Reigning premiers Innisfail Leprechauns remain top of the ladder in the 2016 David McCoy Homes Cairns Key Real Estate Cairns District Rugby League A Grade competition after a thrilling 32-30 come-from-behind win over Cairns Brothers at Callendar Park on Saturday.
Innisfail back Bradley Stephen was the hero, scoring a try with the last play of the game after the hosts had trailed 30-18 with just eight minutes left on the clock.
Jordan Skeen and Brett Anderson pulled the score back to 30-28 before Stephen’s last-gasp heroics sealed a dramatic win for the hosts.
Innisfail coach Ty Williams was thrilled to gain the two points against a Brothers side which lost their first game of the year.
“If we lost, we lost, but we were going for the win,” Williams told The Cairns Post.
“In the last two minutes, I could see in their body language that they wanted us to go for the two.
“With 10 to go, I wanted the boys to dig in there and show we have some character.
“I had my doubts, but what they showed is the reason we’re now at the top of the ladder.”
Stephen was named the LD Total Cairns Player of the Round for his last-minute heroics.
Edmonton made it two wins in a row with an impressive 22-14 win at Mossman-Port Douglas Sharks.
Sam Bann, Eddie Pryor, Darren Cobb and Coleridge Dabah all scored tries for the Storm after Mossman-Port Douglas had led 6-4 at the interval.
Ivanhoes were thankful to a poor kicking display from Yarrabah after securing a 40-34 win over the Seahawks at Smithfield.
The Knights were outscored eight tries to six, with Yarrabah’s Roderick Duncan grabbing a hat-trick, but the visitors only converted one of their eight tries to cost them the game.
Cairns Kangaroos clinched their first win of the year with a resounding 46-22 triumph against Mareeba Gladiators at Vico Oval.
Benjamin Cook, Rikki Barba and Bruce Joseph all scored doubles, with Cook also chipping in with five goals for a personal haul of 18 points.
Meanwhile, Tully maintained their unbeaten start to the year with a 38-10 win over Southern Suburbs at Tully Showgrounds.
Luke Meeks (2), Greg Miglio (2), Matthew Musumeci, Budhagi Gibuma and Jonathan Lavell all crossed the white stripe for the hosts.
Atherton Roosters had a bye.
2016 DAVID MCCOY HOMES CAIRNS KEY REAL ESTATE A GRADE - ROUND 4 RESULTS:
FRIDAY 22 APRIL
MOSSMAN-PORT DOUGLAS SHARKS v EDMONTON STORM (Mossman Showgrounds)
Second Division - Mossman Port-Douglas 16-20 Edmonton
Reserve Grade - Mossman Port-Douglas 14-32 Edmonton
A Grade – Edmonton Storm 22 (Bann, Pryor, Cobb, Dabah tries; Dabah 3 goals) def Mossman Port-Douglas 14 (Tuccandigee, Amber, Oui tries; Amber goal).
SATURDAY 23 APRIL
TULLY TIGERS v SOUTHERN SUBURBS (Tully Showgrounds)
Second Division - Tully 16-30 Babinda
Under 18s – Tully 54-12 Suburbs
Reserve Grade – Tully 52-0 Suburbs
A Grade – Tully 38 (Meeks 2, Miglio 2, Musumeci, Gibuma, Lavell tries; Lavell 3, Campagnolo, Daniel goals) def Suburbs 10 (Sutherland, Henley tries; Hanlon goal).
INNISFAIL LEPRECHAUNS v CAIRNS BROTHERS (Callendar Park, Innisfail)
Under 18s – Innisfail 20-36 Brothers
Reserve Grade – Innisfail 22-24 Brothers
A Grade – Innisfail 32 (Stephen, Perkins, Haren, Reuter, Anderson, Skeen tries; Healey 4 goals) def Brothers 30 (Wehi 2, Parmenter, Kepa, Lee tries; Reisen 5 goals).
SUNDAY 24 APRIL
CAIRNS KANGAROOS v MAREEBA GLADIATORS (Vico Oval, Mooroobool)
Second Division - Kangaroos 36-28 Malanda
Under 18s – Kangaroos 68-10 Mareeba
Reserve Grade – Kangaroos 60-10 Mareeba
A Grade – Kangaroos 46 (Cook 2, Barba 2, Joseph 2, Lewis, Brown, Ambrym tries; Cook 5 goals) def Mareeba 22 (Posselt, King, Cocciocone, Aue tries; Reys 3 goals).
IVANHOE KNIGHTS v YARRABAH SEAHAWKS (Smithfield Sporting Complex)
Second Division - Ivanhoes 26-22 Yarrabah
Under 18s – Ivanhoes 32-12 Yarrabah
Reserve Grade – Ivanhoes 58-8 Yarrabah
A Grade – Ivanhoes 40 (Munster, B. Reed, Toko, Banister, Verney, J. Reed tries; Verney 6 goals) def Yarrabah 34 (Duncan 3, M. Murgha 2, Harris, C. Mossman, Smith tries; L. Murgha goal).
ATHERTON ROOSTERS - BYE
