Sport
23 March, 2026
Rivalry clash ends in stalemate
FIERCE rivalry and physi-cality made for an epic first round of footy at the weekend, with the big clash against the Mareeba Gladiators and Atherton Roosters ending in a 28-all draw.
It was a lively afternoon of local footy at Atherton’s Mungalli Creek Dairy Stadium on Saturday, with Round 1 seeing a local rivalry clash between the Gladiators and Roosters.
Tries were scored back and forth throughout the game, but with Atherton only kicking two out of eight conversions, the door was left wide open for the visitors to try their hand at a first round win.
It was the Gladiators who hit the front foot early, with lock Denzel King and prop Caleb Dally both crossing the line within the first 10 minutes of play. The Roosters soon fired back with two tries of their own, however, after wingers Tom Cuda and Kalifa Faifai-Loa went over for four pointers in the 16th and 21st minutes respectively.
The Gladiators then put one more on the board through five-eighth Ty Grogan just a few minutes short of halftime. A successful conversion saw Mareeba extend their lead to 18-10 right at the break.
Atherton came out firing early in the second, scoring two quick tries in the 44th and 48th minute, with Cuda claiming his second for the game. The home side were now back in it, with the score reading 20-18 in their favour.
It wasn’t long before the Gladiators struck back though, this time through winger Bronson Ryan. A successful conversion put them back in front, 24-20.
The Roosters wouldn’t back down, however, and went on to score another two quick tries – the latter through prop Riley Flute in the 67th minute. After two missed conversion attempts, the score was brought to 28-24 with just 10 minutes to play.
The Gladiators, desperate for a win against their Tablelands rivals, threw everything they had at the Roosters defence and managed to find their way over the tryline in the 75th minute through second-rower Emmanuel Mukindi.
With a conversion attempt on the line for the win, the Gladiators were unable to convert. No more points were scored before full time, and with golden point only being played in finals rounds, the game ended in a 28-all draw.
Over in the Reserve Grade it was all the Gladiators, who beat Atherton 26-12, while the Roosters Under 19s came up trumps in their game with a 24-14 win. The Roosters Women started their season off well as the reigning premiers, defeating the newly re-entered Innisfail Leprechauns 22-14.
This weekend, the Gladiators will travel to Gordonvale’s Alley Park to take on the Southern Suburbs. The Under 19s will get things underway from 3pm, followed by Reserve Grade at 4.30pm, and A Grade at 6pm.
Meanwhile, The Roosters will enjoy another home game at the Atherton Showgrounds, this time against the Yarrabah Seahawks. The Women will kick the afternoon off at 1.30pm, followed by the Under 19s at 3pm, Reserve Grade at 4.30pm, and A Grade at 6pm.
