Sport
17 August, 2026
Dominant Roos in finals win
KANGAROOS have capped off an outstanding finals series in style, claiming the CDRL women’s grand final with a dominant 40-4 victory over Ivanhoes.
The Kangaroos were in control throughout the decider, producing a strong attacking display, while keeping Ivanhoes to just four points as they secured the premiership in convincing fashion.
Tessa Kanai was at the heart of the Kangaroos’ performance, earning player of the match honours after scoring an impressive three tries.
Her attacking impact proved crucial as Kangaroos continued to build pressure and extend their lead throughout the grand final.
Kemeru Songoro and Tense Tabuai also played key roles in the victory, both crossing the line twice as the Kangaroos’ attack consistently found ways through the Ivanhoes defence.
The 40-4 scoreline capped off what has been an amazing finals series for the club and its players, with Kangaroos producing when it mattered most and finishing their campaign as CDRL women’s champions.
For the players, the victory was the reward for a season of hard work, commitment and consistency, with the grand final providing the perfect stage to showcase what the team has built throughout the year.
Captain Genavie Tabuai was full of pride following the final whistle, praising her teammates for their efforts across the entire season.
“I’m so proud of the girls and how they’ve played all season, what a win,” Tabuai said.
The celebrations will now begin for a Kangaroos side that has delivered when it mattered most. From Kanai’s player of the match performance to the try-scoring efforts of Songoro and Tabuai, the team had contributions from across the park in a memorable grand final victory.
A 40-4 scoreline is a fitting way to finish such an impressive finals campaign, with Kangaroos now able to celebrate their achievement as CDRL Women’s premiers.
For Ivanhoes, it was a difficult afternoon, but reaching the grand final represents a strong campaign.
For Kangaroos, however, the focus can now turn to celebrating a season that has ended at the highest point possible – with premiership glory.
Rugby union
THE rugby union finals series delivered another weekend of high-quality rugby, with the reserve grade and seniors competitions both producing tight contests and plenty of excitement as teams battled for a place in the grand final.
In the reserves, Tablelands booked their spot in the decider with a convincing 33-13 victory over Barron.
The result sees Tablelands progress to the grand final, while Barron will now have to fight their way back through the final opportunity.
Tablelands coach Luca Ferrari was understandably excited with the result but remained focused on the bigger picture.
“We still have one more game before our celebrations start,” Ferrari said.
The remaining reserve grade grand final spot will be decided next week, with Cairns Penrhyn earning the opportunity after defeating JCU 25-19 in a closely fought contest.
Cairns Penrhyn will now meet Barron, with the winner securing their place alongside Tablelands in the grand final.
The seniors competition was just as competitive, with JCU securing their sixth consecutive grand final appearance following a narrow 17-12 win over Barron.
In a hard-fought contest, JCU managed to hold off a determined Barron outfit and continue their remarkable run of consecutive grand final appearances.
JCU coach Chloe Dray praised the opposition for the quality of the contest while already looking ahead to the challenge that awaits.
“It was a hard-fought game from a quality side, the next two weeks will be huge preparing for the big game,” she said.
While JCU have secured their place in the grand final, the final spot will be decided between Barron and the Northern Beaches Mudcrabs.
The Mudcrabs earned their opportunity after edging the surging Southside Crusaders in a thrilling 27-26 encounter.
With just one point separating the sides at full time, the result highlighted the competitiveness of the seniors finals series.
With grand final places now beginning to take shape, next week promises another weekend of high-stakes rugby, with both reserves and seniors teams fighting for their chance to compete for premiership glory.
Soccer
THE latest round of soccer delivered plenty of action across the competition, with close contests, high-scoring encounters and a strong response from Southside highlighting an entertaining weekend of football.
Marlin Coast secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Leichhardt in a tightly contested match.
With just one goal separating the two sides at the final whistle, Marlin Coast did enough to claim all three points and continue their push as the competition heads further into the season. Southside bounced back in emphatic fashion after suffering a loss last week, producing an impressive 5-1 win over Redlynch.
The result was a strong response from Southside, who looked determined to put last week’s disappointment behind them.
Five goals highlighted an attacking performance that gave the side plenty of confidence heading into the next round.
Edge Hill and Innisfail produced one of the closest games of the round, with Edge Hill eventually coming away with a thrilling 3-2 victory.
The nail-biting contest remained in the balance throughout, with both sides showing plenty of attacking intent.
Edge Hill managed to find the crucial goals when it mattered most, holding on to secure a hard-earned win.
The round closed out with a goal-filled clash between Stafford and their opponents, with Stafford claiming a 5-3 victory.
The high-scoring encounter produced eight goals in total and provided an entertaining finish to the weekend’s action.
Stafford’s attacking output proved the difference, as they were able to find the back of the net five times despite conceding three goals themselves.
With four matches producing plenty of talking points, the latest round has once again demonstrated the competitiveness of the soccer competition.
From Marlin Coast’s narrow win to Southside’s commanding response, Edge Hill’s thriller and Stafford’s goal-fest, teams will now turn their attention to the next round as the battle for points and momentum continues.
