2015 Northern Pride RLFC season
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2015 was the eighth competitive season for the Cairns based Sea Swift Northern Pride Rugby League Football Club. They were one of 14 clubs that played in the twentieth season of Queensland's top rugby league competition, QRL's Intrust Super Cup, with each team playing 11 home games and 12 away games over 25 weeks between March and August.
Club information | |||
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Full name | Northern Pride Rugby League Football Club | ||
Nickname(s) | The Pride | ||
Colours | Black, teal and gold | ||
Founded | 2007 | ||
Website | northernpride.com.au | ||
Current details | |||
Ground(s) |
| ||
CEO | Rod Jensen (2015-2016) | ||
Coach | Joe O'Callaghan (2015-2016) | ||
Captain | Brett Anderson & Jason Roos | ||
Competition | Intrust Cup | ||
2015 | 6th | ||
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Records | |||
Premierships | 2 (2010/2014) | ||
Runners-up | 1 (2009) | ||
Minor premierships | 1 (2013/2014) |
This season the competition expanded to 14 teams with the inclusion of the Townsville Blackhawks.[1] The Blackhawks became the third feeder club to the North Queensland Cowboys, sharing the Cowboy's player allocation with the Pride and Mackay Cutters.
The Pride appointed a new coach after Jason Demetriou moved to the Cowboys. Demetriou had signed a two-year extension with the Pride, making him one of the highest paid coaches in the Intrust Cup, but he decided to take the role in Townsville working with David Furner and John Cartwright as assistant coaches under Paul Green. Pride assistant coach Joe O'Callaghan was promoted to head coach.[2] O'Callaghan had been coach to numerous Academy sides, including the U-20s Central Comets (2007-2008), U-20s Tweed Heads Seagulls (2009), and U-20s Easts Tigers (2012), and had been the Pride's assistant coach for two seasons.[3]
Former Pride player Rod Jensen was appointed Chief Executive, replacing Brock Schaefer who left to take up a senior administrative role at NRL premiers South Sydney.[4] 'Rocket' Rod had previously played wing and centre for the Adelaide Rams, Canberra Raiders and North Queensland Cowboys in the NRL Telstra Premiership, and for the Huddersfield Giants in the English Super League. He joined the Pride in their second season in 2009, and although he retired at the end of the year, he changed his mind and rejoined the club again halfway through the 2010 season, scoring a try in the 2010 Grand Final. Jensen played for the Pride for two more season, before moving to the CDRL Mareeba Gladiators.[5]
The Pride defended their 2014 premiership under new coach Joe O'Callaghan. The team suffered substantial player losses as a result of their successful 2014 season with four players contracted to the NRL Telstra Premiership, two of the North Queensland Cowboys allocated players moving to the Townsville Blackhawks, and Joel Riethmuller retiring.
The club arranged some high-profile trial matches, beating newcomers Townsville Blackhawks, before travelling to Sydney to meet the 2014 NRL Telstra Premiers, South Sydney in the Return to Redfern annual match.[6] Although the Rabbitohs rested some of their star players, the Pride held them to a 20-all draw. The following week the Rabbitohs travelled to England for the World Club Challenge where they beat Super League premiers St Helens R.F.C. 39-0. The Pride returned home to play against QCup heavyweights PNG Hunters. This trail was arranged at the last minute and was something of a consolation for the Pride, who were not scheduled to play the Hunters at home this season. Last year's home game against the Hunters attracted a record crowd, earning the club around $50,000 in gate receipts and sponsorship.[7]
In the regular season the Pride got off to a poor start, losing the first four rounds. Round 1 was a grand final rematch against Easts Tigers, with the Tigers coming out victorious this time. Round 2 was cancelled due to Cyclone Nathan. Round 3 was against newcomers, the Blackhawks, who the Pride had beaten in a pre-season trial. The Blackhawks came to Cairns with three Cowboys players who had played for the Pride last year, and Dan Beasley, who had signed to play for the Pride, then reneged and showed up as the Blackhawks captain. The Blackhawks won 52-10, the Pride's biggest ever home loss and third biggest defeat of all time.
The Pride went on to win 14 games, climbing into the top eight by Round 9. They finished in sixth place, but were eliminated in the first week of the finals, losing 26–54 to the Ipswich Jets, who would go on to win the Grand Final against the new Townsville side.