Sport
18 August, 2025
Finals footy comes to Tablelands
A MASSIVE round of semi finals footy is coming to Atherton this weekend, with the Roosters A Grade squad gearing up to face the first-place-finishing Cairns Brothers and the Under 19s also facing the same dominant Cairns club, with both games putting the winner through to the Grand Final.
The Roosters Reserve Grade and Mareeba Gladiators Under 19s will also feature in the major semi final following wins in Tully at the weekend.
For the first time in the Cairns District Rugby League’s history, the first three rounds of the finals will be dispersed between different clubs throughout the competition, with two of those being country clubs.
The first round of the semi finals was held over the weekend in Tully, this weekend’s major semi final will be held in Atherton, and the preliminary final will be hosted by Cairns Brothers, with the Grand Final remaining to be held at Barlow Park.
Far North Queensland Rugby League (FNQRL) chairman Chey Bird said the move would support the smaller clubs within the league and bring high quality football to their fans.
“For 30 odd years, the regional clubs have always had to travel week to week and then also for finals,” he said.
“So, it is an opportunity for us to give back to the clubs, provide the people of those towns with easy access to finals footy, and it’s a way for clubs to also make some money too, which is really valuable for them.”
Mr Bird said the Atherton club was chosen to host one of the rounds because they had a “really strong” expression of interest. He also praised the club’s transformation over recent years.
“With the changing of the guard over recent years, they’ve got a really strong committee in place and some wonderful sponsors,” he said.
“Joel Riethmuller has done a wonderful job with the A Grade squad on the paddock, and that’s translated through their Reserve Grade and Under 19s also.
“They’ve all had a really strong year, the club is really strong. What’s most pleasing is that the bulk of their playing group are homegrown as well.
“There’s obviously a little bit of sprinkling across the top, which every club needs, but to see as many homegrown players wearing their hometown jersey is super pleasing and I think everyone involved with the club should be really proud of their efforts over recent times.
“They’ve capped off with the Women’s Grand Final victory, and time will tell whether that will transfer across to the males.”
Atherton Roosters club president Paul Pensini said he was pleased with securing the major semi final round and he thinks it’s a great initiative from the league.
“We’re a regional club and we don’t have a leagues club as such. So, game days are hugely important for us to create some revenue through our bar sales or our food outlet,” he said.
“Not only that, it also gives our supporters another game of footy to go and watch, where they don’t have to travel, and all our sponsors of course.
“The Roosters side is probably the most prominent sporting identity in Atherton, so to get an event like this is huge for us.”
Mr Pensini was proud to have all three senior grades through to the finals, but he said they still have a job to do.
“I think it’s been quite some time since that’s happened,” he said.
“Just a few years ago we were in a position where we were almost out of the comp. So, to get from that point to this point where we’ve got three sides in the semi finals and our ladies team that’s just won the comp, that’s taken an enormous amount of effort, and that’s across the board with our committee, volunteers, sponsors, coaches, and players. It’s been a collective effort.
“But at the end of the day our goal is to win, we still haven’t finished the job we set out to do. Whilst we deem our year a success right now, nobody will be happy if we bow out of it in the semis.”
He also encouraged the community to come along and get behind the Roosters.
“Whether it’s supporters or sponsors, they’re included in our club, and we see them as part of our team,” he said.
“We need every single one of them at the game on Saturday and that extends out to people that don’t usually go to the footy that may know some guys that are out there playing.
“Get there and support them and support the Roosters.”
Roosters to face tough Brothers outfit
By KONNOR FURBER
The Atherton Roosters are hunting for a premiership this year, but standing in their way is the mighty Cairns Brothers, a team who have lost just one game this season, which was against the Roosters (42-32), and are on track to win their fourth consecutive premiership.
The Atherton club has secured the venue for the major semi final round, with the dominant team from the city having to come and play on land affectionately known by the locals as “God’s country”.
As a possible glimpse into this year’s Grand Final, this match is set to be one for the ages and Roosters coach Joel Riethmuller is looking forward to it.
“It’s going to be massive. It is a massive advantage to play a semi final at home in front of your home crowd,” he said.
“We’ve just got to turn up on the night and we’ve got to take advantage and get it done. That is the focus and that is the expectation.”
Riethmuller was happy with where his team finished and the club’s success as a whole this season.
“I think you’re whole season is about finishing first or second, so you get two chops (at the Grand Final), but we’re definitely happy with where we finished,” he said.
“I’m pleased with the whole club to be honest. To be sitting where we’re sitting, everyone in the finals and the 19s finishing where they did.
“At the start we had a focus that it was about the whole club, and we were all in it together, so that’s probably the most pleasing part.
“As a team, we’ve probably just got back to full strength now. So, we’ve been winning when we had lads out and everyone’s contributed, whether they’re 19s or Reggie’s (Reserve Grade).”
The Roosters are missing two players ahead of the big game, with five-eighth and captain Ned Blackman yet to return and prop James Coyle missing a week due to suspension.
However, ex-Cowboys player Jake Granville recently came into the side, bringing with him years of NRL experience. They also have winger Regan Herd, who is the competition’s leading try scorer and points scorer.
Speaking to Herd’s success this year, Riethmuller said he was impressed with his wingers performance.
“He’s had a massive year as a player, and as our kicker,” he said.
“He’s probably playing out of position on the wing, where he’s used to playing in the halves or fullback. I spoke to him at the start of the year about playing on the wing and he was open to that.
“It’s a credit to him just to take it in his stride then turn around and have that sort of result. He’s done really well and he’s playing some good footy.”
He also encouraged all Roosters supporters to turn up and make some noise.
“Get behind us, and the whole club. We get awesome support up there, from our sponsors and our supporters. We love it and we’re looking forward to it, put it that way,” he said.
Young guns future of club
THE Atherton Roosters can be confident the club is in good hands after their Under 19s squad finished their season as the minor premiers, just barely edging out their dominant Cairns Brothers rivals.
The Roosters young guns have just wrapped up an impressive season and will now face up against the in-form Cairns Brothers to vie it out for a spot in the Grand Final.
“I think us finishing up the top with Brothers is a reflection of how hard both teams have worked this year,” Roosters Under 19s coach Andrew Venables said.
“I think I’ve been most pleased with how they keep turning up. It’s a really difficult age but they just keep turning up, they’re putting the hard work in, and they all stick together.
“What I’ve noticed about Atherton is that everyone just sticks together, it’s lovely.
“Brothers are the form side of the comp. Even though we finished on top, I still think Brothers are the team to beat. They’ve got so much firepower, there’s a lot of (Northern) Pride players in there.
“I think we just need to approach it the same as every other game and complete really well.”
Although Atherton will have the home ground advantage, Venables argued there was no real advantage coming up against a team of the Brothers calibre.
“Brothers have beaten us at home, so they’ve got the wood on us,” he said.
“They know what it takes to beat us, and I think they beat us pretty convincingly last time we played, so I don’t really see it is an advantage for us. They’re quite comfortable wherever they play.”
He said there would be a couple of players missing due to work commitments, but he was excited for the match.
“I’m just looking forward to the game, it’ll be a really good game of footy. They’re a great club and they’re a really well-coached side. So, we’ll just give it our best and see where we finish,” Venables said.
“Our Under 19s are the future of our club, so it’s a pretty good indication of what we’ve got coming through.
“The boys have worked really really hard, so it’d be lovely if everyone came to support them, no matter what happens on Saturday. But this is definitely the future of our club.”
Tablelands teams survive minor semi-final round
AFTER finding wins in the minor semi final round in Tully at the weekend, the Atherton Roosters Reserve Grade and Mareeba Gladiators Under 19s are through to the next stage of the finals.
They will now join the Roosters A Grade and Under 19s in the major semi final round this weekend at Mungalli Creek Dairy Stadium, Atherton.
ATHERTON
The Roosters Reserve Grade found a good win against the Tully Tigers, defeating them 34-16, quite a turnaround of the previous round’s results when the Tully side overcame them 28-24.
The Roosters were simply too strong this time around, outscoring the home side seven tries to three.
Tries came from second rower Tommy Ingui, prop Joesiah Briggs, five-eighth Ty Grogan, wingers Jarmaine Turpin and Tom Cuda, and a double from centre Cale Melville-Simmons.
They will face up against the Southern Suburbs in the next stage of the semi finals this weekend.
MAREEBA
The Gladiators Under 19s found a close win in an exciting back-and-forth match between the Innisfail Leprechauns, scoring late in the second half to seal the win at 30-24.
The Gladiators were down 14-12 at the break but fought their way home to victory in the final minutes of the game.
Tries for the Mareeba side came from props Jahmarl Grogan and Jason Hastie, interchange player Tearawa Hobbler, winger Daniel Morris, and a double for other winger Nelson Madua.
They will now face up against Cairns Kangaroos this Saturday in the major semi final match in Atherton.
See game times below.
FNQ Rugby League Major Semi Final Round
Held at Mungalli Creek Dairy Stadium, Atherton
11.00am: UNDER 19s Cairns Kangaroos vs Mareeba Gladiators
12.30pm: UNDER 19s Atherton Roosters vs Cairns Brothers
2.00pm: RESERVE GRADE Atherton Roosters vs Southern Suburbs
3.30pm: RESERVE GRADE Cairns Kangaroos vs Cairns Brothers
5.20pm: A GRADE Southern Suburbs vs Ivanhoe Knights
7.00pm: A GRADE Cairns Brothers vs Atherton Roosters
107 years of league action for Atherton
THE Atherton Roosters are celebrating 107 years of footy on the Tablelands in 2025 after being established as the Atherton Football Club in the Eacham Rugby League (ERL) competition in 1918.
The early ERL competition comprised teams from Atherton, Tolga, Yungaburra, Ravenshoe, Herberton, Mt Garnet, Mareeba, Malanda and Millaa Millaa.
Just four years later, in 1922, the Atherton Football Club recorded its first ERL A Grade premiership.
The 1950s and 1960s were decades when the Atherton A Grade team suffered an amazing losing sequence, playing in eight ERL A Grade Grand Finals without success.
The 1960s were also defining years for rugby league on the Tablelands. In 1962, Mareeba divided into two clubs, Mareeba Easts and Mareeba Wests, and Atherton emerged from their years of disappointment with renewed energy and support.
The 1970s was a golden era for the Atherton Roosters, winning an A Grade premiership in 1974 with a 21-12 win over Malanda. The next year was a tough season for Atherton, but with a mixture of experience and youth, captain-coach Graham Bevan steered the team to their second consecutive premiership with a 25-14 win over Mossman.
In the 1981 season, the club built on its foundation from the previous year and defeated Kangaroos to secure a Grand Final berth for the first time since joining the CDRL. Despite a tight match and a second half fight back from the Roosters, Cairns Brothers defeated them 24-18.
Throughout the 1980s the Roosters were a force and matches at the Atherton Showgrounds were always a struggle for visiting teams. In 1988, the CDRL competition expanded from eight teams to 10 with the inclusion of Innisfail Brothers and Innisfail United.
In the 1989 A Grade Grand Final, the Atherton Roosters team played Innisfail United and despite a determined effort, United secured the trophy.
The 1990s was the second golden era for the Atherton Roosters, with three A Grade Grand Final appearances and two premierships – in 1993 and 1994.
In the 2009 Grand Final, the Roosters faced up against Cairns Brothers at Barlow Park. Atherton fought back from an early 14-0 deficit to lead 18-14 midway through the second half, but Brothers proved too strong and went on to win the match 30-18.
With three teams making the finals and a home ground advantage at this weekend’s major semi final, the Atherton Roosters are hoping that a premiership will return to the Tablelands, 107 years after the first players donned an Atherton jersey.
