Community rallies after brazen trail of destruction

From triumph to travesty... the Wests Mackay Tigers were on the highest of highs late last year when they lifted the Components Only A Grade Cup after what can only be described as a topsy-turvy season.

But last week, they were brought to the lowest of lows when a masked offender in a stolen Toyota Hilux took only four minutes to ram raid their leagues club in Walkerston around 15 times, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage.

"I received a phone call just after 3am advising there had been a break in at the club and that there was a little bit of damage at the venue," said general manager Kingsley Theiber, who was woken by the distressing news on Wednesday morning.

"It took me 15 minutes to get to the club and I wasn't prepared for the 'little bit of damage' that I was expecting.

"It was like a bomb had gone off. It was just a total senseless act of destruction."

But as we've come to know in times of need, the rugby league family and greater community band together to offer a helping hand to those who need it, and within a matter of hours, an army of supporters had pledged to assist in getting the club back on its feet.

"We put a message on Facebook saying we weren't open because of what happened and it just snowballed," Theiber said.

"We were getting hundreds of phone calls of support, people wanting to come down and help.

"We had about 50 to 100 people come down to the club and help clean up all the damage and the mess and also had some builders make sure everything was secure so we could continue to trade and was able to reopen the next day. 

"We are only a small club and for Wests to win the premiership last year after the COVID-affected season - and against a mighty club such as Townsville Brothers who are a powerhouse in Queensland - was a very special event for our being that it was a combined Mackay and Townsville competition.

"There was obviously a lot of pride in the clubhouse here [from that victory] and to see the people come out from not just our local community, but the support we've had from Mackay and statewide... it's just been unbelievable."

After an outpouring of support over the weekend, Theiber encouraged tropical north residents to make the small trek south-west to continue helping the club recover from the act of lunacy.

"We'd love people to come out here and support the club by having a coffee, buying a meal or buying a beer at the bar and meeting some of our locals and feeling that camaraderie," Theiber said.

"It's only a short drive from Mackay so we'd love people to help support the club that way."

Anyone with information is urged to contact Policelink on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 and quote the reference numbers QP2100032520 and QP2100032665.