The BMD Premiership finals burst into life with the Burleigh Bears and Northern Pride delivering emphatic Week 1 victories.
The Burleigh Bears delivered a statement in Finals Week 1, dismantling Norths Devils 44-6 at UAA Park to storm into the preliminary finals picture.
From the opening whistle the Bears’ intent was clear, running in four tries before the break to hold a commanding 22-6 halftime lead.
Moana Cook sparked the charge in just the 6th minute before Teaghan Hartigan, Memory Paitai and Brianna Toopi all found the line in a ruthless burst.
The momentum never wavered after the restart, with Deleni Paitai grabbing a double, Ebony Laing crashing through, and Jaime Phillips sealing the result late.
Zara Canfield’s sharpshooting added five goals, while Shaianne McGlone also contributed from the tee, underscoring Burleigh’s all-round dominance.
Norths’ only joy came via Roimata Amosa-Tiro midway through the first half, briefly reducing the margin before the Bears pulled away.
The 44-point haul highlights Burleigh’s potency across the park and sets the stage for a blockbuster semi-final against Souths Logan Magpies at Davies Park this Sunday.
With both sides boasting attacking threats and finals experience, it shapes as one of the most anticipated clashes of the season.
Further North, the Northern Pride kept their campaign alive with a commanding 30-12 victory over Ipswich Jets at North Ipswich Reserve, booking a semi-final showdown with minor premiers Brisbane Tigers.
Pride stamped their authority early, with Adele Jensen and Jairel-Ellen Martin-Savage crossing in the opening 12 minutes. Caitlin Wark and Martin-Savage added further tries before halftime to put the visitors ahead 14-6, despite the Jets hitting back through Savannah Tato.
The second half was all Pride, Brandy Yallop and Nadia Windleborn both scoring to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
Jenni-Sue Hoeppner slotted three conversions to push the margin out of reach, while the Jets’ late strike through Moanekah Va’ai provided little consolation.
Defensively, Pride held firm against Ipswich’s trademark offload game, with their line speed and discipline setting the tone.
For the Jets, who had shown such resilience through the season, it was a disappointing end but not without flashes of the attacking spark that carried them into the top four.
The Pride now turn their attention to the Tigers at Totally Workwear Stadium this Saturday. With the Tigers unbeaten and rested, the Cairns-based outfit will need to summon another inspired performance to keep their finals dream alive.
