiers Brisbane. Adopting coach Chris Anderson's new "flat-line" attack, the big Storm forwards laid a platform for their young halves Scott Hill and Brett Kimmorley to wreak havoc on opposing teams. Melbourne's front-rowers Glenn Lazarus, Robbie Kearns and Rodney Howe were all selected to play for New South Wales in the 1998 State of Origin series. A late season injury to captain Lazarus combined with a lack of Finals experience saw the Storm knocked out in the play-offs. The club though had proven they were to be taken seriously, and they had easily produced the best debut season of any new team in the game's history.

The 2005 Queensland Cup season was the 10th season of Queensland's top-level statewide rugby league competition run by the Queensland Rugby League. The competition, known as the Queensland Wizard Cup due to sponsorship from Wizard Home Loans featured 11 teams playing a 26-week long season from March to September.

The 1987 Brisbane Rugby League premiership was the 77th season of Brisbane's professional rugby league football competition. Nine teams from across Brisbane competed for the premiership, which culminated in a grand final match between the Redcliffe and Past Brothers clubs.

References

  1. 1 2 Brief History of GPS
  2. Howell, Max and Reet. The Greatest Game Under The Sun: The History of Rugby League in Queensland (p47)
  3. Higgison, Mike. "Fantastic Footy Flashback: 1961". qrl.com.au. Queensland Rugby League . Retrieved 13 September 2013.
  4. Queensland Rugby League
  5. "Norths Devils announce 2023 head coach". Queensland Rugby League. 4 August 2022.
  6. Waite, Roger (2017). "A history of Brisbane rugby league (1909-2017)" (PDF). rogerswebsite.com.[ self-published source ]
  7. Pramberg, Bernie (17 August 2008). "Cameron Smith and Greg Inglis in Norths Devis 'greatest' team". The Courier-Mail . Retrieved 17 August 2008.