'It's personal': Burleigh and Mackay shape up for almighty forwards clash

“They pretty much rolled us in the middle last time and I don’t think we were really in that game,” Weale said of Round 3.

“We weren’t in the headspace. There were a lot of discussions after that game about what not to do. We learned a lot about our mindset and where to focus our game.

“We have a really strong forward pack and didn’t use it to our full advantage. We let them play their game.

“I don’t want to go out there again and get rolled up the middle. It’s something I take personally and something I hope the other girls take personally.

“I honestly think compared to our last game against Burleigh, this week, it will be nothing like it.

“It was a very big wakeup call... we’re all really keen and excited to play Burleigh again and show them what we can do.

“It’s do-or-die. We want to be in that grand final in our inaugural season.”

Weale, who was with the West Brisbane Panthers for three seasons before moving north to join the Cutters, has been a standout for Mackay this year, fresh off her first NRLW stint with the Newcastle Knights in 2022.

She admits she had her doubts about whether the Mackay system would work, with players training separately and then flying in from across the state to come together on game day.

Travelling across Mackay and Townsville herself, the 20-year-old now sees that the talent across the team and support of the staff has been enough to get them into the finals, following on in the footsteps of the reigning premiers, the North Queensland Gold Stars.

For Weale, a win this Sunday and then a potential premiership would be the perfect result for all that she and her teammates have sacrificed this year.

“Considering it’s our inaugural season and we come together on the weekends to play together, it’s uplifting to know the North Queensland women have such a strong hold in the competition,” Weale said.

“I was genuinely very concerned initially. I was going between the Mackay and Townsville groups here and there because I was doing a lot of travel and I very much questioned how it would come together having never been part of a system like this.

“But as the season has gone along, we’ve banded together. We all come together on a Friday and do our captain’s run and we’re all good.

“It would mean a lot (to get the premiership). I’ve moved my whole life up north to play for the Cutters.

“For all the time it’s taken and the financial losses and what not, it would be the light at the end of the tunnel. I’d love for the Cutters to get a win.”

But standing in their way at the first hurdle is Burleigh and their forwards.

Prop Dannii Perese also played in that Round 3 showdown, but walked away triumphant.

Perese said for her team and her pack, they went into every week with the forwards ready to shoulder the responsibility of getting the Bears off to a strong start and Round 3 was one particular week where it all clicked and they set the platform for their outside backs and halves.

However, after some slow starts in recent weeks for Burleigh, getting those opening 20 minutes right has been a major focus for the team and Perese knows that with Mackay ready to come out firing, the Bears pack have to be on their guard.

“It’s going to be a forward pack fight,” Perese said.

“Both teams have different types of forwards so that will be interesting. We did win last time but we’ll see this week.

“It was one of those games where the backs really relied on us. They always do the fancy stuff and it felt great that they relied on us to step up. It was the first game where (prop) Sophie Holyman (main image) was starting and we talked about going out and going hard from the start.

“We go into every game having the same mindset that the forwards need to win the middle. It will be the same this weekend.

“We’ve talked about how we need to push from the start, as soon as we get on the field. If we win the first 20, it will help us a lot.

"There’s a huge responsibility that forwards carry.”

Perese was also in Burleigh’s semi-final loss to the Gold Stars last year and - with 12 months more experience under her belt - is determined to not fall out of the premiership race this weekend.

She said she could see across the Burleigh squad, that while they’re still young, there was a growth in maturity and a better understanding of what these big games meant.

“We didn’t win last year and it was disappointing,” Perese said.

“It was my first season and personally, I’ve grown from last year and there’s not as much pressure going into a semi-final since I’ve played one before.

“They biggest thing I’ve learnt is that mindset around the game is important. It’s about going into games at 100 per cent and making sure my body is right. I didn’t do that as much as I should have done last year.

“It would mean a lot to go all the way and it would show we have improved a lot from last year.

“That’s the goal of playing league. It would mean a lot to win with all the players alongside me. I’ve known them for a long time.”

Catch the semi-finals on Qplus.tv.

Main image by NRL Imagery