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Kayo Stadium at Redcliffe will host the 2026 Mal Meninga Cup grand final, with the Wynnum Manly Seagulls taking on the Townsville Blackhawks in a 2.05pm kickoff that will showcase some of Queensland’s most exciting Under-19 pathway talent.
The decider brings two of the competition’s form sides to one of Queensland’s most passionate rugby league venues, with the 10,000-capacity stadium expected to draw a strong crowd from across the Redcliffe Peninsula and the broader Moreton Bay region. Kayo Stadium has been a regular host of Queensland Cup grand finals and major pathway fixtures, and Saturday’s final continues that tradition.
The Blackhawks earned their place in the decider with a hard-fought 20-18 win over the Redcliffe Dolphins at the same venue in the week prior, a result that stung the home side but showed the quality of the competition at this level.
Redcliffe pushed hard throughout, with Adam McSherry crossing for a try and landing all three of his conversions to keep the Dolphins in contention, but Townsville’s Archie Mesritz delivered a double and Taj Lateo sealed the win with a late try from five-eighth that proved the difference.
A stadium that knows how to deliver a grand final
Kayo Stadium, formally known as Dolphin Oval when it first opened in 1979, has hosted Queensland Cup grand finals in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2019, 2021 and 2022, as well as NRL games and NRLW matches in recent seasons. Significant upgrades between 2016 and 2020 brought the venue to NRL standard, with new grandstands on the western, eastern and northern ends lifting total capacity to approximately 10,000.
Broadcast-quality light towers installed in 2023 now make the stadium one of the most capable boutique rugby league venues in Australia, able to host night games, carnivals and major events to the same standard as metropolitan venues.
Saturday’s 2.05pm kickoff puts the final in the early afternoon window, giving families and footy fans across the Moreton Bay region a clear run to the ground after a morning at the beach.
What brought the two sides to this point
Wynnum Manly claimed their semi-final berth with a hard-fought 22-14 win over the Tweed Seagulls. Winger Bond Bradley spearheaded the attack with a clinical hat-trick for the Bayside outfit. Harrison Bath crossed for another, while Payton Gifford and Bailen Noy shared the goal-kicking duties, slotting three conversions between them to secure the result.
Townsville’s path was tighter. The Blackhawks beat Redcliffe 20-18 in the elimination semi, with Mesritz’ double and tries to Ashyr Kelso, Reweti Ngarimu and Lateo enough to hold off a Dolphins side that competed fiercely at home. The narrow margin underlines how closely matched the competition has been across the season and sets up a grand final that could go either way.
How to watch
Saturday’s Mal Meninga Cup grand final kicks off at 2.05pm at Kayo Stadium, Redcliffe, on 9 May 2026. Full grand final action streams live on Qplus, presented by National Storage, at qplus.tv.
Published 6-May-2026
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