With the introduction of the Police Liaison Officers program in indigenous communities in the mid to late 90’s and the formation of the QUATSIP (Qld & Torres Strait Islander Police) program shortly after, our Association saw an influx of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Police, Liaison Officers and Community Police become involved in our organisation.
At the Cairns State Championships in 2002, this strength and the support for these players was clear with the formation of the big, strong and fast FNQ United. Although limited success was the return on the field in their inaugural year, the arrival of this exciting outfit, took the imagination of the Association. Their introduction split the Far Northern Region into 2 teams taking players from the traditional Cairns Marlins, however the Association believed this gamble was worth the experiment.
In the following years, due to instability in numbers, the TI boys emerged as the stronger of the 2 clubs with a Plate win in 2004 and their maiden State title in 2005 in Mt Isa. The following year and with the push by the Association for rationalisation, the Far Nth Qld Warriors emerged as a joint venture between the strong TI Warriors and the struggling Cairns Marlins. This powerful new club represents the entire Far Northern Police Region stretching from Innisfail District to the south, up through Cape York and the many islands of the Torres Straits.
In their short but successful history, the TI and Cape York boys brought flair and skill to the carnival, like nothing that had been before them. They were rewarded with Qld rep jerseys for Barry Nona in 2002 and Tony Bani in 2005, with Bani claiming Australian Police selection to the ARL’s Affiliated States National Championships that same year.
