Sport
4 September, 2026
Grand finals for rugby league
WHILE in soccer, four teams get ready for semi-finals across the region‘s pitches.
Rugby League
THE stage is officially set for grand final glory, with the Cairns and District Rugby League senior, reserves and U19s competitions producing a dramatic weekend of preliminary final action.
In the reserves, Ivanhoes secured their place in the decider with a commanding 32-12 victory over Atherton, earning the right to face Cairns Brothers in this week’s grand final.
The other reserves preliminary final proved a much closer affair, with Southern Suburbs edging Innisfail 24-22 in a thriller.
Kylan Crathern played a starring role for Suburbs, crossing for two tries to help his side hold off a determined Innisfail outfit and secure their place in the premiership decider.
Southern Suburbs head coach Anthony Volpe was delighted with the result but knows the job is far from finished.
“It was a tremendous win, we now put our focus to next week,” he said.
Southern Suburbs will now face the Kangaroos for premiership glory, with both sides just one victory away from completing their championship campaigns.
The senior competition delivered another classic between Southern Suburbs and Innisfail, with Suburbs again emerging victorious, this time securing a nail-biting 32-30 win.
The victory books Southern Suburbs a place in the senior grand final, where they will face defending premiers Cairns Brothers in what promises to be a highly-anticipated showdown.
For Suburbs coach Graham Clark, the contest provided plenty of nervous moments before his side eventually secured the result.
“The game definitely had our blood pressure up, nonetheless, we were stoked by the win, it’s been a great week for Southern Suburbs,” he said.
With all three grand-final matchups now confirmed, attention immediately turns towards next week’s championship deciders.
Southern Suburbs will feature prominently across the grades, while Cairns Brothers, Ivanhoe and the Kangaroos will all be looking to finish their seasons on the ultimate high.
After a weekend filled with tight contests, big performances and plenty of pressure, the preliminary finals have delivered exactly what finals football promises
Now, there is just one game standing between each remaining team and premiership glory.
Soccer
THE regular FNQ football season has come to a dramatic conclusion, with the FNQ football finals now set to take centre stage after a thrilling round of results across the competition.
Mareeba United finished the round strongly, securing a 2-0 victory over Edge Hill, while Leichhardt and Redlynch played out a hard-fought 1-1 draw.
There was also little to separate Southside and Innisfail, with the sides sharing the points after a 2-2 draw, while Marlin Coast and Stratford produced the highest-scoring contest of the round, finishing 3-3 after an entertaining battle.
The results have set up an intriguing finals series, with four teams now preparing for their respective semi-final qualification clashes.
Marlin Coast captain Kevin Ward said his side was excited about the opportunity ahead, but knew the finals would bring an entirely different challenge.
“We’re incredibly excited for finals, it’s a whole new season and we know that every team is hungry, so we just need to continue one game at a time,” he said.
Marlin Coast will now face Edge Hill in a crucial finals encounter, with both sides knowing a strong performance could keep their championship aspirations alive.
For Edge Hill coach Ryan Murray, the prospect of finals football is equally exciting, with the Tigers preparing to test themselves against the region’s best.
“All sides in the finals are quality sides, we look forward to being able to match up with Cairns’ best,” he said.
The other qualification clash will see Stratford take on Leichhardt, with both teams looking to book their place in the semi-finals and keep their season alive.
With the regular season now behind them, the pressure will rise considerably as the competition moves into its most important stage.
There will be little margin for error from here, with every possession, tackle and attacking opportunity potentially proving decisive.
For the players and coaching staff, the finals represent the reward for months of hard work, but also the biggest challenge of the season.
With four quality sides chasing limited opportunities to progress, fans can expect an intense and competitive finals series as the race for championship glory begins.
