THE Broncos and Cowboys may be gone this season, but the memory of young Alex Elisala certainly is not.
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Moments after Mackay qualified for the Queensland Rugby League's Intrust Super Cup grand final, Cutters forward Jason Taumalolo paid tribute to former teammate Elisala.
A 20-year-old Logan Brothers junior and member of North Queensland's fulltime NRL squad, Elisala committed suicide in April of this year.
His shock death will form part of the emotion driving the Cutters when they take on Easts Tigers at Ipswich's North Ipswich Reserve for the State League crown this coming Sunday.
Taumalolo told commentators as much after walking off Langlands Park man-of-the-match in a 20-6 preliminary final win against minor premiers the Northern Pride.
He said "doing it" for Alex was one of the primary reasons the Cutters could overcome all odds to win in their first-ever grand final appearance.
Having posted the last try of the game against the Pride, Taumalolo helped to partly erase the spectre of the Cowboys controversial exit from the NRL a week before.
Dual-registered with both clubs, Taumalolo had featured in a 20-18 loss for the Cowboys which was marred by a seventh tackle try awarded to the Cronulla Sharks.
In the Easts Tigers, Mackay faces another side which has never won an Intrust Super Cup grand final, but one which has significant finals experience.
The Tigers go into Sunday's final with a week's break behind them, fresh off a 29-16 win against Northern Pride and a 31-18 win against Mackay in qualifying.
Ticket details and grand final kick-off times in all grades can be found here.
MACKAY CUTTERS 20 (Liam Taylor, Bureta Faraimo, Kalifa Fai Fai Loa, Jason Taumalolo tries; Liam Taylor 2 goals) beat NORTHERN PRIDE 6 (Semi Tadulala try; Shaun Nona goal) at Langlands Park.
