Burleigh Bears vs Mackay Cutters HPC Round 17 Game Report ✍🏼 Michael Nunn

The UAA Bears have beaten the Mackay Cutters 24-16 in Hostplus Cup game number 650 for Burleigh and recorded win number 383 in the process

The two things that will please the Bear faithful; it was a shut out in the second half and it’s the first time since round six and seven that the Bears have won two games in a row.

At half time it wasn’t looking all positive for the Bears at 16-6 down.

Mackay scored three first half tries that gave the Bears a bit of a wobbly look at half time.

It started with Mackay’s first try and the Bears didn’t get back momentum in the first half.

Mackay had a mid field scrum and they went left, the Bears right edge was exposed and Mackay winger Luke Pietzner had the first try.

The Bears regrouped from there and scored a great team try to Troy Leo, Zane Musgrave put Jett Bryce into a hole, after a great Bryce offload to Josh Rogers- Rogers passed to Turner Rau and Leo scored in the corner.

It was just five minutes later that the Cutters scored under the posts when hooker Mitch Fogarty twisted and turned pushing off Musgrave to give the Cutters back the lead.

The Bears clicked again with great ball movement through the hands and Lee Turner Rau scored out wide on the Bears left.

Just before half time Cutters half and captain Raydan Burns went a well-covered blind side but somehow sliced through to score and give the Cutters a half time lead.

In the second half the Bears scored three second half tries, with Phillip Coates relishing having Delouise Hoeter inside him and letting the Hostplus Cup veteran do his thing.

Hoeter and Coates will be a dangerous combination for the rest of the season.

Coates finished with two tries and 165 metres, while Hoeter was sensational inside him with 172 metres.

That’s 337 metres from your right edge.

Bears front rower Luke Gale on the back of his NRL debut last week for the Brisbane Broncos got through a huge amount of defence with 46 tackles and topped it off with a hole running try.

The Bears were dominate with six-line breaks with the ball and only missing 17 tackles without the ball.

The Bears backs had a day out on the back of the forward momentum created by Mason Teague.

Six of the seven Bears backs made over 100 metres.

The Bears will have the bye next week but return against the Townsville Blackhawks in Ayr for Country Week.