Sport
2 September, 2025
Young Roosters to contest third consecutive premiership
THE Atherton Roosters U17 squad are gearing up for a big Grand Final this weekend, with the match being the third consecutive Grand Final for most of the players.
The young Roosters capped off a strong season after finishing in second place on the FNQRL ladder with 10 wins and four losses.
They managed to knock off the first-place-finishing Ivanhoe Knights in the semi final recently to secure a spot in the big game.
Most of the players in this squad were part of the undefeated U14 Eacham Grand Final-winning side in 2023 and were also part of last year’s U15 FNQRL Grand Final-winning side in their first year of the Cairns competition.
This weekend, they will face up against the Ivanhoe Knights to contest their third consecutive Grand Final.
Atherton Junior Rugby League president Wade Kidner was very proud of the achievements of the youngsters.
“It’s awesome and it’s a massive achievement as a club,” he said.
“This team is a mix of U16s and U17s boys and this is only our second year in the Cairns comp as well. Last year our U15s won the comp, and this team is made up of half of that team.
“We’re really proud of them and it just shows how competitive our juniors are and how ready we were to join the Cairns comp.
“It would be good if we could get a big crowd down there to get behind the boys.”
Coach Harry Simpson was also proud of his team’s efforts over the season, highlighting that their hard work, efforts to bond as a group, and their ability to deliver high-quality football in every game they played was a big factor for their success.
“We’ve had a pretty successful season. We dropped a few games that we shouldn’t have but I think the best part is that this is only our second year playing in Cairns out of the Eacham comp, so to have this success under the Atherton banner is awesome,” he said.
“Watching the boys come together and grow has been one of my favourite things to see this year. I challenged them at the start of the year to finish the season as better young men than what they were when they started.
“So, to be able to see them do that and also to see them dish up some high-quality footy consistently I think is the best part.”
Speaking to the side’s dominance over the last three years, Simpson said it showed they were committed to their development and each other.
“It’s unreal because it’s an U17s comp and half the team is still 16,” he said.
“And to be able to do that three years in a row and have the success that we’ve had this year with an underage team, that doesn’t come from anything other than the boys’ hard work.”
Simpson said his team would need to show up ready to be physical when they run out onto Barlow Park on the weekend.
“We were successful (in the semi final) by being physical and wanting to compete,” he said.
“I think if the boys are willing to be physical again and want it more than the other team, then hopefully we’ll be putting our feet in the right direction.
“We should have a full team, the week off is going to be good for us (he said last week).
“We’ve got two or three boys with a few little niggles here and there, but other than that we should have a full team, there’s no suspensions or anything.”
Simpson also said that his team needed one last push from they’re local supporters to help them get the job done.
“The boys have come together from across the Tablelands and they’re doing it for all their families and friends on the Tablelands, not just Atherton,” he said.
“They can only push so hard, they need the support of the club and community, which has been there all year, so if we can get that for one more game to help them get over the line, that’d be unreal.
“I also just want to praise the community and the staff at the club for all of their support this year. Thank you for consistently supporting me and the boys.
“It’s not a one-man job, my support crew has been massive, with all the auxiliary staff and all the parents who get them to the games.”
The Roosters U17s will face first-placed Ivanhoe Knights at Barlow Park, this Saturday with a kick-off time set for 2.20pm
