Bears vs Blackhawks HPC Semi Final Game Report โ๐ผ Michael Nunn
The Burleigh Bears have done what Burleigh Bears have done so often when September rolls around โ found a way. In an old-school finals slugfest where field position mattered more than flair and every carry came with a price, the UAA Burleigh Bears ground out a 12-10 victory over the Townsville Blackhawks to book their place in another Hostplus Cup preliminary final.
For the third time in four years of the โBurt Eraโ, the Bears are now just one win away from a grand final, with a mouth-watering clash against the Dolphins at Kayo Stadium awaiting next week.
It was hardly Burleigh at their free-flowing best, particularly in a first half where the Bears looked clunky with the ball and struggled to build any sustained attacking rhythm.
But finals football has never been about winning style points.
It is about surviving.
And Burleigh found plenty to survive on.
Mason Teague was welcomed back into the side and immediately went about reminding everyone what he brings to the Bears, grinding through 53 tackles in a defensive performance that was as reliable as it was relentless.
Across the 80 minutes, Burleigh missed just 22 tackles, a remarkable effort in a contest where the Blackhawks continually tested their middle and edges.
Townsville simply could not find the defensive crack they needed.
And whenever the Blackhawks threatened to gain momentum, Guy Hamilton was there with the boot to pull the game back towards Burleighโs preferred territory.
Hamilton kicked the Blackhawks to death, repeatedly turning Townsville around and forcing them to march the length of the field before they could even think about threatening the Bearsโ line.
It was not complicated rugby league, but it was smart rugby league.
Then, after the break, Jett Bryce began to make his mark.
Operating down the left side, Bryce was outstanding in the second half, providing the spark Burleigh had been missing and giving the Bears an attacking edge when the game was crying out for someone to step up.
The result was a game that ultimately came down to a wonderfully simple finals formula โ defend your line, win the kicking battle and score enough points to make the opposition chase the game.
For Burleigh, two tries proved enough.
Townsville kept coming, as good finals opponents do, and the closing stages became a test of nerve as much as football ability. But the Bears refused to crack, holding their line and protecting their 12-10 advantage until the final siren.
And perhaps that is the most ominous part for the rest of the competition.
The reigning premiers have found another way through September, and now they get a chance to take on the Dolphins at Kayo Stadium for a place in the Hostplus Cup grand final.
The Bears did the hard things well.
And now they are 80 minutes from another grand final.
