Sport
26 June, 2026
Landslide wins for the Leps
IN rugby league, Innisfail Leprechauns completed a clean sweep across all grades against Mossman.
While JCU Mariners continue their dominance of rugby union.
In basketball, Cairns Marlins and Cairns Dolphins returned home with three wins from four games after a challenging road trip.
NRL
THE Innisfail Leprechauns celebrated a memorable weekend in the Cairns District Rugby League (CDRL), completing a clean sweep across all grades as the round’s action delivered plenty of excitement across the competition.
In the women’s competition, Innisfail produced an impressive attacking display to defeat Mossman 38-20.
The Leprechauns ran in a series of entertaining tries and controlled the contest for long periods to continue their strong form.
The success continued in the reserve grade, where Innisfail overcame Mossman 34-20.
Elsewhere, Mareeba proved too strong for Ivanhoes with a 34-16 victory, Atherton defeated Tully 26-18, Brothers shut out Southern Suburbs 30-0, and Kangaroos accounted for Yarrabah 37-22.
The A-grade clash between Innisfail and Mossman saw the home side deliver one of their most complete performances of the season, powering to a convincing 34-6 victory.
Strong defence laid the foundation before the Leprechauns opened the game with several well-worked tries.
Around the grounds, Mareeba edged Ivanhoe 26-24 in a thriller, Atherton defeated Tully 36-24, Southern Suburbs overcame Brothers 26-10, while Kangaroos secured a hard-fought 30-26 win.
The clean sweep across women’s reserve grade and A-grade was a proud achievement for the Innisfail club and coaching staff. “We couldn’t be happier with the effort from all three teams,” an Innisfail coach said.
“To come away with wins in every grade is a fantastic reward for the hard work the players and volunteers have been putting in throughout the season.”
The coach praised the club-wide commitment that contributed to the rare feat.
“It shows the strength of the club from top to bottom. Our women’s side set the tone, the reserves kept the momentum going and A-grade finished the job. Everyone is buying into what we’re trying to build.
“A clean sweep doesn’t happen often.
“It’s a credit to the players, support staff and everyone involved with the club.
“There was a real sense of pride in the sheds after the games.”
Rugby union
ROUND nine of the FNQ Rugby competition delivered several important results across both reserves and A-grade, with Southside celebrating a breakthrough victory while JCU continued its strong push towards the finals.
In reserves, Cairns Penrhyn secured a hard-fought 28-14 victory over Barron River.
Penrhyn’s ability to capitalise on key opportunities proved the difference as they controlled much of the contest and held off a determined Barron outfit.
The Tablelands also enjoyed a successful afternoon, defeating JCU 28-12.
The home side produced one of its most complete performances of the season, combining disciplined defence with effective attacking play to claim a valuable win.
The headline result in A -grade came from Southside, who recorded their first victory of the 2026 campaign with a spirited 19-14 win over Barron River.
After several near misses throughout the season, Southside finally broke through, showing resilience and determination to hold off a late Barron challenge.
The victory was a reward for the team’s persistence and hard work, with players and supporters celebrating a result that could provide a significant confidence boost heading into the closing rounds of the season.
Meanwhile, JCU continued its strong form with a convincing 31-10 win over Port Douglas.
JCU controlled the contest from the outset, building pressure through strong ball retention and disciplined execution. Port Douglas battled hard but struggled to contain JCU’s attacking momentum as the students pulled away in the second half.
Coach Chloe Dray complimented her teams performance stating it was “exceptional.”
The result keeps JCU firmly in the mix near the top end of the ladder and reinforces their status as one of the competition’s leading contenders.
With only a handful of rounds remaining before finals, every match is taking on added significance.
Southside will look to build on its long-awaited breakthrough, while JCU aims to maintain its momentum as the race for finals positions continues to intensify across the FNQ Rugby competition.
Basketball
THE Cairns Marlins and Cairns Dolphins returned home with three wins from four games after a challenging road trip against Townsville and Mackay over the weekend.
The Marlins continued their strong form, recording back-to-back victories to remain one of the competition’s hottest teams.
They opened the trip with an impressive 96-86 win over Townsville in a hard-fought contest.
After a closely contested first half, Cairns lifted its defensive intensity and executed well in the final quarter to secure the 10-point victory.
The momentum carried into Sunday’s clash against Mackay, where the Marlins produced one of their best performances of the season.
Their fast-paced offence proved too much for the Meteors, with Cairns running out convincing 111-91 winners.
The Marlins shared the scoring load throughout the contest and maintained relentless pressure on both ends of the floor to complete a perfect 2-0 weekend.
For the Dolphins, the trip was a tale of resilience and determination. Facing a strong Townsville side in their opening game, Cairns fell short 91-69 despite showing periods of competitive basketball.
Townsville’s experience and offensive efficiency proved difficult to contain as the Dolphins were unable to bridge the gap in the second half.
However, the Dolphins responded in the best possible fashion against Mackay, delivering a composed and disciplined performance to claim a valuable 90-81 victory.
The Dolphins coaching staff praised the resilience of the players being able to bounce back the way they did on the road.
The successful road trip sees the Marlins improve their standing with two important victories, while the Dolphins demonstrated their character by rebounding strongly after a difficult opening game.
