sport
Cairns Cyclones riding high as FNQ Amateur League heats up
The Cyclones have gone undefeated in their last five matches, sparking talk of a premiership push with four rounds to play.
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The Cairns Cyclones are the talk of the Far North Queensland Amateur League after a stunning five-match winning streak that has lifted them into outright second place on the ladder. The club, based at Ron Hammel Oval in Manunda, has not lost since June 20 and has outscored opponents by a combined 78 points over that stretch.
From mid-table to premiership contenders
The run matters because the Cyclones were sitting fifth and looking at a middling season before the streak kicked off. Now they are two points behind ladder leaders Port Douglas with a game in hand, and the league’s top-four finals spots are suddenly within reach. Local supporters have started using the “P-word” again for the first time since the club won the flag in 2022.
The turnaround has been driven by a defensive structure that has conceded just 42 points across the last three matches. On July 5 at Ron Hammel Oval, the Cyclones held the previously in-form Mareeba Eagles to two goals in a 45-point win. That result sent a message: Cairns is for real.
Depth and home ground advantage
The club has also benefited from a settled side. Coach Matt Thorne has named the same starting 18 for four consecutive matches, a consistency that has allowed the playing group to build chemistry. The reserves team, too, has won its last four, adding to the positive atmosphere around the club.
Home games at Ron Hammel Oval have become a fortress. The Cyclones have won six of seven there this season, with the only loss coming in Round 3 against premiers Smithfield. That loss, by 11 points, remains the nearest any side has come to beating them on their own turf.
With four rounds remaining, the Cyclones face a crucial test this Saturday when they travel to Port Douglas to face the ladder leaders at the Port Douglas Sports Complex. A win there would put them level on points with the Sharks with a superior percentage. A loss would not end their finals hopes, but it would leave them needing other results to go their way.
Local footy fans will be watching closely. The Cairns Cyclones have gone from also-rans to headline-makers in just over a month, and the next fortnight will determine whether that story has a premiership ending.