Foley Shield 2025 live updates: Townsville scores Shield double
Townsville has secured a dominant 2025 Foley Shield performance, winning both the men’s and women’s competitions in irreproachable fashion. See the latest.
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Townsville came to life with six second-half tries to claim a thrilling Foley Shield triumph, beating Mackay 40-10 to secure the 2025 title.
Tied up at 10-all at the break, it took 16 minutes of gruelling back-and-forth rugby league for Townsville to finally break the deadlock with back-to-back tries by backrower Tajshon Santo-Messa.
Despite having a man in the sin bin, Santo-Messa pounced on a loose ball that had pinballed into the in-goal after Mackay failed to defuse a rapid grubber kick by Kyle Laybutt to give Townsville the lead.
The athletic forward crossed for his second try in the next set when Mackay fullback Kyle Krisanski-Kennedy spilt a bomb, which fell right into Santo-Messa’s breadbasket.
Dangerous centre Michael Carroll had just been sin-binned for a huge tackle on Mackay halfback Brad Campbell, who was visibly rattled and had to leave the field, and Townsville had to dig deep to defend the line while a man down.
Townsville coach Michael Parker-Walshe said his side’s ability to stay in the game under duress allowed them to hit the lead when Mackay began to falter.
“There was a period there in the second half where we had a bloke in the sin bin and we defended our tryline two or three sets in a row, and I think momentum changed after that,” Parker-Walshe said.
“That probably broke them a little bit and we were good enough in the last 15 minutes to ruck it up and score a couple of nice tries.
“It’s been around for a long while, and we spoke about what it meant to the community and some of the past players – not only from Townsville but the famous Mount Isa teams, and teams from all across North Queensland – and hopefully that showed in our performance today.”
But after withstanding a wave of attack, Townsville scored twice without Carroll to put one hand on the Shield.
After keeping up with Townsville all afternoon, the visitors struggled in the final 15 minutes and conceded four more tries to blow out the score, with Jaelen Feeney unable to put a final cherry on top after missing a conversion from right in front.
Mackay scored the first try of the afternoon after building a mountain of early pressure with clean and accurate play, and it was tough prop Josh Honan who took advantage of a short pass to crash over near the posts and score.
Townsville wrestled its way back into the contest with gritty defence before capitalising on the team’s first real attacking raid when fullback Declan Dowson – who was later crowned player of the carnival – collected a nice short ball from Shaun Nona, regathering possession as he spun out of a tackle and over the line.
Mackay was threatening to extend its lead when Carroll claimed an intercept near his own goal-line, racing 90 metres to score as Jimmy Ngutlik came close to chasing him down.
But the visitors worked back into good territory and levelled the scores before halftime with a powerful try from wrecking ball centre Dario Takitaki. Townsville five-eighth Laybutt left the field following the try after hurting his leg, but returned after the break as the reigning champions took control.
Mackay captain Kane Linnett said he was proud of his side after a tough game.
“Credit to Townsville, they stuck in there and got over us in the end,” he said.
“I’m very proud, it's obviously a long way for us to come up but we had a really good weekend and everyone dug in for each other, so it was a good group to be a part of.
“The Foley Shield has a massive history and hopefully we can keep this competition going and get the best players on the field.”
TOWNSVILLE: 40 (Declan Dowson, Michael Carroll, Tajshon Santo-Messa (2), Jesse Pascoe, Jordan Ahone-Remfrey, Josh Williams tries; Shaun Nona (4) goals)
MACKAY: 10 (Josh Honan, Dario Takitaki tries; Augustus Rangihuna goal)
Hosts claims women’s Shield
Townsville has claimed the 2025 women’s Foley Shield after dispatching Mackay 50-4 on day three of competition at the Red Track.
Townsville’s women were far too strong for the Sea Eagles, making easy metres and finding flimsy defence once they got within striking range to secure a third-consecutive Foley Shield title.
Townsville captain Teeks Nielson and forward Emma Hannigan each scored first-half doubles as the home side took a commanding 28-0 lead at the break with six tries.
Nielson thanked her teammates and supporters for making the effort to get involved.
“Thank you to everyone who came down to support us and to all the girls that travelled to play as well,” she said.
“To my team, thank you to all the girls for getting out there and playing some nitty gritty footy, it’s always good to get alongside the girls and get the win.”
Rising rookie five-eighth Latisha Kaitap was electric in attack while Angela Solomon’s kicking game ensured Townsville finished their sets in good position or with a dangerous attacking kick.
Charters Towers winger Ashlyn Hoey scored one of the tries of the game, stepping twice off her right foot as she zigzagged past five defenders to score beside the posts following a cross-field kick from Solomon.
Mackay struggled to hold onto possession and piggybacked Townsville out of danger with poor discipline on multiple occasions, while Townsville’s forwards were running downhill as they rolled through their opponents.
Burdekin centre Martina Monday scored just minutes into the second stanza, setting the tone for another dominant half which saw Townsville score four tries – including Hannigan’s third to complete her hat-trick.
Townsville hit the 50-point milestone with 10 minutes to play in an emphatic statement that they are the premier women’s team in North Queensland, although Mackay fans were given something to celebrate when Ataliah Love scored in the final minute to put her team on the board.
TOWNSVILLE: 50 (Teeks Nielson (2), Emma Hannigan (3), Ashlyn Hoey, Jahntae Mara (2), Martina Monday, Lillee Rodighiero tries; Latisha Kaitap (2), Kaiontae Ross (3) goals)
MACKAY: 4 (Ataliah Love)
Mackay triumphs over Cairns
Premiership-winning ex-Cowboy Kane Linnett guided Mackay to a 58-6 triumph over Cairns to set up an unmissable Foley Shield decider against Townsville on Monday where the winner will be crowned 2025 champions.
Linnett captained the side and his classy contributions from the centres in attack and defence gave Mackay the edge over a fast and physical Cairns squad.
The former Scottish international played 164 NRL games for the Cowboys and looked like he still has the ability to match it with the best at the top level, crossing for a try just after halftime to put Mackay in the driver’s seat to claim victory.
Papua New Guinea Kumul Jimmy Ngutlik was a force to be reckoned with on Mackay’s right wing, working perfectly with Linnett to start sets on the front foot with his powerful carries.
Fullback Kyle Krisanski-Kennedy was first to score after a knock on allowed Mackay to start a set deep in attack, coming up trumps with a nice backline shift to the right.
Kyle Barnwell sniped out of dummy half to double Mackay’s lead early in the second half after the team withstood waves of attack on their goal-line, managing to turn Cairns away at every attempt.
Mackay made it back-to-back four-pointers with a try in the next set when Alfie Schultz pounced on a mistake to give his side a commanding lead.
Rangihuna scored his 10th point of the contest within the first half hour when he jinked his way to the line for an easy try before duly slotting the conversion in windy conditions. The five-eighth was spectacular from the tee all game, finishing with nine out of 11 successful goals.
Cairns’ kicking game hurt the team and a miss-hit 20m restart sailed out on the full and allowed Mackay to add another two points via the boot of Rangihuna after the halftime hooter had sounded.
Linnett switched to the left edge in the second half and was equally effective, scoring a four-pointer untouched to extend the lead to 28 points not long after the break.
Mackay’s halves combined for the Sea Eagles’ sixth try of the afternoon when Cairns failed to defuse a Rangihuna chip close to the line and halfback Brad Campbell scooped up the ball to score.
Mackay continued to score tries at an incredible rate with the best of the bunch coming from a long-range run for Barnwell’s second try of the match.
Cairns finally hit the scoreboard in the final minutes when Bradley Stephen crashed over in the right corner for a consolation try, which he successfully converted, to make the drive back up the Bruce Highway slightly less depressing.
MACKAY: 58 (Kyle Krisanski-Kennedy, Kyle Barnwell (2), Alfie Schultz, Augustus Rangihuna, Kane Linnett, Brad Campbell, Dario Takitaki, Sheldon Diaz, Jimmy Ngutlik tries; Augustus Rangihuna (9) goals)
CAIRNS: 6 (Bradley Stephen try; Bradley Stephen goal)
Cairns hopes alive
Cairns’ slim hopes of a women’s Foley Shield title are still alive after crushing Mackay 40-0 on Sunday afternoon.
It was a game played with plenty of passion and a scuffle broke out on full time despite the lopsided score as all 26 players came together – resulting in Mackay fullback Leila Doyle being sent off while Alycia Taylor Hansson and Cairns’ Layla Geck were put into the sin bin.
Poor discipline and errors cost Mackay as the women from Far North Queensland raced out to a big halftime lead with right backrower Aerriealle Hobbler starring in attack.
Hobbler scored one try and had a hand in a couple of others as the power game of Cairns proved too much to handle.
Cairns was gifted a golden opportunity to attack after Mackay spilt possession on the first run of the game, allowing Cairns to set up from a scrum 30m out.
That great position opened the door for Jarketta Smith to score with Cairns’ first attacking raid when she clutched onto a late offload and barrelled over the line from close range.
Just minutes later Hobbler made two great runs in the same set, including using some nice footwork close to the line to open space for an offload to Bri Cater, who brushed off the tackle to score Cairns’ second.
Hobbler forced her way onto the scoresheet midway through the half, collecting a nice short ball from dummy half to crash over the line.
Cairns interchange forward Layla Geck scored a try of her own with a darting run from dummy half just minutes after entering the contest, before barnstorming prop Mish Mairu extended the lead to 26-0 in the dying moments of the first half to put the result out of reach.
Mairu scored her second of the afternoon just after the break as Cairns continued to pile on the pain with Smith also crossing for a double.
Cairns can now claim the Foley Shield if Mackay beats Townsville on Monday by 29 points or more on Monday.
MACKAY: 0
CAIRNS: 40 (Jarketta Smith (2), Bri Cater, Aerrielle Hobbler, Layla Geck, Mish Mairu (2), Lisa Sire tries; Angelina Brim (3), Lisa Waireg (1) goals)
Townsville far too good for Cairns
Townsville took one step towards securing back-to-back Foley Shield titles with emphatic victories over Far North Queensland in both the men’s and women’s fixtures on Saturday.
Townsville’s two teams won by a combined margin of 58 points, putting both squads in the driver’s seat to claiming the silverware on Monday following games against Mackay.
Townsville’s men were too strong for their northern counterparts, coming out on top of a 40-16 thumping as Curtis Dempsey scored a double.
Experienced halves Kyle Laybutt and Shaun Nona shared the kicking duties while backrower Jordan Ahone Remfrey had an eventful game with a successful conversion and a sin bin.
Cairns fullback Liam O’Brien scored for the visitors along with hooker Jayden Connors and prop Feao Tongia.
Townsville scored nine tries in the women’s game on the way to a dominant 48-14 win.
Burdekin centre Martina Monday played well for Townsville and was rewarded with two tries while halfback Angela Solomon collected 16 individual points with a try and six goals.
Lisa Sire scored a double for Cairns in one of the stronger performances from the visitors.
Far North Queensland must win its Sunday games against Mackay for any chance of winning the Shield, while a win for Mackay can set up what will effectively be a Monday grand final against Townsville.
SEE THE PLAYERS TO WATCH AND LIVE UPDATES FROM 2025 FOLEY SHIELD ACTION BETWEEN MACKAY, TOWNSVILLE AND CAIRNS
May 4
One of the marquee events of the North Queensland rugby league calendar is set to go this weekend, with the annual Foley Shield bringing together the best talent out of Mackay, Townsville and Cairns for a huge weekend of footy.
North Queensland’s best A-grade players could have the opportunity to go head-to-head with the man who once claimed the title of the NRL’s heaviest player, ex-Kiwis star Sam Kasiano.
The 2012 Dally M Prop of the year was named in Mackay’s squad alongside another fearsome former international in Parramatta Eels enforcer Manu Ma’u.
Kasiano and Ma’u bring a wealth of experience to a Mackay squad which also includes Papua New Guinea Kumuls winger Jimmy Ngutlik.
But it is reigning champions Townsville that has the most former first grade stars, with four ex-NRL players within the squad joining the Shield defence.
PNG Kumuls halfback Kyle Laybutt will be key to Townsville’s success alongside former Newcastle Knight Jaelen Feeney.
With ex-NRL players and young up-and-comers alike coming together for an action-packed weekend at the Townsville Sports Reserve, find out which players from both the men’s and women’s squads you need to be paying attention to.
FIXTURES:
Townsville v Cairns Women | Saturday May 3 | 5pm
Townsville v Cairns Men | Saturday May 3 | 6.30pm
Mackay v Cairns Women | Sunday May 4 | 12.30pm
Mackay v Cairns Men | Sunday May 4 | 2pm
Townsville v Mackay Women | Monday May 5 | 12.30pm
Townsville v Mackay Men | Monday May 5 | 2pm
CAIRNS
MEN
James Frazer (Souths): In his second year competing in the Foley Shield, Frazer is expected to feature prominently in the halves for FNQ.
Terence Anau-Sailor (Mossman-Port Douglas): Described as a “quiet achiever” by his coach, Anau-Sailor will be competing in his first Foley Shield, occupying the front row.
WOMEN
Rylee Wallace (Kangaroos): Will be one of the leaders of the squad, with coach Peri Creamer describing her as a “strong, hard running back rower.”
Aerielle Hobbler (Atherton): A former Australian schoolgirl representative, Hobbler was described by Creamer as a “born football player.”
TOWNSVILLE
MEN
Kyle Laybutt (Souths Bulls): The Kumuls halfback will be pivotal to Townsville’s chances of going back-to-back, bringing a wealth of experience to the spine.
Curtis Dempsey (Souths Bulls): A great player who leads by example, Dempsey is one of the toughest modern players getting around fields in North Queensland.
WOMEN
Emma Hannigan (Brothers): The RLTD’s reigning best and fairest woman is also a star of the local rugby union competition, proving her versatility to excel at whatever sport she puts her mind to.
Jakaia Collett (Townsville Blackhawks): Don’t let her age fool you, Collett is a tough and strong backrower with a big future in the sport.
Theophelia Mosby-Nona (Brothers): A powerful ballrunner who represented the Queensland under-19s team in State of Origin in 2022, middle forward Mosby-Nona and her younger sister Zaleah Mosby-Nona are both dangerous players that have the ability to dominate a game.
MACKAY
MEN
Rory Woodall (Brothers): A Mackay Cutters development prospect, Woodall has been on the radar in the RLMD for a while now thanks to his elite versatility.
Manu Ma’u (Souths): Hard to look past an ex-NRL player, Ma’u will surely be one of the strongest performers out of any side’s front row in this competition.
Originally published as Foley Shield 2025 live updates: Townsville scores Shield double
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