Mareeba Gladiators secured their second straight home win with a 68-36 triumph over Yarrabah Seahawks in a free-scoring Cairns District Rugby League A Grade contest on Saturday.
Mareeba, who impressively beat high-flying Ivanhoes a fortnight ago, put on a show for the Davies Park crowd, with more than 100 points scored in the game as defence took a backseat.
The result leaves the Gladiators in seventh spot and just four points outside the top five, with five rounds remaining.
Dwayne Williams scored a hat-trick and was named the LD Total Cairns Player of the Round for his superb performance. Ian King and Drystan Hayes also scored twice each.
Reigning premiers Cairns Kangaroos made it two wins in a row to climb off the bottom of the ladder with a superb 30-14 triumph over Ivanhoes.
Full-back Phillip Warren chipped in with a try-scoring double, while Bradley Stephen, Nasali Tamwoy and Josh Mene also found the tryline. Ivanhoes remain in fourth place.
Innisfail Leprechauns edged a high-quality encounter with Southern Suburbs, winning 26-16 at Callendar Park on Saturday night.
Third-placed Innisfail scored tries through Jordan Biondi-Odo, Michael Carroll, Colin Wilkie, Rob Haren and Fred Koraba.
Southern Suburbs, with Maddie Oosen scoring a double and Aiden Day also crossing the white stripe, stay in the fifth and last finals spot.
Tully Tigers maintained their relentless march towards the premiership with an 11th straight win following a 28-12 victory at Edmonton Storm.
Troy Kapea (2), Aaron Jolley, Matt Laumea and Greg Miglio scored for the Tigers at Petersen Park in a good tune-up ahead of their massive derby with Innisfail this weekend.
Cairns Brothers remain in second to Tully, but only on points difference after another convincing performance, this time a 54-14 win at Atherton.
Broski Emery-Hunia continued his try-scoring streak with a brace, while James Doolah also grabbed a double as Chey Bird’s men ran in 10 tries at Roosters Stadium.
Brothers coach Chey Bird told The Cairns Post: “We completed well early but had a flat spot in the second half where we got a bit too fancy.
“We’ve still got a lot of improvement in us and we’ll need it.
“Tully are deservedly on top with for and against and it’s their minor premiership to lose.”
Mossman-Port Douglas Sharks had a bye.
2015 DAVID MCCOY HOMES CAIRNS KEY REAL ESTATE A GRADE - ROUND 17 RESULTS:
SATURDAY 18 JULY
Cairns Kangaroos 30 (Phillip Warren 2, Bradley Stephen, Nasali Tamwoy, Josh Mene tries; Stephen 5 goals) def Ivanhoe Knights 14 (Trent Barnard, Brad Quoilding, Adrian Henley tries; Jared Verney goal) at Vico Oval, Mooroobool.
Innisfail Leprechauns 26 (Jordan Biondi-Odo, Michael Carroll, Colin Wilkie, Rob Haren, Fred Koraba tries; Matthew Healey 3 goals) def Southern Suburbs 16 (Maddie Oosen 2, Aiden Day tries; Rhys Hanlon 2 goals) at Callendar Park, Innisfail.
Cairns Brothers 54 (Broski Emery-Hunia 2, James Doolah 2, Ben Fitzpatrick, Aaron Guilgo, Maipele Morseu, Darryn Schonig, PJ Webb, Simon Roberts tries; Guilgo 7 goals) def Atherton Roosters 14 (Nigel Woodleigh, Craig Gregory, Mike Carney tries; Darryl Grant goal) at Roosters Stadium, Atherton.
SUNDAY 19 JULY
Mareeba Gladiators 68 (Dwayne Williams 3, Ian King 2, Drystan Hayes 2, Patale Tau, Tom Hughes, Darren Mitchell, Kurt Jackson, David Grainer, William Dodd tries) def Yarrabah Seahawks 36 (Solomon Fauid 2, Milton Mossman, Andrew Garrett, William Mudu, Oswald Fourmile tries; Colridge Dabah 5, Roderick Duncan goals) at Davies Park, Mareeba.
Tully Tigers 28 (Troy Kapea 2, Aaron Jolley, Matt Laumea, Greg Miglio tries; Jake Clifford 4 goals) def Edmonton Storm 12 (Septimus Ambrym, Travis Harrison, Jermaine Pryor tries) at Petersen Park, Edmonton.
Mossman-Port Douglas Sharks – bye.
