Past glories drive Leprechauns’ premiership breakthrough

INNISFAIL Leprechauns will throw everything at winning their first Cairns District Rugby League premiership since 2015, with coach Leon Hallie having a fully fit squad at his disposal for the decider.

The Leprechauns finished third on the CDRL ladder but have impressed in this finals series, as they put defending champions Mossman-Port Douglas then minor premiers Brothers to the sword to qualify for their sixth grand final in a decade.

It is a period of consistency unmatched in the CDRL – Innisfail could, and should, claim to being the most consistent team of the past 10 years – but they have managed only one premiership in that time.

If Leprechauns centre Yaza Stephen has his way, a second trophy will be heading down the Bruce Highway shortly after 9pm on Saturday.

Stephen, his brother, Gabe, and cousin, Daniel Mooka, joined Innisfail from the Sharks team which won the competition in 2019, and all three have undoubtedly had an impact.

The Stephen brothers are known for their physicality and toughness, while Mooka ticks all of the boxes with speed, footwork, vision and a massive right boot which launches the midfield bombs that keeps rival fullbacks up at night.

“It feels good, hey. Hopefully (we’ll) get a back-to-back premiership, but I’m keen to represent Innisfail,” Yaza Stephen said. “There’s been good community support, and I’m keen to bring the trophy home.

“It’s good, hey; there’s heaps of support, especially for us boys from Cairns travelling there. It’s a good club, good community. Us three cousins went down. Daniel, my cousin, Gabe, my brother, we just moved for something new.

“It’ll definitely be good, especially because they beat us at home during the season.

“I think the whole community is coming, so hopefully we’ll have the Innisfail community coming up.”

The trio has added to the alreadystrong roster Hallie has built at Callendar Park.

Livewire fullback Andrew Garrett has been a revelation since joining from Yarrabah, while former Ipswich Jets halfback Julian Christian has added yet another dimension to the impressive Leprechauns.

Add in some longer-serving Innisfail weapons like five-eighth Aaron Jolley, the competition’s leading pointscorer in 2021, veteran hooker Robert Haren, and the outstanding front-row partnership of Dan Sagigi and Johann Turner, and Hallie has a squad which could end this six-year premiership drought.

Stephen said the team had left no stone unturned as they prepared for a Seahawks outfit known to exploit the tiniest of chinks in a rival’s armour.

“We’ve had some pretty good training sessions (this week),” he said.

“Especially against Yarrabah, we’re just keen on trying to hold the ball and defending.

“Last time we had them, we had a few boys missing, but we’ve got a full squad this game coming.”

And how do you beat them? “Just starve them from the ball,” Stephen said. “Work them through the middle, starve them of the ball, and we’ll win the game.”

And end that premiership drought.