Coast sport’s biggest scandals of 2018

They were the stories that got us talking – and most were well away from Gold Coast sporting fields.

THEY were the stories that got us talking – and most were well away from Gold Coast sporting fields.

This one really got the people talking: Whose best-ever team is better – Palm Beach Currumbin or Keebra Park?

Both rugby league nurseries have produced a stack of NRL talent from Benji Marshall to Ryan James … and we’re still not sure whose dream team takes the cake.

Benji Marshall, 18, back at school after his debut for Wests Tigers. Pic: Adam Ward

Will he or won’t he come? The Tyrone Peachey saga sent shivers down the spines of Gold Coast Titans fans who still have nightmares of Daly Cherry-Evans’ backflip when it became apparent that he too could renege on a deal to join the club. However, after some stern words by CEO Graham Annesley threatening to force Peachey to sit on the sidelines if he did not honour his deal, the NSW Origin utility arrived after all.

The Commonwealth Games, it’s underwhelming opening and closing ceremonies and traffic warning messages that likely resulted in the city becoming a ghost town for a fortnight. Not everything went smoothly but the Games did bring profile, amazing moments and a stack of infrastructure to the Coast that should have a lasting benefit.

The mysterious sacking of Dolphins cricket coach Jerry Cassell. Having parted ways with Palm Beach Currumbin the previous season, the former Queensland batsman had drawn praise from players as the side made on-field progress before his sudden axing.

Both parties gave little away, with these words from club president Jeff Pfaff sparking intrigue: “There is a story to tell. You will get one side of it but there will be a truth so you will have to come to me for that.”

Jerry Cassell. Picture by Scott Fletcher

Burleigh continued their dominance of the South East Queensland division one women’s rugby league competition with a fourth straight title but not even that success – not to mention her credentials as a legendary Jillaroos player – could land coach Tahnee Norris an NRLW coaching gig.

Burleigh women's rugby league side team members pictured during training. Coach Tahnee Norris . Picture Mike Batterham

The drama surrounding the state of Football Gold Coast fields came to a head in July when Surfers Paradise’s Lex Bell Oval was described as like being “in Syria”.

Pitches at many other clubs also came under fire, leading Football Gold Coast to call on Gold Coast City Council to lift their act.

Council has obliged, stepping up restorative efforts in the off-season.

Optimism appears to have faded for the city’s AFL team.

The Suns’ 2018 co-captains Tom Lynch and Steven May headed to Victoria with little apparent hesitation. The Suns won only four games this year and there are fears they may not match that.

The club have fended off calls to relocate to Tasmania but they must find a light at the end of the tunnel.

Another Gold Coast District Rugby Union season, another year of lopsided scorelines (not to mention some forfeits).

A pair of 100-point defeats for Bond Pirates against Griffith University Colleges particularly sparked the debate of what needs to happen to foster a level playing field? The competition did at least keep a couple of upsets up its sleeve in the finals.

An enduring Supercars rivalry appears to have been established between Gold Coast resident Shane van Gisbergen and former St Stephen’s College student Scott McLaughlin.

Driving for Holden and Ford, respectively, the pair battled hard on track and fired some barbs at one another off it as well.

Given they are both in their 20s expect plenty more fireworks.

Shane Van Gisbergen.

Tweed Heads’ decision to exit the Rugby League Gold Coast A-grade competition in 2019 took many by surprise.

The move was fuelled by an ambition to become a true representative club for the region, rather than a competitor.

It immediately opened the door for A-grade aspirants Mudgeeraba and Helensvale to promote, though the Redbacks were ultimately rejected after the Hornets had already switched focus to 2020.

Murwillumbah’s exit from the 2019 Premier League opened up a vacancy for Tweed United to land the eighth and final licence.

However it wasn’t smooth sailing, with the Marlins having to hold off challenges from Southport and Musgrave to claim their spot in the top tier of Gold Coast football.

Southport believed finishing runner-up was justification to take Murwillumbah’s spot, while Musgrave also argued their case.

Northern Rivers will be able to lay claim to being one of the strongest country rugby league competitions next year when Todd Carney and Jamie Lyon join Byron Bay and Ballina, respectively.

Others are sure to pop up, not to mention several Tweed Heads players who may line up in the NRRRL now that the Seagulls are no longer fielding an A-grade side.

Todd Carney.

Fans at the Gold Coast 600 were treated to a NASCAR demonstration run as talk of bringing a drawcard international category to the event was revived.

Then it emerged that Annastacia Palaszczuk was dead serious about luring IndyCar back to Surfers Paradise as soon as early 2020.

A meeting with IndyCar boss Mark Miles ensued and there have been indications from both sides that a return is a realistic prospect.

The return of international rugby to Cbus Super Stadium was modest – but how good is having elite cricket on the Gold Coast?

Weather prevented a bigger crowd and better spectacle for Metricon Stadium’s debut as South Africa bested Australia in a rain-shortened Twenty20 but the foundations were laid for a trio of Big Bash League games.

Which QBL team is the best in the state? Gold Coast Rollers coach Mick Conlon boldly declared that his was, which sparked outrage from the Townsville coach and got people talking all over Queensland.

Even after losing the first round of the finals to Townsville, Conlon didn’t back down and was confident he still had one of the best teams in the QBL.

Mick Conlon. Photo by Richard Gosling

The AFL is set to shake things up at junior level in 2020.

AFL Queensland is conducting a major review of its competitions across the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sunshine Coast.

Modified and shorter formats of football including AFLX, as well as combining the three separate zones in a bid to increase competition and reduce massive margins between teams, have been mooted as part of the potential changes.

Titans players, staff and fans are buzzing as the club’s best opportunity yet to succeed awaits in 2019.

After a second straight shocking season, the club have built well in the off-season by adding recruits such as Shannon Boyd, Tyrone Peachey, Brian Kelly and Tyrone Roberts.

They have also signed Mal Meninga onto their staff, appointed a new chief executive in Steve Mitchell, launched an extensive development program and flagged plans for a leagues club.

The pieces are now, at last, all falling into place – now can we see some wins?

The biggest upheaval in Queensland racing in recent memory impacted the Gold Coast.

The Government introduced its Point of Consumption wagering tax in October in a move that will generate about $70 million in its first year. But none of the cash was going to be given to thoroughbred racing prizemoney, sparking a strike on Cox Plate day and the threat of another for the Melbourne Cup. But a united industry group secured a historic win for racing and forced the Government to invest back into the industry.

“Extremely confident” in their A-League bid, Gold Coast United were left shocked in June when they failed to make the 10-team shortlist for expansion.

United chairman Danny Maher said the governing body had told him simple geography had cruelled their push, with FFA not interested in basing a team in the region in this expansion phase.

Sports Gold Coast chairman Geoff Smith and Gold Coast United chairman Danny Maher.

While his ranking is now 83, Bernard Tomic showed he can still match it with the world’s best with victory at the Chengdu Open in China in September.

Bernard Tomic.

But before securing his fourth career title, 26-year-old Tomic bowed out of Aussie Open qualifying in January, declaring: “I just count money, that’s all I do. I count my millions.”

A title-winning NPL coach with Brisbane Strikers in 2017, Sean Lane was given his marching orders from Gold Coast United with just two games left in the season.

While he would see out the season, Lane’s fate was sealed after failing to see eye-to-eye with United technical director Craig Midgley.

Lane landed on his feet however, securing a spot as Grae Piddick’s assistant for the Gold Coast Knights’ maiden NPL campaign in 2019.