Sport
16 July, 2026
Lots of thrills and spills in three codes
THE FNQ rugby competition has delivered another exciting fortnight of action across rounds 11 and 12.
While round 10 of the FNQ football competition produced a pair of hard-fought draws, a narrow one-goal victory and one postponed fixture.
North Queensland’s emerging basketball talent was on full display as three representative squads took to the court at the under-14 girls Queensland state championships on the Sunshine Coast.
Rugby union
JCU Mariners are continuing their impressive form in the reserves and A-grade roster, while several tightly contested matches highlighted the league’s growing competitiveness.
In reserves, JCU produced two strong performances to strengthen its position on the ladder.
They opened round 11 with a commanding 48-29 victory over Barron, showcasing an expansive attacking game while proving difficult to contain in open play. They backed that effort up in round 12 with a thrilling 25-24 win over Barron, edging out their rivals in one of the closest contests of the season.
Tablelands also enjoyed a successful two weeks, overcoming Cairns Penrhyn in consecutive rounds.
A hard-fought 31-26 victory in round 11 was followed by another close encounter in round 12, where Tablelands again prevailed 29-22 to complete the season sweep over Penrhyn.
Reds head coach Luca Ferrari said “we’ve shown some serious grit and resilience in the last few rounds, I’m beyond proud of the boys for their efforts.”
In A-grade, JCU reinforced its status as one of the competition’s premier sides with another pair of convincing victories. Theys accounted for Barron 26-12 in round 11 before producing one of the standout performances of the season in round 12, running in points at will to defeat Southside 52-5.
Coach Chloe Dray said “our eyes are still on the prize, were thrilled with our recent form but refuse to take our foot of the pedal.”
Northern Beaches Mudcrabs and Southside were unable to be separated after an exhilarating 34-34 draw.
Both teams traded tries throughout the contest in a high-scoring affair that kept spectators on edge until the final whistle. Port Douglas enjoyed a bye during the round.
The Mudcrabs returned to the winner’s circle in round 12, overcoming Port Douglas 24-14 in another quality performance to continue building momentum heading into the closing stages of the season. Barron had the bye in round 12.
Soccer
SOUTHSIDE and Stratford could not be separated after playing out a 1-1 draw in an entertaining contest.
Southside opened the scoring through Jamie Johnson, who found the back of the net to give his side the advantage.
Stratford continued to press for an equaliser and eventually levelled the match thanks to an unfortunate own goal from the Southside defence.
Despite chances at both ends during the closing stages, neither team could find a winner, leaving both sides to settle for a share of the points.
Edge Hill claimed a valuable 1-0 victory over Leichhardt in one of the tightest matches of the round.
The breakthrough came courtesy of Kaleab Agegnehu, whose decisive strike proved enough to separate the two sides.
Innisfail and Redlynch also shared the spoils in an exciting 2-2 draw.
Liam Crossland and Blake Musumeci both found the net for Innisfail, while Redlynch responded through Josip Podreka and Alister Korff.
The scheduled fixture between Mareeba and Marlin Coast was postponed and will be played at a later date.
Basketball
WITH more than 100 games played in the under-14 state tournament, the Dolphins, Corals and Pearls all showcased determination, resilience and steady improvement as they tested themselves against some of Queensland’s strongest basketball programs.
The Corals finished as the highest-placed of the three squads, securing ninth place after recording two impressive victories during the week.
The Dolphins battled hard throughout the championships, claiming one win on their way to a 10th-place finish.
Despite facing several tough matchups, the squad continued to compete until the final buzzer in every contest, displaying the grit and teamwork that had defined their campaign.
The Pearls also celebrated a tournament victory, finishing 11th overall after an encouraging week of development.
The coaching groups of all three squads praised the commitment and attitude shown by their players throughout the demanding tournament.
