

CDRL A GRADE FINALS (WEEK 3) REVIEW:
Ivanhoes will meet Cairns Brothers in this weekend’s CDRL A Grade grand final after beating minor premiers Innisfail 12-4 in a hard-fought preliminary final at Barlow Park.
Innisfail took a 4-0 lead at the break thanks to a Brayden Cassady try, but Ivanhoes edged ahead in the 50th minute when Gold Medal nominee Brent Oosen powered his way over.
The tense encounter was finally settled three minutes from time, Zane Prior scoring under the posts to put the Knights into the big dance.
“I think in finals footy you find that little bit extra you need. Once we got momentum we were able to hold on to it longer than we did in the first half,” Ivanhoes coach Ben Rauter told The Cairns Post.
“The first half Innisfail had all the momentum. We had to hold on, but that’s finals footy.
“They only got four points, which was good, and we were able to come back.
"The aim is once you make the finals to get to a grand final, so we’re there and we’ll be doing our best to win it.”
Innisfail coach Ty Williams, who will coach Northern Pride in the Intrust Super Cup in 2017, was still proud of his troops.
“We created enough chances but just didn’t knock it on the head. Last week was pretty much the same as well,” Williams told The Cairns Post.
“We had the opportunities. We spread them five or six times throughout the game.
“We’ve had a fairly good year. We’d like to be there in the big dance but we won’t be.
“There’s a few very disappointed and disheartened boys in there at the moment and that means that it means something to them.”
2016 CDRL A Grade – Finals (Week 3) - RESULTS
SUNDAY 18 SEPTEMBER (at Barlow Park, Cairns)
SECOND DIVISION
Mossman-Port Douglas Sharks 28-10 Babinda Colts
UNDER 18
Cairns Brothers 34-26 Cairns Kangaroos
RESERVE GRADE
Tully Tigers 22-14 Cairns Brothers
A GRADE
Ivanhoe Knights 12 (Oosen, Prior tries: J. Verney 2 goals) def Innisfail Leprechauns 4 (Cassady try).
2016 CDRL FINALS SERIES - WEEK 4 (GRAND FINAL) FIXTURES
SATURDAY 24 SEPTEMBER (at Barlow Park, Cairns)
SECOND DIVISION
2pm KO - Cairns Kangaroos v Mossman-Port Douglas Sharks
UNDER 18
3.30pm KO - Innisfail Leprechauns v Cairns Brothers
RESERVE GRADE
5pm KO - Ivanhoe Knights v Tully Tigers
A GRADE
6.30pm KO - Cairns Brothers v Ivanhoe Knights
Gates open at 12.30pm.
** For all the latest Cairns rugby league news, LIKE the CAIRNS DISTRICT RUGBY LEAGUE page on Facebook - www.facebook.com/CairnsDistrictRugbyLeague or visit the CDRL website at www.cairnsdrl.leaguenet.com.au