Category: QRL

Junior Statewide Competitions Draws Released

QRL article written by Michael Hillier

Queensland Rugby League has today released its junior representative draws for aspirational male and female players involved in statewide competitions for 2025.

These competitions encompass the Mal Meninga Cup (Under 19) and Cyril Connell Cup (Under 17) for leading male talent, as well as two female youth competitions backed by Harvey Norman.

The Mal Meninga Cup – taken out by the Tweed Seagulls last year – will be played over nine rounds with the top six teams contesting the play-offs.

The Cyril Connell Cup features a four team finals series, with each club having six regular season games to put their best foot forward and qualify for the crunch play-off games.

Both the Harvey Norman Under 17 and Under 19 female competitions will also be played over six rounds with the top four to fight out the premiership.

The Under 17s features a finals series for the first time as part of an expanded schedule.

The junior statewide competitions action begins on February 8 with the Burleigh Bears up against the Ipswich Jets in Mal Meninga Cup and Harvey Norman Under 19 matches.

The remaining Round 1 fixtures across all competitions will be played over the weekend of February 15-16.

Fans who love to cast their eye over the next generation of talent are in for a treat in 2025, with some match-day programs set to feature five games between the same two clubs.

This will occur on numerous occasions when the Hostplus Cup season starts in March.

Wide Bay Bulls will compete solely in the Under 17 male and female competitions in 2025, with provision for 18-years old still in the catchment to play in these teams.

For the full Mal Meninga Cup draw, click here.

For the full Harvey Norman Under 19 draw, click here.

For the full Cyril Connell Cup draw, click here.

For the full Harvey Norman Under 17 draw, click here.

2025 BMD Premiership Draw Released

QRL article written by Michael Hillier

An expanded 12-team BMD Premiership will next year display the skills of Queensland’s emerging female talent over four exciting months.

Commencing on the weekend of June 14-15, the 2025 season will feature the Ipswich Jets and the Northern Pride for the first time.

The two competition newcomers will look to hit the ground running and emulate the debut seasons of the Western Clydesdales and Sunshine Coast Falcons.

The Clydesdales and Falcons were a force throughout the 2024 season, winning a combined total of seven games across their respective campaigns.

While the Falcons finished just one win outside of the top four, the Clydesdales progressed to the preliminary final weekend after finishing second.

Ipswich is drawn to play the Central Queensland Capras in Round 1, while the Pride are away to the Brisbane Tigers.

It is shaping up to be a fascinating start to the season, with the majority of clubs set to roll out youthful line ups given the more experienced players will be involved in the NRLW.

Seagulls 2025 season draw

QRL competitions manager Dave Maiden is expecting a highly-competitive BMD Premiership season.

“As the season progresses, the competition will really heat up,” Maiden said.

“All our clubs will be in the same boat, with many of the more experienced players lining up in the NRLW.

“But what this does is create opportunities, especially for some of the future stars of our game.

“The 19 year olds who step up to play in the BMD Premiership will only get better as they gain more game time, and adapt to the high standards required to compete consistently in a statewide competition.”

Every team will play each other once throughout the regular season, with the top six teams to contest the finals series.

The top two teams meet in the grand final on September 27 as part of a match-day program that also includes the Hostplus Cup premiership decider.

Both the BMD Premiership and Hostplus Cup grand finals at Kayo Stadium will go out live across Fox League on Foxtel and Kayo.

BMD Premiership Round 1

Saturday, June 14

Brisbane Tigers v Northern Pride @ Totally Workwear Stadium, 1pm
Tweed Seagulls v Mackay Cutters @ Piggabeen Sports Complex, 1pm
Central Queensland Capras v Ipswich Jets @ Rugby Park, 2pm
Burleigh Bears v Western Clydesdales @ UAA Park, 3.30pm
Norths Devils v Sunshine Coast Falcons @ Bishop Park, 4pm

Sunday, June 15

Souths Logan Magpies v Wynnum Manly Seagulls @ Davies Park, 1.20pm

For the full draw, click here.

2025 Hostplus Cup Draw Released

QRL article by Michael Hillier

Norths Devils will begin their quest for a fourth premiership in five years when the Hostplus Cup heavyweights meet the Redcliffe Dolphins in Round 1 of the 2025 season.

The clash between the Devils and Dolphins headlines seven Hostplus Cup Round 1 games across the weekend of March 8-9.

Ipswich Jets kick off their campaign at home in their annual Defence Force Appreciation Day match against the Townsville Blackhawks, while last season’s minor premiers the Northern Pride meet the Brisbane Tigers.

After storming into last year’s preliminary finals, the PNG Hunters will look to carry that momentum into their opening round clash against the Mackay Cutters.

Burleigh Bears, who last month unveiled former Penrith Panthers premiership-winning utility Tyrone Peachey as a key signing for 2025, will play the Central Queensland Capras in Round 1.

The Capras are coming off a strong 2024 season, having featured in week two of the finals.

Tweed Seagulls and Souths Logan Magpies are both eager to make a return to finals football after missing last year’s playoffs.

Tweed meets Wynnum Manly in Round 1, while the Magpies have drawn the Western Clydesdales.

Each club will play 20 games across 23 rounds.

Country Week – presented by Ford and supported by the Queensland Government – is locked in for the weekend of July 26-27.

The sparks will also fly early in the season, with clubs ready to battle out XXXX Rivalry Round in the third week of competition.

Round 21 puts the spotlight on the immense contribution of licenced clubs and their endless support of grassroots rugby league thanks to the backing of Leagues Clubs Australia (LCA).

Week 1 of the 2025 finals series will be played across the weekend of September 6-7, with all roads leading to the grand final on the final Saturday of that month.

Seagulls full 2025 draw. Dates and times to be confirmed.

“We have so much to be excited about in 2025,” QRL competitions manager Dave Maiden said today.

“There are rivalry derbies and blockbuster match ups everywhere you look, particularly in the opening rounds.

“Every week we witness how much this competition means to our clubs and the many communities across Queensland, just by the pure effort alone that our players, coaches and support staff put in on the training paddock and on game day.

“We look forward to supporting the journey of those with NRL aspirations, while also watching the most consistent teams lock horns in the 2025 finals series.”

 

The QRL’s premier livestreaming platform Qplus.tv is back bigger and better in 2025, with every game live and on demand via Qplus.tv.

Sign up to QPlus.tv today with subscriptions as low as $4.99 per week. Existing annual and monthly subscriptions will be automatically renewed ahead of the 2025 season.

Fox Sports Australia will again broadcast the Hostplus Cup grand final in 2025 with the decider set to be played on Saturday, September 27 at Kayo Stadium.

 

Hostplus Cup Round 1

Saturday, March 8:

Ipswich Jets v Townsville Blackhawks @ North Ipswich Reserve, 4pm
Mackay Cutters v PNG Hunters @ BB Print Stadium, 5pm
Burleigh Bears v Central Queensland Capras @ UAA Park, 5pm
Tweed Seagulls v Wynnum Manly Seagulls @ Piggabeen Sports Complex, 5pm
Northern Pride v Brisbane Tigers @ Barlow Park, 5.30pm
Souths Logan Magpies v Western Clydesdales @ Marsden State High School, 6pm

Sunday, March 9:

Norths Devils v Redcliffe Dolphins @ Bishop Park, 2.10pm*

*Broadcast from 2pm

For the full draw, click here. Final times and dates TBC.

Bryce Donovan Hits 100 Hostplus Cup Games

QRL article by Jorja Brinums

For Bryce Donovan, there is a very long list of people who have helped him get to and stay where he is in the rugby league universe, playing his 100th Hostplus Cup game.

Among those at the top of the list is his mum Kelly Donovan, wife Jess Donovan and daughter Willow Donovan – fitting, given it’s Harvey Norman Women in League Round.

The crafty playmaker will lace up his boots for his 100th Cup game when Wynnum Manly Seagulls take on Central Queensland Capras in Rockhampton on Saturday.

“It’s definitely something I’m proud of,” Donovan said.

“To play 100 Cup games… it probably wasn’t a goal to play 100 Cup games… the goal was always NRL and it would take as many Cup games as it did until that was ticked off.

“I’m still always chasing it. If you asked me, I wouldn’t have said 100 Cup games was a goal because I was probably a bit arrogant, thinking I’d be doing something else by now, but I wouldn’t change it for the world… it has been really fun.

“Without playing that next level, it just shows that I have been able to play some pretty consistent footy for a number of years now. To get to 100 games, I don’t think it’s a fluke… I’m obviously doing something right, so it’s something I’m definitely proud of.”

The 29-year-old made his Cup debut for the Redcliffe Dolphins in 2018, and won the competition that year. He has played 54 games for the Dolphins, 29 for Norths Devils and 16 for Wynnum Manly Seagulls.

Donovan played for the Dolphins in 2018-19, Devils in 2020-22, Dolphins again in 2022, Devils in 2023 and Wynnum Manly in 2024.

“I debuted in 2018 at Redcliffe and as we all know, I have hopped around over the years, and probably would’ve had my 100 a bit earlier because I’ve probably lost a full season through injuries,” Donovan said.

“Had a pretty cool debut year… tore my pec leading into Round 1, came back halfway through the year then we won the comp… it was a long time ago but I’m still hanging onto it.

“I was at Norths in 2021… I lost half a season there with my ACL and the team was pretty much rolling when I came back so I didn’t play in the grand final.

“My highlight playing Cup would definitely be 2018, winning the grand final in 2018.

“Other than that, one of my funnest years was 2022… I went back to Redcliffe I think in Round 3 and we didn’t start off good. I think we lost our first four in a row, but then just went on a really big winning streak… didn’t lose for about 13 or 14 weeks there, which is a club record.

“I got to go back and play with some old mates and make some new ones that will last a lifetime, so 2022 is right up there as well.”

Donovan looking for an opportunity from the play the ball.

Donovan said while it was a milestone for him, he owed it to a “long list of people”.

“Footy is the only thing I’ve known since I was probably four or five… you get around a special group of people and they’re you’re family away from family… with them four to five times a week, travel with them, they become your family… it’s just fun as you get older,” Donovan said.

“Without carrying on too much, I just want to say I am grateful for the support of both mum and dad my whole career…they did everything for me growing up, with footy… took me to all of the trainings and games, all the weekends away… without them, this would be hard.

“There’s obviously Trai Fuller, Cameron Cullen, Sheldon Pitama and Nathan Watts from Reddy and also my big, tall, friendly giant friend Jarrett Boland.

“Then Norths, obviously playing with Jack Ahearn was pretty cool… we had some fun, Moses Noovao-McGreal, he is still one of my best friends even though he’s at Brisbane Tigers, and I’ve got Connor Broadhurst and Brendan Frei who I played with at Norths, who are playing with me at Wynnum Manly now.

“Now, all the Wynnum boys. I’m really enjoying the group at Wynnum. We’re not getting the results we want at the moment, but I’m having a really fun year so far. My halves partner this year Kurt Falls, my security guard (back rower) who’s saved my butt a few times this year Luke Gale, Josh Stuckey and Ollie Pascoe – comedians of the team; Matty Milson… played with him at Norths and now Wynnum.

“All of the clubs I’ve played at hold a special place in my heart. Redcliffe, I went there and won a comp and went back and we went to a grand final and unfortunately didn’t win.

“Norths, I got to get coached by Rohan Smith… the people who know Rohan and the players who have been coached by Rohan know he’s a pretty special guy and so that was cool.

“And then, going to Wynnum Manly, after bouncing between Redcliffe and Norths, to be coached by Mat Head who has played NRL, also as a halfback, and to play with different guys who I have played against, now getting to be on their team, it’s pretty cool.

“Each of the three clubs hold a special place in my heart.”

A muddy game away at Tweed in Round 8.

Donovan said most importantly, he could not do what he did without the support of his childhood sweetheart and now wife Jess, and two-year-old daughter Willow.

“I moved up from Newcastle. I spent my whole life and footy career there… played Cup with Newcastle and 20s with Newcastle… and then I had a shoulder reconstruction after the 2016 season and I think I moved up here at the end of 2017 for something different and just fell in love with the joint,” Donovan said.

“I have put my wife Jess through the ringer with footy over the years. Without her support each year – obviously there’s several nights a week I’m away from home – I come home to dinner ready, I don’t have to do anything… I’m pretty much a big baby.

“Without her, I would not be playing football and I would be really struggling to look after myself. She is the MVP of our family. We’ve been together since Year 8.”

Donovan said Willow – “the hurricane”, who turns three on September 16, the day his second baby is due – kept him grounded.

“She’s always awesome… when she was born, my one thing was I wanted to keep playing footy at this level and perform well enough until she’s at an age where she can comprehend what’s going on,” Donovan said.

“She comes to every game with her little Wynnum Manly jersey on. Even when we’re sitting watching NRL on TV and we ask who her favourite NRL team is, she says the Seagulls, where daddy plays, which is pretty cool.

“And any time I’m in a slump, or coming off the field after a loss – I take a loss pretty hard – I see her on the sideline and she comes running over with a massive smile, and yeah, that’s exactly what I need after a loss. She takes me away footy and makes me realise there’s a bigger picture there.

“She won’t be there this weekend in Rockhampton, but she’ll be glued to Qplus.tv.”

Donovan – a project co-ordinator at a stock fitting company – said he simply love footy, and his life and he hoped to continue on the track he was on for many more years.

“On the field, I’d still love, in my future, to tick off my goal of playing NRL. Outside of that, I need to win another comp after losing a couple of years ago… I really want the chance to fix that up,” he said.

“In 2022, got beaten my Norths after I left there… trying to wipe that from my memory but it’s really hard.

“I want to play as good as I can for as long as I can. If I can tick off a few more milestones like 150 or 200, that’d be pretty cool. I guess I’m just going to play until the wheels fall off.

“Away from footy, I just want to have a happy and healthy family and enjoy their company.”

Donovan has kicked conversions at a high rate for the Seagulls all season.

Bryce Donovan’s honour roll

Note: He wanted to name everyone who has helped him get to 100 games but couldn’t.

Relationship/s Name/s
Mum and dad Kelly Donovan and Darren Vial
Wife Jess Donovan
Daughter Willow Donovan
Redcliffe Dolphins teammates Trai Fuller, Cameron Cullen, Sheldon Pitama, Nathan Watts and Jarrett Boland
Norths Devils coach and teammates Rohan Smith, Jack Ahearn, Moses Noovao-McGreal, Connor Broadhurst, Brendan Frei and Matty Milson (with the latter three crossing over to Wynnum Manly)
Wynnum Manly Seagulls coach and teammates Mat Head, Kurt Falls, Luke Gale, Josh Stuckey and Ollie Pascoe

Hoeter Happy With Round 1 Performance

QRL Article written by Jorja Brinums

Wynnum Manly Seagulls centre Delouise Hoeter – spurred on by former skipper Sam Scarlett in the crowd – reckons the side should be “proud” after a stellar performance against Mackay Cutters.

“It was good… a lot of new faces but they did the Wynnum community proud, and themselves proud as well,” Hoeter said.

The Brisbane Broncos-contracted talent bagged two tries during his side’s 44-6 win, much to the delight of the Chook Pen and Scarlett.

Plenty of others were cheering loudly including former coach Adam Brideson, and former teammates Matiu Love-Henry and Aaron Rockley.

“The lungs were blowing a bit but good to get my first 80-minute game… it was good to play for the first time this year in Wynnum in front of the Chook Pen,” Hoeter said.

“My legs were starting to give way towards the end but it didn’t really matter. I just wanted to put in a really good performance in Cup.”

Former Burleigh Bears star Josh Rogers was also excellent for Wynnum Manly, scoring one try, kicking seven from seven conversions and one penalty goal.

“I feel like everyone played pretty well. Tyson Smoothy played 80 in the middle, Josh Rogers did pretty well. Matty Milson at the back, he did really well. It’s hard to pinpoint one person. I think everyone did their job and everyone proud.”

Hoeter said there were definitely positive signs going into Round 2.

“We were still a bit scratchy. We were one from eight in about the last 20 minutes. We let them in a lot towards the end with a lot of errors and penalties. But that’s something we can clean up as we go along,” he said.

“I enjoy whether I’m at Broncos or at Wynnum. I’ve been here for five years now. I’ve seen a lot of people come through. I always love playing in front of the Chook Pen.”

 

Nicholls tackles next career move with Seagulls

QRL Article written by Rikki-Lee Arnold (Community Content Producer)

Retired rugby league journeyman Darren Nicholls is set to make his mark on the game in a new way in 2023, with the former playmaker venturing into the world of coaching.

Nicholls, who hung up the boots with Brisbane Tigers at the end of the 2022 season, will take on the role of assistant coach for Wynnum Manly’s Hostplus Cup side, coming in under the tutelage of his former NSW Cup mentor, Matt Head.

With his former Brisbane Tigers and Souths Logan Magpies coach Jon Buchanan also now at the Seagulls as the development and pathways manager, Nicholls will be supported by two of the men who influenced his playing career the most as he looks to open a new chapter in the game.

The 33-year-old – who also played with Norths and Redcliffe throughout his Cup career in Queensland – said he started to naturally gravitate towards coaching in the back end of his playing days and through his work at Marsden State High School.

So when Head – also in his first season at Wynnum Manly – gave Nicholls a call and asked him to be his assistant for 2023, it was a no brainer.

Nicholls surveys Seagulls training. Photo: Jim O’Reilly

“I let (Brisbane) know I was going to retire and there was a little bit of an opportunity to coach in the younger grades there,” Nicholls said.

“But I know Matty Head from the (St George Illawarra) Dragons and when he got the gig at Wynnum, he called me straight away.

“With the opportunity to learn under Heady, I couldn’t say no.

“In the later stage of my career, I started to have a bit more input into training sessions and was sort of doing some coaching on the run. Through my school where I’m a PE teacher, I help coach the junior footy teams.

“It’s something I’ve always enjoyed and I liked learning off different coaches as a player. I like having the ability to impact a player and to help them develop and grow.”

Already several weeks into pre-season training, Nicholls has been hard at work putting Wynnum Manly’s Cup side through their paces and has been thoroughly impressed by the response from the players and the intensity of their training sessions – so intense in fact, it makes him happy to be retired.

The former halfback will focus mostly on the team’s attack throughout season 2023, with a desire for Wynnum to be seen as a “highly skilled team that really promotes the football.”

But Nicholls is also keen to see what challenges he faces in his first season as part of a coaching line-up and is glad to have such strong influences around him as he gets started.

After making his NRL debut with the Dragons in 2018, with another two appearances in 2019, Nicholls returned to Queensland in 2020 to join Souths Logan under his former XXXX Queensland Residents coach, Buchanan.

He then followed his mentor across to the Brisbane Tigers in 2021 and said it was because of Buchanan that he’d been able to start the journey into coaching.

“JB (Buchanan) was the one that got me up to Brisbane,” Nicholls said.

“That started my journey. I got the job at Marsden and we have a rugby league program that I help out with.

“At the back end of my career (at Brisbane Tigers), he’d let me take some drills, run through some things at a session. I was able to get my foot in the door and that started my coaching journey in a sense.

“I’ve been to a fair few clubs and each club and each coach, you learn different things. Being a fulltime player (in an NRL system), you also learn from the head coach and then go back to your Cup coach and learn there.

“Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses and I can take from that.

“At Wynnum Manly now it’s an opportunity for me to learn some more and to add things to the sessions and the game plans that I’ve learnt along the way.

“It’s good for me to have JB and Heady … it’s a good mixture. We’re comfortable challenging each other. If we think there’s something we can do differently, it’s open for honest conversations.

“JB and I have had that the past few years already and I spent two years with Heady at the Dragons. It’s worked out well in that sense. There’s plenty of banter at training.”

The new-look coaching staff are not the only big changes at Wynnum Manly in 2023, with a significant turnover in the playing group as well.

The club have announced the re-signings of players such as Max Plath and player of the year, Kalolo Saitaua, while also bringing to the club the likes of Brendan Frei (North Queensland Cowboys), Lachlan Timm (Redcliffe Dolphins), Gideon Gela-Mosby (Northern Pride), Kitron Laka (PNG Hunters), Darius Farmer and Tony Pellow (Brisbane Tigers).

Nicholls said at some point over the pre-season the new group will sit down together to discuss what they believe success will look like for them as a club.

But in the meantime, as they approach the Christmas break, the coaching staff are enjoying getting to know the players and trying to get the best from them.

“There’s a big turnover,” Nicholls said.

“They lost a lot of their senior players so we’re looking at it as a bit of blank canvas.

“We have some great signings brought in and I personally love the addition of Brendan Frei. His intensity at training and leadership has been outstanding.

“Coming up against him when I played, he was always a dangerous player.

“The whole squad has had a great intensity at training. From the first night to where they are now, they’re really challenging each other and there’s competitiveness there as well.

“There’s a lot of opportunity for spots and that opportunity drives a lot competitiveness.”

Semi-finalists confirmed for BMD Premiership

QRL article written by Michael Hillier

Central Queensland Capras and Burleigh Bears have secured home semi-finals following a thrilling finish to the BMD Premiership regular season.

The minor premiership-winning Capras will play the Wynnum Manly Seagulls (fourth) next weekend, while the Bears (second) meet the North Queensland Gold Stars (third).

The winners of the respective semi-finals advance to the 2022 BMD Premiership grand final at Moreton Daily Stadium on Saturday, June 4 at 2pm.

Central will look to recapture the form that carried them to six-straight wins after the Bears stunned the previously unbeaten Capras team in Emerald yesterday.

Burleigh scored five tries to three as a Karina Brown double lifted the Bears to a 26-16 win at McIndoe Park.

Burleigh’s win ensured the defending premiers nailed down second spot and a home semi-final against the Gold Stars, who were also impressive final round winners.

Captain Romy Teitzel crossed for a double in the Gold Stars’ 28-0 win over the Brisbane Tigers at Leo Williams Oval.

The fourth and final spot in next weekend’s play-offs went on the line at Emerson Park today when the West Brisbane Panthers clashed with the Wynnum Manly Seagulls.

In a tight contest, Wynnum Manly prevailed 16-10 to seal a finals berth against the plucky Panthers.

 

BMD Premiership semi-finals

Semi-final 1 – 1v4

Central Queensland Capras v Wynnum Manly Seagulls at Browne Park on Saturday, May 28, 3pm

Semi-final 2 – 2v3

Burleigh Bears v North Queensland Gold Stars at  Pizzey Park on Sunday, May 29 at 1.30pm

Both semi-final games will be live and exclusive on QPlus.tv. The grand final will also be shown on Kayo Freebies.