Sport
26 May, 2025
Local teams crack the top four
BOTH local teams now sit within the Top 4 in the FNQRL competition after they both found wins over the weekend.
The Mareeba Gladiators travelled to Cairns to take on Cairns Kangaroos and came away with a 44-32 win, while the Atherton Roosters hosted the Ivanhoe Knights and just edged them out in a 29-22 win.
The Roosters now sit in third position on 14 points and Mareeba have claimed fourth on 11 points.
MAREEBA
The Gladiators took on Cairns Kangaroos at their home ground in Cairns on Saturday and came away with a 44-32 win in a high scoring game.
The Gladiators got off to a hot start, scoring three tries in the opening 10 minutes. Second-rower Kyle Hastie opened the scoring, and he was followed by interchange hooker Izaak Toby just moments later.
Hastie went over again a few minutes later to claim a double and he was followed by prop Ash Little. Mareeba scored another try before the Cairns team put their first on the board in the 26th minute.
Mareeba centre Trezman Banjo then went over just before halftime, bringing the score to 36-4 heading into the break.
The Gladiators scored two tries in the opening 15 minutes of the second half with one through interchange prop Ian King.
The Cairns team put up an admirable second half effort, scoring five tries to soften blow of the first half deficit, however they couldn’t do enough.
Mareeba halfback Kaleb Eaton kicked six from eight conversions in their 44-32 win.
The Gladiators’ Reserve Grade weren’t as lucky as they suffered a 44-6 loss. The Under 19 Gladiators took down their Kangaroo opponents 30-20.
This Saturday, Mareeba will host Cairns Brothers at Davies Park, Mareeba, with the Under 19s set to kick things off at 3pm, followed by Reserve Grade at 4.30pm, and A Grade at 6pm.
ATHERTON
The Atherton Roosters hosted the Ivanhoe Knights on Sunday in a tight game that was nearly won by one point, but a last-minute try from the home side helped them seal the 29-22 win.
Atherton opened the scoring after just five minutes and from there went on to score tries through winger Nathaniel Ross and centre Brad Hammond.
The home team put up a solid defensive effort in the first half with the visitors looking likely not to score a single point. However, right on the stroke of halftime, they went over for their first points of the game.
With Atherton missing all three conversions in the first half, the score was 12-6 heading into the break.
The second half was a tight battle, with the first points coming from Atherton’s Tyrone Opelu after 15 minutes of play.
The home team went over again through winger Ty Grogan just minutes later, bringing the score to 22-6 with 20 minutes to play.
The Knights then held out the Roosters and fired back with three tries of their own over the next 15 minutes, and after kicking two of the three conversions, brought the game to a head at 22 apiece.
With just over five minutes on the clock, the game was up for grabs for either team. A one-point field goal from Atherton five-eighth Ned Blackman in the 77th minute gave the home side a bit of breathing room.
But to seal the deal, Atherton’s Tyrone Opelu went over for his second of the game and brought the final score to 29-22.
The Roosters’ Reserve Grade dominated their Ivanhoe Knights rivals with a 46-0 victory, as did the Under 19s, who smashed their opponents 72-10.
This Sunday, Atherton will travel to Edmonton to take on the Edmonton Storm. The Under 19s will get things underway at 12pm, followed by Reserve Grade at 1.30pm, and A Grade at 3pm.
