Mareeba Rugby League Club started in 1923 playing in ‘The Club Lager Cup” against Irvinebank, Mt Garnet, Stannery Hills, Chillagoe/Mungana sides with iconic Mareeba names like Plowman, Edwards, Langton, Cotton, Hood and Tilse. The comp progressed as mining towns died and populations ebbed and flowed into other town centres up until the late 1930s then the world went to War.

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If you think you were hard done by recently with COVID and lack of footy, Rugby League paused during World War 2 for six years as men left Australia to fight and many not returning.

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After WW2 the population of North Qld exploded as did mining, agriculture and the timber industry and along with that came men wanting to play rugby league. It was also an era of increased immigration which led to some locals being introduced to the sport for the first time and falling in love with it. It wouldn’t take long until European families not normally associated with Rugby League would start to have a major impact in the game locally - names like Aquilina, Arcidiacono, Luretigh and Piagno.

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Due to the increase in population as the Tobacco and timber industries grew in Mareeba a decision to have two clubs in the town was made and the Town and Railways Rugby League Clubs were formed for the 1953 and 1954 seasons only.

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Having two teams in Mareeba was abandoned for the 1955 season and we went back to Mareeba Rugby League Club from 1955 to 1961 with the likes of Kevin Lea and Jack Jones starting their careers which would span the next big change in Mareeba Rugby league and seem them develop into some of the Foley Shield Rugby Leagues most impactful local players.

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Mareeba Easts RLC and Mareeba Wests RLC came to life after a decision to have a two-team town came about which ran from 1962 to 1979 in the Eacham RL senior competition. Coaches and Captains that were legendary and spanned multiple clubs and eras for both clubs included Jack Jones, Cyril Vains, Les Cahill, Kev Lea, Bill Whiteley, Dennis Kelly and Dennis Myers. It also saw the start of a local rivalry that would leave a lifetime impression and imprint on an entire generation on who you barracked for as you were either a Wests or Easts supporter and nothing in between.

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The late 1970s saw the senior Eacham Rugby League competition fold with both the Atherton Roosters and the newly formed Mareeba Gladiators moving to the revitalised CDRL in 1980. Starting with the legendary coach Bob Hasler who got the gladiators off on a great footing with a grand final appearance. Coaches and captains that have left their impressions over a generation have included Max Johnson, Brad Tessman, Andrew Walters, Terry Aquilina and Chris Sheppard. They have played with, moulded and coached some of North Qlds finest rugby league players who have gone on to play for Cairns, North Qld, Qld Residents, State league, Qld, Australia and NRL sides.

 

Davies Park was nicknamed the ‘Colosseum’ after the roman sporting arena that saw gladiators fight to the death, after an 18-game winning streak in the years of 2000 and 2001. That fighting spirit continues with opposition teams still dreading to play at Mareeba’s spiritual home.  All players who have donned the famous green and gold of the Mareeba Gladiators over the last 20 years have heard the saying ‘little town big heart’ but what is less known is that the sentiment of giving your all for your little town started 99 years ago in the rock-hard playing fields of Mareeba’s tough surrounds. Hard men playing a tough game on rock hard ground, playing for their beloved Mareeba.