Sport
29 June, 2026
Roosters break rival’s streak
THEY say all good things must come to an end and it was only fitting that the team to break the Mareeba Gladiators’ seven-game winning streak was local rivals, the Atherton Roosters.
Davies Park came alive on Saturday afternoon as the Gladiators hosted their Tablelands rivals in what is always an entertaining local derby matchup.
The Gladiators looked likely for a clean sweep after the Under 19s claimed a 22-16 win and the Reserves a 38-30 win. However, it was the Roosters who brought an end to Mareeba’s streak with a 40-24 victory.
UNDER 19s
KICKING the action off for the day were the Under 19s, and despite reportedly fielding just 13 players, the Gladiators managed to come away with a 22-16 win.
The scoring was opened by Gladiators prop Jason Hastie in the third minute, and he was soon followed by his second rower, Jay Mataio.
However, a try from Roosters’ captain and lock, Jackson Clark, in the 31st minute brought the score to 12-6 at the break.
The Roosters then struck early in the second half, going over just three minutes into play. But Mareeba winger Daniel Morris soon fired back with a try to nudge his team into the lead once again.
The Roosters weren’t done yet though, with winger Isaac Nasser crossing over with eight minutes to play, levelling the score at 16-all.
But with only a few minutes left on the clock, the big Mareeba prop (Hastie) crashed over to find his second try and deliver what proved to be the winning blow.
Despite the result, the Under 19 Roosters still sit comfortably in 3rd position on the ladder, while the Gladiators hold 8th.
RESERVE GRADE
IT wouldn’t be a Mareeba-Atherton local derby without a few close finishes, and the Reserve Grade match provided just that after the Gladiators came away with a 38-30 victory.
Tries for Mareeba came from second rower David Kapak, winger Ernest Lewry, and forward Donald Tuvaifale, as well as doubles for fullback Hubert Elu, and captain-coach and lock, Keripo Gutchen-Gela.
Try scorers for Atherton included forwards Steve Murador and Brenton Roberston, five-eighth Nathaniel Ross, lock Kaleb Nielsen, and fullback Ryan Gallagher, with Ross kicking 5/5 conversions.
Following the match, the Gladiators Reserves now sit clear in 4th on the ladder, while the Roosters Reserves hold 7th.
A GRADE
ALL eyes then shifted to the A Grade matchup at 6pm, with the winner going on to claim outright 3rd on the FNQ Rugby League ladder.
It didn’t take the visitors long to find points, with second rower Brad Gallagher claiming the first try in the sixth minute. However, the Gladiators soon took control of the game and put two quick tries on the board through hooker Ryan Flegler (14th minute) and winger Bronson Ryan (19th minute).
Ryan went on to cross the line again in the 30th minute, taking the score out to 16-4, but with just five minutes left in the first half, the Roosters found back-to-back tries through centre Austin Kombo and forward Jack Althaus.
Successful conversions from fullback Regan Herd saw the game tied up at 16 points apiece at the break.
The first 20 minutes of the second half was a classic battle, with both teams fighting hard for field position. However, Gallagher was again the first points scorer in the second half after he found his second try in the 58th minute.
His try proved to be the confidence the Roosters needed, who went on to score three more tries in the ensuing 10 minutes.
The first came just two minutes after Gallagher, with front rower Dujuayne Sua-Bacon crashing over. The next came from a set play off a scrum just 20m out from the opposition line, which saw winger Shamish O’Quinn slip down the sideline and straight through to the in-goal area.
The final blow came from captain-coach and acting five-eighth Justin Frain, who weaved his way through a tired Gladiators defensive line to score his side’s seventh try of the night.
A too-little-too-late effort from the home side saw them sneak in two quick tries, with Ryan claiming yet another hattrick – making it his fourth this season. He continues to lead the league in try scoring, now sitting on 20 tries and seven clear of second place.
Additionally, Herd still sits atop the points scoring tally on 120 points for the season. However, Southern Suburbs’ James Frazer is edging closer with his 112 points-to-date.
With the A Grade win, the Roosters took home the “Best of the Tablelands” trophy and claimed outright 3rd on the ladder, now two points ahead of Mareeba in 4th.
This week:
This Saturday, the Gladiators host the first-placed Cairns Brothers, with the Under 19s kicking things off at 3pm, followed by Reserve Grade at 4.30pm, and A Grade at 6pm.
Also on Saturday, the Roosters will travel to Gordonvale to take on the Southern Suburbs at Alley Park. The Under 19s will get things underway from 3pm, followed by Reserve Grade at 4.30pm, and A Grade at 6pm.
