Bears vs Tigers BMD Preliminary Final Game Report βπΌ Michael Nunn
The UAA Burleigh Bears were eight minutes from a Grand Final when everything started to shake. A 24-4 lead had disappeared into a 24-22 margin; the Brisbane Tigers were charging like an out-of-control train and Burleigh were being asked to defend their season one set at a time. The Tigers had scored four tries from the 50th minute to transform a game that appeared firmly in Burleigh's hands into a desperate fight for the finish.
And the Bears refused to blink.
They held their line, absorbed the pressure and turned the Tigers away to secure a gutsy 24-22 victory and a place in next Sunday’s Grand Final against the Souths Logan Magpies.
For long periods, Burleigh had looked in control.
When Tavarna Papalii crossed, the Bears had opened up a 24-4 advantage and appeared destined for a comfortable run into the decider.
But finals football rarely follows the script.
The Tigers found another gear after half-time and suddenly Burleigh were under siege.
The possession statistics told part of the story, with Burleigh finishing with just 47 per cent of the ball while Brisbane ran for more than 200 metres than the Bears.
None of that mattered in the final eight minutes.
What mattered was who could hold their nerve.
Ruby Fifita did exactly that.
The Bears forward was exceptional when her team needed her most, making 28 tackles and missing just one while carrying the ball for 100 metres.
When Brisbane came again, Fifita was there.
When Burleigh needed another tackle, she made it.
When the Tigers threatened to break through, she kept turning up.
It was the sort of performance that rarely gets captured completely by a stat sheet, but there was no shortage of numbers to underline her contribution.
The Bears needed every one of those tackles as the Tigers continued to throw everything at them.
The Tigers had momentum, field position and the belief that the comeback was there to be completed, yet Burleigh found a way to keep Brisbane scoreless when it mattered most.
That is what makes this victory so significant.
Burleigh did not simply win a football game; they showed the composure and character required when a finals contest turns against you.
With the Tigers pounding at the door, the Bears stood their ground and refused to surrender the lead they had worked so hard to build.
The final siren brought relief, then celebration.
Next Sunday brings the Magpies and a premiership within reach.
But before they can think about lifting the trophy, the Bears can take plenty from a night when the game demanded everything they had.
They had the early lead, lost control of the momentum and then found the resolve to finish the job.
That is the mark of a team that belongs in a Grand Final.
