Sport
6 July, 2026
Gladiators stun Brothers
THE Mareeba Gladiators have come away with an incredible two-point win over the competition-leading Cairns Brothers at the weekend, while the Atherton Roosters fought hard for a 26-22 victory over Southern Suburbs.
GLADIATORS vs BROTHERS
THE Gladiators hosted the first-placed Cairns Brothers at Davies Park on Saturday afternoon, with the home club almost clinching wins across all three of its senior grades.
The Under 19s game was a good way to start the afternoon for spectators after it ended in a 28-all draw, while the Gladiators Reserves celebrated a 50-6 thrashing over the Cairns side.
All eyes then turned to the A Grade game, with the Gladiators – who just came off a seven-game winning streak, facing off against Brothers – the four-in-a-row grand final winners and form team of the comp.
The game was nothing short of tough and physical as both teams grinded it out for a win. Brothers held a semi-comfortable 28-18 lead with around 20 minutes to play before Gladiators centre Leon Bowyer crossed over for his second try of the match, which brought the score to 28-24.
The game was then hanging in the balance, and with just five minutes to play, Mareeba winger Loui Ganaia found the in-goal area to add another four points to the board. Another successful conversion from halfback Izaak Toby gave the Gladiators a 30-28 lead.
The home team managed to hold off a couple of attacking sets from the visitors and secured the competition points with a narrow win.
Try scorers for Mareeba included centre Codey Kennedy, wingers Bronson Ryan and Loui Ganaia, and a double for centre Leon Bowyer. Izaak Toby drilled 5/5 conversions, while Brothers’ Jordan Biondi-Odo slotted 4/5.
Gladiators president Shaun Fincham was ecstatic with the A Grade side’s victory.
“It was really pleasing to see,” he said. “Brothers got out to an early lead but the boys dug deep, and to come away with the win, I think it showed a lot of resilience.
“There’s always a lot of anticipation going into a game against Brothers, they’re a quality side and a quality club. They were physical on the night but we matched them a lot of the time – it was just a really good game of footy to watch.”
This week the Gladiators have another tough ask in front of them as they get set to play the second-placed Innisfail Leprechauns at Callendar Park. The Under 19s will kick things off from 3pm, followed by Reserve Grade at 4.30pm, and A Grade at 6pm.
ROOSTERS vs SUBURBS
THE Roosters secured another win on the road after taking down the Southern Suburbs 26-22 in Gordonvale.
The first half of the match was a tight battle, with Suburbs winger Ricco Falaniko opening the scoring in just the fifth minute. However, Roosters captain-coach Justin Frain quickly fired back for his team through a try of his own.
It wasn’t until the 30 minute mark when more points were added to the board. This time it was Atherton centre Tommy Ingui crossing over, which saw his team take the lead at 12-6.
The Roosters looked likely to head into the break with a lead but a try from opposition winger Glen Kiss-Anu with less than a minute to play saw the home side bring it back to just two points the difference (12-10).
The visitors were quick off the mark in the second half, with Ingui crossing the line three minutes into play to claim a double.
Both sides entered the grind of the battle once again and it was Suburbs who broke through first, with halfback Tyreece Crathern claiming a four-pointer in the 53rd minute.
Suburbs seemed to have gained control of the game and soon extended their lead, with second rower and former Rooster Graham Clark crashing over. A third successful conversion from five-eighth James Frazer brought the score to 22-16.
The Roosters weren’t backing down yet however, with young winger Jamaron Mothe scoring with eight minutes to play. A missed conversion from fullback Regan Herd saw the score stay at 22-20.
However, just a minute later, Herd found himself over the try line to score what proved to be the match-winner. Atherton went on to secure the win at 26-22.
The Roosters Women weren’t as fortunate, losing 20-10, nor were the Reserves, who lost 38-18. However, the Under 19s celebrated a 38-18 win over their opponents.
This Saturday, the Roosters will travel to Smithfield to take on the Ivanhoe Knights. The Women will get things underway from 10.30am, followed by the Under 19s at 12pm, Reserve Grade at 1.30pm, and A Grade at 3pm.
