PREVIEW: 2016 QRL Intrust Super Cup Grand Final

QRL Media's statistical preview of the 2016 Intrust Super Cup Grand Final, this Sunday between Burleigh and Redcliffe at Suncorp Stadium.

Intrust Super Cup grand final preview - in statistics

Burleigh Bears v Redcliffe Dolphins Sun September 25 2016, 3:55pm at Suncorp Stadium

(Live on Channel 9 - coverage from 3.30pm)
Live Stream: QRL Live Stream 
Twitter: #intrustsupercup #superseptember #PHINSvBEARS

Two clubs who have enjoyed long periods of success in this competition return to the grand final arena on Sunday for the 2016 Intrust Super Cup decider.

Head-to-Head Cup: Redcliffe 24 Burleigh 20 Drawn 1
Head-to-Head Cup Finals: Burleigh 5 Redcliffe 2       
Head-to-Head Cup Grand Finals: Burleigh 1 Redcliffe                                                           

Cup Finals Experience: Bears: (played 20, won 11, lost 9); Dolphins: (played 44, won 28, lost 16)
Cup GF Experience: Bears: (played 4 won 2 lost 2; Dolphins: played 10, won 5, lost 5)

Head-to-Head 2016
Major Semi Final on September 11: Bears 40 def Dolphins 24 (Dolphin Oval)
Round 12, May 29: Dolphins 32 def Bears 14 (Dolphin Oval)                                                       

Players Used 2016: Bears 31, Dolphins 30      
NRL Experience: (total games played): Bears 80, Dolphins 24
Intrust Super Cup Experience: (total games played named squad): Bears 603 Dolphins 757
Average Age: Bears 23, Dolphins 24

COACH STATS (G/W/D/L)
Bears: Jimmy Lenihan G 143 / W 74 / D 5 / L 64 (53.5%)                               
Dolphins: Adam Mogg G 47 / W 21 / D 0 / L 26 (44.7%) - (includes Sunshine Coast 2011)      

GRAND FINAL POINTS OF INTEREST

BURLEIGH BEARS

* This is the Bears fifth grand final - they won in 1999 (defeating Redcliffe 12-10) and 2004 (defeating Easts 22-18 in extra time), and lost in 2003 (beaten by Redcliffe 31-18) and 2005 (defeated by the NQ Young Guns 36-6).

* This is Burleigh's 21st Cup finals match, surpassing Ipswich to move to equal fourth place with Norths on 21, behind Redcliffe (45), Easts (32) and Wynnum (24). This is the 135th Cup finals match.

* The Bears finished the regular season averaging 29.6 points per game in attack, third in the competition. They had the sixth-best defensive record in the competition, conceding 21.6 points per game.

* Only five teams have gone into a Cup decider with a worse defensive record - only two of those won the grand final (Redcliffe 2003 [22.2], Sunshine Coast 2009 [22.9]).

* No Bears players have previously played in a Cup decider. The longest serving players in the grand final team are Louis Fanene and Waka Wanahi who both made their Cup debuts in 2011.

* Seven of Burleigh's 24 games have been decided by six points or less - they won four, drew one and lost two. Their average winning margin this year has been 14 points.

* Burleigh have used 31 players this year with six playing all 24 games (Josh Ailaomai, Jamal Fogarty, Pat Politoni, Kurtis Rowe, Hayden Schwass and Paterika Vaivai). No other club has had more than four players play every game.

* The only Burleigh player to have played more than 100 Cup games is Louis Fanene with 118.

* This is the first time the Bears have made the finals since Rick Stone took them to eight final series in nine years as coach from 1997 to 2005.

REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS

* This is the Dolphins 11th grand final - they won in 1997 (defeating Easts 18-16), 2000 (beating Toowoomba 14-6), 2002 (winning over Ipswich 34-10), 2003 (defeating Burleigh 31-18) and 2006 (beating Toowoomba 27-6). They lost in 1996 (against Toowoomba 8-6), 1999 (v Burleigh 12-10), 2001 (losing to Toowoomba 28-26), 2007 (beaten by Tweed Heads 28-18) and 2012 (losing to Wynnum Manly 20-10).

* This is Redcliffe's 45th Cup finals match. It is also their 11th Cup grand final of the 21 played, meaning they have played in more than half of them.

* Two Redcliffe players have previous grand final experience. Aaron Whitchurch played in Redcliffe's 2012 loss to Wynnum Manly, whilst Chris Gesch played for Mackay in their 2013 grand final win over Ipswich. 

* 11 of Redcliffe's 25 games this year have been decided by six points or less - they won six and lost five. Redcliffe's average winning margin this year has been 22.2 points.

* Redcliffe were first in attack (averaging 31.7 points per game) and defence (conceding 15.0 points per game).

* Redcliffe have used 30 players in the top grade this year.

* Only one Redcliffe player has played more than 100 Cup games - Chris Gesch (118 games) - though Aaron Whitchurch brings up his 100th Cup game (all for the Dolphins) in the grand final.

* This is Adam Mogg's 48th game as coach, having previously coached Sunshine Coast in 2011. He is the 16th coach to take a team to the grand final in the first season with the club - 10 of the previous 15 have won. Mogg also played four grand finals with the Dolphins, winning in 1997 and 2000 (man of the match) and losing in 1999 and 2001.

1. Kurtis Rowe 2. Waka Wanahi 3. Joshua Berkers 4. Connor Broadhurst 15. Sami Sauiluma 6. Cameron Cullen 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Luke Page 9. Pat Politoni 10. Paterika Vaivai 11. Caleb Morehu 12. Hayden Schwass 13. Lachlan Burr
Interchange: 14. Parahi Wilson 16. Josh Ailaomai 17. Louis Fanene 22. Nathaniel Peteru

1. Jack Ahearn 2. Josh Beehag 3. Dan Randall 4. Joe Bradley 5. Curtis Johnston 6. Zach Strasser 25. Christian Hazard 8. Sam Anderson 9. Shane Pumipi 10. Charlie Faingaa 11. Aaron Whitchurch 12. Daniel Bridge 13. Chris Gesch
Interchange: 15. Brandon Lee 16. Harley Aiono 20. Taylor Brown 23. Tyson Cleal

Referees: Peter Gough, Jarrod Cole;Sideline Officials: Nick Morel, Peter Anderson;Video Referees: Nick Kalpakidis, Bruce Schmidt;