Burleigh Bears vs Ipswich Jets BMD Round 7 Game Report ✍🏼 Michael Nunn

Round 7 of the BMD Premiership at Goodna brought together two finals contenders, with the third-placed Burleigh Bears taking on the fourth-placed Ipswich Jets in what proved to be a tense and hard-fought contest.

The Jets entered the clash with confidence after a gritty 22-14 victory over Central Queensland the previous week, while the Bears were looking to build on an 18-all draw against the Mackay Cutters. With only a handful of competition points separating the teams, there was plenty at stake as both sides looked to strengthen their position inside the top four.

Burleigh made the brighter start, and it was evident that Chelsea Cooper had received the memo about fast starts. The platform was laid by front-rower Ruby Fifita, whose powerful surge into the attacking zone bent the defensive line and generated valuable momentum. Sensing an opportunity, the Bears shifted the ball crisply through the hands to the right edge where Cooper finished the movement, crossing for her second try of the 2026 season and giving Burleigh an early 4-0 advantage.

The opening quarter was dominated by strong defence and physical exchanges through the middle of the field, with both forward packs refusing to concede ground. The Bears looked threatening when they generated quick play-the-balls, while the Jets relied on their willingness to shift the football and challenge Burleigh’s edge defence.

If you had five and five in the doubles, you would have been celebrating nine minutes later when Ipswich struck back. The Jets worked their way downfield before a superb offload from Corteaz De Pou created space on the right flank. Chantae Wilson-Jenkins needed little invitation, diving over in the corner to level the scores at 4-4.

Despite both teams enjoying periods of field position, points proved difficult to come by throughout the remainder of the opening half. Errors, penalties and determined goal-line defence disrupted attacking rhythm, with neither side able to produce the finishing touch required to break the deadlock. As a result, the 4-4 halftime scoreline was a fair reflection of a contest dominated by defensive resolve rather than attacking fluency.

The Bears emerged from the sheds with renewed purpose, and it was Memory Paitai creating core try scoring memories when she delivered the breakthrough. Burleigh’s forwards laid the foundation through a series of strong carries, with Tara McGrath-West leading the charge and punching holes in the Jets defensive line. Playing off the back of that momentum, Paitai spotted a gap around the ruck, accelerated through the opening and raced 25 metres to score. It was an intelligent piece of play from the Bears five-eighth and gave Burleigh a deserved 10-4 lead with 27 minutes remaining.

With the advantage on the scoreboard, the Bears looked capable of grinding out an important victory. Their defence repeatedly absorbed waves of Ipswich attack, turning away raid after raid as the Jets searched desperately for an equaliser. Every tackle seemed to carry greater significance as the clock wound down and the intensity lifted.

Just when it appeared Burleigh would leave Goodna with the competition points, the Jets found a way. Acting from dummy-half close to the line, Jhana Magele spotted an opportunity and powered her way through the defensive wall to score beside the posts and breathe life into the home side’s hopes.

The try left the result resting on the conversion attempt of Te Pou. With the siren sounding in the background and the pressure at its highest, she calmly slotted the goal to level the scores at 10-10 and ensure the points would be shared.

While the draw may have felt frustrating for the Bears after leading for much of the second half, there were still several standout individual performances. Elizabeth Naleba was tireless in defence, producing a game-high 37 tackles from the second row, while front-rower Eta Sikahele was a constant menace with the football, piling up an impressive 191 running metres during her 62-minute stint.

Statistically, Burleigh created enough opportunities to claim victory. The Bears finished with five-line breaks to the Jets’ three and regularly found ways to penetrate the defensive line. However, ill-timed errors and costly penalties repeatedly halted their momentum and forced them to expend valuable energy defending. The fact Burleigh made 34 more tackles than Ipswich highlighted the pressure they placed on themselves throughout the afternoon.

The Bears now return home to UAA Park on Sat 8 August where they will face Wynnum Manly and looking to avoid a third draw in a row.