Sport
24 June, 2026
Leps clean sweep in seniors
INNISFAIL fans had plenty to cheer about at Callendar Park on 20 June, as the Leprechauns stormed to a clean sweep across all three senior grades, overpowering Mossman-Port Douglas in a dominant display of home-ground strength.
The A-grade clash looked evenly poised at halftime, locked at 6-6, after Mossman struck early and Innisfail hit back through a converted try. But the second half belonged entirely to the Leprechauns.
Centre Malachi Donaldson crossed twice, sparking a four-try blitz that left the Sharks scoreless after the break. A final minute try to Devante Heron, converted by Aaron Jolley, sealed a convincing 34-6 victory for the home side.
Other try scorers for Innisfail were Aaron Jolley, Robert Whaleboat and Brayden Cassady, with Jolley near-perfect off the tee, landing five from six and Sifa Uasike named Man of the Match.
In reserves, the Leprechauns held off a Sharks fightback and continued their strong form with a 34-20 win, keeping them perched at the top of the ladder.
Mossman opened the scoring, but Innisfail responded with three unanswered tries to take a 14-point lead into halftime. The Sharks mounted a spirited comeback with three quick tries after the break, but the home side steadied to close out the match.
Innisfail’s points came through doubles to Jayden Epong and Starat Tomarra, with additional tries to Colby Aldridge and Kai Cooper. Michael Morton was flawless with the boot, kicking five from five.
Cooper, stepping up from the under-19s, earned man of the match honours.
“It was scrappy, but we got the job done,” he said. “Now we move on to our next game against Tully.”
The open women’s side thrilled the crowd with a 38-20 win in their final home game of the season. Innisfail crossed first before the Sharkettes responded with two tries, but the home side regained a narrow two-point lead at the break. The second half saw the Leprechauns pull away with five tries to Mossman’s two.
Shiloh Babsek and player of the match Tahnee Ambrum both scored doubles, while Saruka Toby, Arianna Martin and Jordana Woods also chipped in with one try apiece. Llawana Tomarra added five from seven conversions.
All three Innisfail senior men’s teams return to Callendar Park this weekend for a highly anticipated local derby against Cassowary Coast rivals, the Tully Tigers on 27 June.
Results - FNQRL Round 12 fixtures - 20 - 21 June
A-grade
Innisfail 34 def Mossman-Port Douglas 6
Atherton 36 def Tully 24
Mareeba 26 def Ivanhoe Knights 24
Southern Suburbs 26 def Cairns Brothers 10
Kangaroos 30 def Yarrabah 26
AdvertisementFNQRL A-grade ladder – Round 12: Cairns Brothers 20, Innisfail 18, Mareeba 17, Atherton 17, Kangaroos 16, Southern Suburbs 12, Ivanhoe Knights 10, Tully 6, Yarrabah 4 and Mossman-Port Douglas 0.
Reserves
Innisfail 34 def Mossman-Port Douglas 20
Atherton 26 def Tully 18
Mareeba 34 def Ivanhoe Knights 16
Cairns Brothers 30 def Southern Suburbs 0
Kangaroos 37 def Yarrabah 22.
Under-19s
Atherton 28 def Tully 10
Ivanhoe Knights 54 def Mareeba 16
Cairns Brothers 22 drew with Southern Suburbs 22
Yarrabah 24 def Kangaroos 12
Bye: Innisfail.
Women’s
Innisfail 38 def Mossman-Port Douglas 20
Byes: Southern Suburbs, Ivanhoe Maidens and Atherton Roosters