Eastern Suburbs Tigers

The Eastern Suburbs Tigers, East Brisbane Tigers, or Easts Tigers, while club supporters typically call it Easts, are a rugby league club based at Langlands Park, which is in the suburb of Coorparoo in Brisbane, Australia. They competed in the Brisbane Rugby League from 1934 to 1996. Since 1996, they have competed in the Queensland Cup. Their jersey is traditionally an all gold jersey with two black 'V's. In recent years they have included white in their jersey. In 2019 the club introduced the original single black 'V' to its jersey and branding.

Easts Tigers
Club information
Full nameEasts Tigers Rugby League Football Club Inc.
Nickname(s)The Tigers, Easts
Colours     Orange
     Black
FoundedCoorparoo (1917), Eastern Suburbs Districts (1933)
Websitethetigers.com.au
Current details
Ground(s)
CEOBrian Torpy
CoachCraig Hodges
CaptainBrett Greinke
CompetitionQueensland Cup
2019 season8th
Records
Premierships8 (1923, 1947, 1950, 1972, 1977, 1978, 1983, 1991)
Runners-up17 (1922, 1925, 1926, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1968, 1971, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2004, 2013, 2014, 2018)
Most capped226 - Des Morris
Highest points scorer871 - Shane McNally

History
Eastern Suburbs logo

Easts had competed as Coorparoo in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership from 1917. A highlight of the 1920s was the signing of South Sydney star, Harold Horder as their captain-coach in 1924 and 1925. With the move to district football in 1933 a new club, the Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League club, was formed.

The club struggled on the field during the 1930s and 1940s and was in severe financial trouble. Between 1937 and 1945 the Easts Tigers won just nine of ninety matches, and suffered three winless seasons in 1940, 1944 and 1945.[1] However, in 1946, the club was successfully revived after suffering many defeats during the war years with the re-election of A.G. (Taffy) Welch as club president and the implementation of a completely new management committee. In 1946 no less than twelve teams were registered with the Brisbane Rugby League. Of these teams, ten were semi finalists and seven made the grand finals. The main object was to present to the public a really strong first grade team. The next year, 1947, saw what would probably be the greatest side fielded by the club. Every trophy competed for in the BRL competition and Premiership were won and had no fewer than eleven players selected for Brisbane’s Bulimba Cup team.

The Easts Tigers won their next premiership in 1950, and in 1951 the Easts Tigers contested the Grand Final being beaten by Southern Suburbs, This meant that, since the revival of the club in 1946, they had played six grand finals in succession. They reached the semis in 1952 and the grand final in 1953 where they were again beaten by Souths. In 1954, they failed to make the top four so, for the first time in eight years they failed to compete in the semi-finals. The club was to win the Peter Scott Memorial Trophy in the 1960 season but did not have success again until they won the pre-season competition in 1969.

The 15-year premiership drought forced club officials to search for a top coach and in 1965 former international, Clive Churchill was engaged to try to mould the team into a premiership 13.[2] The effect was the club’s appearance in the 1968 Grand Final against Past Brothers. Although they lost the Grand Final it sparked a resurgence in the Easts Tigers' performance for years to come and the Easts Tigers won the Woolworths pre-season competition in 1969.

The coach, Ted Verrenkamp, and his successor, captain-coach Des Morris, brought great success to the club providing the Easts Tigers with numerous finals appearances and Grand Final victories throughout the 1970s. This was through the help of arguably the best Queensland Five-eighth before King Wally, Wayne Lindenberg and the local junior talent highlighted by John Lang..

In the Queensland Wizard Cup era, the Easts Tigers have made the Grand Final five times although having lost all matches, the first to the Redcliffe Dolphins in 1997 then losing to the Burleigh Bears in a memorable extra-time final in 2004. They were defeated again in 2013 by Mackay and the next year by the Northern Pride. 2018 saw the disappointment continue as they lost to the Redcliffe Dolphins.

The Club is currently led by President, Keith Philips and Chief Executive Officer, Brian Torpy. In 2008, the year of the centenary of rugby league in Australia, the Club celebrated its seventy-fifth anniversary.

On 20 January 2011, through BASES Productions, a family run entertainment group. The Easts Tigers began transmission of a fan-service to help boost the profile of the club and its players called TigerTV, in 2012 TigerTV began live broadcasting of entire matches via the internet; TigerTV has been regularly hosting live stream events of the Easts Tigers with Commentators Mike Higgison, Warren Boland, Gavin Payne, and David Wright. On 6 November 2016, TigerTV transitioned to a 24/7 Streaming Channel with Live and Recorded programming streaming continuously, along with replays and highlights of previous years. On May 1, 2018, play by play commentator Mike Higgison died. TigerTV has paid tribute to Higgison for his contributions in the club, and in Rugby League history. His relief and subsequent replacement is David Wright taking place as play by play commentator.

In 2018, the Easts Tigers rallied towards the end of the season, eventually winning each of the semi-finals, but when confronting old time rival, Redcliffe Dolphins in the Grand Final, the Easts Tigers ultimately came runners-up.

2019 has seen a change in the team line up, with a lot of the juniors and colts moving up to take the club forward, with a dominant first 5 rounds of the QRL competition, they have proven still a strong side, with finals hopes still alive by round 19.

Head Coach Scott Sipple was announced by the club to not returning for Season 2020.[3]

NRL affiliation

The Easts Tigers were the last team in the Queensland Cup to follow the trend of becoming affiliated with a team from the National Rugby League. After relationships with Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and the Penrith Panthers, at the end of the 2006 NRL season the New South Wales club South Sydney Rabbitohs announced an alliance with the Easts Tigers as a feeder club for the National Rugby League (NRL) side.

At the end of the 2007 season it was announced that the Rabbitohs and the Easts Tigers would no longer be affiliated due to various conflicting issues, the Easts Tigers instead looked closer to home and struck an affiliate deal with the Brisbane Broncos.

At the end of the 2010 NRL season the Victorian club Melbourne Storm announced an alliance with the Easts Tigers as a feeder club for their NRL side. The partnership with the Easts Tigers allowed the Melbourne Storm to tap into the Easts Tigers' recruitment and development systems in Queensland, as well as providing a club for young Queenslanders recruited by the Melbourne Storm to play at and develop without having to relocate to Melbourne.[4][5]

NRL bid

In March 2020, the Tigers entered the bidding race to win a potential license to join the NRL.[6] In early June, the club filed a trademark for the name "Brisbane Firehawks", which would avoid a naming clash with existing NRL side Wests Tigers.[7]

Players

2020 squad
2020 Easts Tigers squad
First team squad Coaching staff
  • Kurt Baptiste - HK
  • Logan Bayliss-Brow - PR
  • Jayden Berrell - HB
  • Aaron Booth - HK
  • Sam Collins - CE
  • Zac Croft - WG
  • Bill Cullen - SR
  • Curtis Dansey-Smaller - WG
  • Caleb Daunt - HB
  • Sam Elliott - SR
  • Solomona Faataape - CE
  • Justin Fai - PR
  • Sam Foster - HB
  • Brett Greinke (c) - PR
  • Jaiyden Hunt - PR
  • Bennett Leslie - LK
  • Dray Ngatuere-Wroe - HB
  • Jack Peoples - SR
  • Linc Port - WG
  • Michael Purcell - FB
  • William Samuel - PR
  • Jack Svendsen - LK
  • Zak Taibi - CE
  • Jarred Tuite - LK
  • James Waterson - WG
  • Heath Wilson - PR

Head coach


Legend:
  • (c) Captain(s)
  • (vc) Vice captain(s)

2020 Melbourne Storm allocated players

Notable players

In 2008, the Easts Tigers named their 75 Year "Dream Team", which included players from 1933 to 2007.[8] The team consists of 13 players who have played more than 50 games for the club, chosen by a panel of experts.[9]

No. Position Player
1 FB Noel Morgan
2 WG Jeff Denman
3 CE Bob Hagan
4 CE John Eales
5 WG John Schatz
6 FE Col McCartney
7 HB Wayne Lindenberg
No. Position Player
8 PR Jack Ryrie
9 HK John Lang
10 PR Rod Morris
11 SR Des Morris
12 SR Darren Smith
13 LK Joe Baker

Internationals

Notable juniors

Results

Queensland Cup

Since the inception of the Queensland Cup in 1996 the Easts Tigers have been fairly successful. Reaching the Grand Final on five occasions, they consistently place in the top half of the table usually making the finals. In 24 years they have made the finals 16 times.

Easts celebrate in the 2006 season after reaching the Semi-Finals for the seventh time in ten years, a feat no other club in the competition has achieved.
  • 1996 - 4th
  • 1997 - Runners Up - 2nd
  • 1998 - 9th
  • 1999 - 5th
  • 2000 - 3rd
  • 2001 - 4th
  • 2002 - 4th
  • 2003 - 9th
  • 2004 - Runners Up - 2nd
  • 2005 - 8th
  • 2006 - 3rd
  • 2007 - 5th
  • 2008 - 7th
  • 2009 - 9th
  • 2010 - 11th
  • 2011 - 8th
  • 2012 - 6th
  • 2013 - Runners Up - 2nd
  • 2014 - Runners Up - 2nd
  • 2015 - 4th
  • 2016 - 6th
  • 2017 - 4th
  • 2018 - Runners Up - 2nd
  • 2019 - 8th

Brisbane A Grade / FOGS Cup Results

The FOGS Cup is an 6-team competition local Brisbane A Grade competition. It was previously known as the FOGS Cup and was a level below the QRL's Intrust Super Cup. The Easts Tigers have had a team in the Cup since its inception in 2001 and have been the most successful club to date, winning the premiership 8 from 19 seasons.

  • 2001 - Premiers
  • 2002 - Premiers
  • 2003 - Runners-up - 2nd
  • 2004 - Premiers
  • 2005 - Premiers
  • 2006 - 4th
  • 2008 - Premiers
  • 2009 -
  • 2010 -
  • 2011 -
  • 2012 - Premiers
  • 2013 - Premiers
  • 2014 - Premiers
  • 2015 - 3rd
  • 2016 - 6th
  • 2017 - 5th
  • 2018 - 4th
  • 2019 - 4th
  • 2020 - Withdrew from the competition

Honours

Queensland Cup
  • Premierships: None
  • Runners Up: 5
1997, 2004, 2013, 2014, 2018
  • Minor Premiership: None

Records

Most Games for Club

  • 196, Scott Sipple
  • 183, Shane Neumann
  • 163, Wade Liddell
  • 156, Isaac Kaufmann
  • 152, Matthew Zgrajewski

Most Points for Club

Most Tries for Club

See also

Footnotes
  1. Haddan, Steve; Our Game: The Celebration of Brisbane Rugby League 1909-1987, p. 125 ISBN 9780995351202
  2. Pollard, Jack (1965). Gregory's Guide to Rugby League. Australia: Grenville Publishing. p144.
  3. https://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/southeast/departing-easts-tigers-coach-says-club-was-unprofessional-in-handling-coaching-situation/news-story/58c51ab685ab3bd96354d621da7433c9
  4. Young Tigers' big break | CQ News
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 16 March 2011. Retrieved 2012-01-31.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. https://www.zerotackle.com/new-club-makes-bid-for-nrls-new-expansion-team-53024/ New club makes bid for NRL's new expansion team
  7. https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/a-little-nhl-but-also-very-rugby-league-will-this-be-the-name-of-brisbanes-second-nrl-team/news-story/8754ebab882a140f3913bfcdc3f78935 NRL expansion 2nd Brisbane team: Possible name lodged for 17th NRL team
  8. Easts Tigers 75 Year Dream Team Archived 25 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  9. Selection Archived 10 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  10. Pollard, Jack (1965). Gregory's Guide to Rugby League. Australia: Grenville Publishing. p144.

On-line references
  1. Eastern Suburbs Tigers History retrieved 7 December 2005
  2. Eastern Suburbs Tigers Statistics retrieved 7 December 2005
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