PREVIEW: QRL Intrust Super Cup 2014 Grand Final

The QRL's official preview of the 2014 Intrust Super Cup Grand Final is here. Follow more on the QRL's competitions across Grand Final Day at www.qrl.com.au.

2014 Intrust Super Cup Grand Final

NORTHERN PRIDE v EASTS TIGERS 
Suncorp Stadium, Sunday, September 28 - 3.55pm* 
(Coverage from 3.30pm - Channel 9/WIN/NBN)

Referee: Clayton Sharpe (178th Queensland/Intrust Super Cup game; fourth grand final)
Head to Head: Pride 11 Easts 5
Head-to-Head Finals: Pride 1 Easts 1
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #PRIDEvTIGES #09Sizzles
Livestream: http://www.qrl.com.au/interactive/live-stream.html

THE ghosts of seasons past have stalked both teams leading into this year's Intrust Super Cup grand final - with the Northern Pride and Easts Tigers carrying their own mental shackles into this year's decider.

The Pride however have already shaken off one burden - simply by claiming their spot in the premiership decider.

As they were again this year - the Pride of 2013 were the most dominant team of the season having claimed the minor premiership.

Last year however, they lost both their finals matches against Easts and eventual premiers Mackay and were left to look on as the Cutters claimed the spoils.

For the Tigers - the memory of last year's loss was more acute. Given their strong run in the finals series and spread of talent, they were favourites to claim their first major title since 1991 - but were swept away by the Cutters in a thrilling match.

Read the full story here: http://www.qrl.com.au/news/2014/09/26/grand_final_preview.html

Below are all the statistics you need heading into this Sunday's premiership decider - provided by QRL statistician Brad Tallon.

INTRUST SUPER CUP GRAND FINAL - NORTHERN PRIDE V EASTS TIGERS

Cup Finals Experience: Pride: Played 14 Won 8 Lost 6; Easts: Played 29 Won 14 Lost 15
Cup Grand Finals Experience: Pride: Played 2 Won 1; Easts: Played 3 Won 0

Form 2014:
Pride: W W W W B W L W W L W W W W W W W L B W W W W W W L B W B
Easts: W L W L D B W L L W W W W W L W B W W W L W W W W L W L W

Players Used 2014: Pride 33, Easts 36 Played All Games: Pride 2, Easts 0
NRL Experience (players in named team 1-17): Pride 8 Easts 6
NRL Experience (total games played): Pride 124 Easts 62
Cup Experience (total games played named team): Pride 1202 Easts 1328
Cup GF Experience (total games played named team): Pride 5 Easts 11
Average Age: Pride 26 Easts 24

Coach Stats (G/W/D/L):
Pride: Jason Demetriou G 49 / W 38 / D 0 / L 11 (77.5%)
Easts: Craig Ingebrigtsen G 52 / W 33 / D 1 / L 18 (64.4%)
Head to Head: Demetriou 4 Ingebrigtsen 2

Northern Pride Fact Box (2008-2014)
Premiers: 1 (2010)
Grand Finalists: 3 (2009, 2010, 2014)
Finalists: 6 (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014)
Worst Finish: 7th in 2012 (12 teams)
Played 168, Won 113 Drawn 3 Lost 52
Biggest Win: 50 (60-10) v Sunshine Coast 2011, Round 5
Biggest Loss: 64 (64-0) v Sunshine Coast 2010, Round 12
Most Points For: 60 (60-10) v Sunshine Coast 2011, Round 5
Most Points Against: 64 (64-0) v Sunshine Coast 2010, Round 12
Biggest Win v Easts: 34 (44-10), 2012 Round 21
Most For v Easts: 44 (44-20), 2014 Round 16 + above
Most Wins in Succession: 17 (2010-11)
Most Losses in Succession: 4 (Three times - 2008, 2009/10, 2012)

Individual Records - Pride:
Most Games: 138 - Jason Roos
Most Points: Overall: 574 - Chey Bird; Season: 214 - Chey Bird (2011); Game - 34 - Tom Humble (2009 v Redcliffe)
Most Tries: Overall: 61 - Brett Anderson; Season: 20 - Tom Humble (2009); Game: 4 - Brett Anderson (2008 v Mackay); Tom Humble (2009 v Redcliffe); Brett Anderson (2011 v Easts)

Easts Tigers Fact Box (1996-2014)
Premiers: 0
Grand Finalists: 4 (1997, 2004, 2013, 2014)
Finalists: 11 (1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2013, 2014)
Worst Finish: 11th 2010 (12 teams)
Played 427, Won 233 Drawn 11 Lost 183
Biggest Win: 86 (86-0) v Brothers-Valleys 2004, Round 12
Biggest Loss: 56 (56-0) v Toowoomba 2001, Round 7
Most Points For: 86 (86-0) v Brothers-Valleys 2004, Round 12
Most Points Against: 56 (56-26) v Too 2003, Rd 9; (56-28) v WM 2010, Rd 20 + above.
Biggest Win v Pride: 30 (42-12), 2009 Round 14
Most For v Pride: 42 (42-12), 2009 Round 14
Most Wins in Succession: 8 (Twice - 2002 & 2011-12)
Most Losses in Succession: 6 (Three times - 2007/8, 2010, 2011)

Individual Records - Tigers:
Most Games: 196 - Scott Sipple
Most Points: Overall: 648 - Scott Thorburn; Season: 230 - Cody Walker (2012); Single Game: 34 - Cody Walker (2013 v Norths)
Most tries: Overall: 65 - Wade Liddell; Season: 24 - Travis Baker (1997); Single Game: 5 - Wade Liddell (2004 v Brothers-Valleys)

Points of Interest:

• Statistically these are the closest matched grand finalists ever based on the regular season - Pride scored 10 more points and had five more scored against for an overall for-and-against difference of 5.
• This is the 9th occasion that the grand final has been played between the minor premiers and third placed teams after the regular season - only two have been won by the third placed team.
• This is the 17th game between the two sides - Pride have won 11 and Easts 5. The teams have played 7 times in South East Queensland (all at Langlands Park) with Pride winning 4 and Easts 3.
• Under the five team final system, the winner of the preliminary final has won eight grand finals (including the last 5), the winner of the major semi only 4.
• There have been nine different premier in 10 years - only Wynnum, who won in 2011 and 2012 years have won more than one in that time.

NORTHERN PRIDE:

• This is Pride's third grand final - 5 of their players have previously played in a decider, including 4 (Anderson, Roos, Spina and Riethmuller) in their 2010 win over Norths. Roos and Riethmuller also played in their 2009 loss to Sunshine Coast. Sam Obst is the other player to lay a decider having played for Redcliffe in their 1999 loss to Burleigh.
• Pride finished this year with the fourth best ever regular season in cup history - only Tweed (2011), Toowoomba (2001) and Redcliffe (2000) were better. They lost 4 games, 3 by a converted try or less - Easts 16-4 win in Mareeba was Pride's biggest loss of the year.
• 11 of Pride's 25 games have been decided by 6 points or less - they won 8 and lost 3.
• Pride have used 33 players this year with two playing all 25 games (Sam Obst and Tyrone McCarthy).
• 4 Pride players have played more than 100 Cup games (Riethmuller 139, Roos 138, Anderson 123 and Tadulala 112). This is Ben Spina's 100th game, all for the Pride - he is the fifth Pride player to reach the century for the club.
• Semi Tadulala made his Cup debut in 1998 for the Townsville Stingers. He and Petero Civoniceva were the only 2 players who played that year still in the competition this year.
• This is Jason Demetriou's 50th game as coach - he has won 38 games and lost 11; if the Pride wins today he will be the first coach to get 39 wins from his first 50 games - others to go close are: John Boxsell (Redcliffe - 1996-98) - 38w/2d ; Neil Wharton (Redcliffe -2000-02) - 38w/0d; Mark Murray (Norths 1998-99) - 50 / 37w /1d.
• Demetriou is the second coach to take out consecutive minor premierships - Rick Stone did it for Burleigh in 2003/2004 defeating Easts to win the grand final in 2004 after being runner-up in 2003.

EASTS TIGERS:

• Easts are the 7th team to make the grand final after losing it the previous year - the other six all won, including Northern Pride in 2010.
• Easts are 1 of only 3 remaining foundation clubs (1996) not to have won a premiership - Central Queensland and Ipswich are the other two.
• This is Easts 30th Cup finals match - only Redcliffe with 42 have more; this is the 122nd Cup finals match.
• This is Easts 4th Cup grand final, the 4th team to achieve this feat - Redcliffe have played 10, with Burleigh and Toowoomba also having played 4 each.
• Nine Easts players played in the 2013 decider (Neumann, Walker, Thorpe, Butterfield, Garbutt, Hogan, Bromwich, McDonald and Zgrajewski). Liam McDonald also won a title with Souths-Logan in 2008 with Donald Malone in the defeated Ipswich side that day. Shane Neumann scored a hat-trick for Sunshine Coast in their 2009 title win. Tom Butterfield and Troy Giess also played for Redcliffe in their 2012 loss to Wynnum-Manly.
• Shane Neumann's hat-trick for Sunshine Coast in 2008 is one of only three in cup grand finals. Matt Geyer (Norths, 1998) and Aaron Barba (Redcliffe, 2003) scored the other two.
• 8 of Easts' 27 games this year have been decided by 6 points or less - they lost 4, won 3 and drew 1.
• Easts have used 36 players in the top grade this year - None have played all 27 games, though McInally, Thorpe and Butterfield played 26.
• Six Easts players have played more than 100 Queensland / Intrust Super Cup games - Donald Malone (161st game - has the most (for Ipswich, Wests, Toowoomba, Norths and Easts). The other five are Tom Butterfield (130), Liam McDonald (126), Shane Neumann (122), and Steven Thorpe and Jacob Ling (105 each). Malone is the comp's 4th highest ever try scorer with 108.
• This is Easts' 28th game of the year, the most ever in a Cup season.

MATCH OFFICIALS:

• Clayton Sharpe, in his 178th Cup game, is only the second referee to referee more than two Cup grand finals - he also refereed the 2009, 2012 and 2013 deciders. Only Tony Maksoud (5) has refereed more Queensland / Intrust Super Cup grand finals.
• Steve Kanowski will run his 5th Cup grand final line, the most by any touch judge.

Source: www.qrl.com.au.