Warriors too strong for Bears in State Championship

Fulltime: The Warriors have claimed the honours back for the NSW Cup competition, posting a strong 50-20 win over the Burleigh Bears. In a history-making season for the New Zealand team, this latest silverware will be much celebrated. 

Halfback Tanah Boyd claimed player of the match honours with his four try assists on top of scoring a try and kicking seven from nine conversions. Fellow former Bear Taine Tuaupiki was another standout performer, running for 268 metres and scoring two tries. 

74th min: While the Bears haven't scored as many tries as the Warriors, they have had some impressive ones today, with this from Mitchell Watson one of the best. After a break in the middle from Coe Geyer, the ball goes to prop Fletcher Baker who puts in a great kick ahead that is chased by Watson to score. Scores are 50-20 after Rogers misses the conversion. 

70th min: Josh Rogers gets a try of his own for the Bears after setting up their last. Former Warrior Paul Roache sets him up with a powerful run at the line, offloading to his five-eighth who was trailing in behind. Rogers misses the conversion and it's 50-16. 

66th min: The Warriors capitalise almost immediately, going upfield before getting the ball out to Hanson to go over on the left for his second. Boyd's sideline conversion is successful and it's 50-12. 

65th min: A penalty to the Warriors after the Bears were denied a try after a ruling of an obstruction. 

61st min: A double for Tuaupiki, who has proved elusive on the field. The Bears make an error in their own half and hand the Warriors another chance to attack, with their fullback stepping and weaving his way through to score. Boyd kicks another and it's 44-12. 

58th min: Ewan Moore gets the second try of the game for the Bears which was an impressive one for the Queensland side. A chip and chase from Josh Rogers splits the Warriors before they get the ball out to their second rower to score. Rogers converts for 38-12. 

52nd min: After withstanding wave after wave of Wahs attack, the Bears can't stop five-eighth Luke Hanson from going over for another try, taking his dummy at the line off a Boyd pass. Boyd converts and it's 38-6.

46th min: On the other wing, Ed Kosi is also held up, stopping short originally before his next effort is thwarted by Bears defence. 

45th min: Tu is denied his third - his second disallowed try of the game - after the Bears scramble well out to their left to hold him up once more. 

42nd min: An error from the Warriors there they are ruled to have stripped the ball from the Bears results in a knock on and gives Burleigh some much-needed possession.

Half-time: The Warriors go into the sheds with an imposing 32-6 lead. The Warriors have dominated possession with 56 percent and have a completion rate of 80 percent (17/21), while the Bears have a 78 percent completion rate (11/14). Warriors have made seven line break to three and have 26 tackle breaks to 15. The Bears have also made more errors (6 to 4) and conceded more penalties (3 to 2) which has not helped their cause.

Injury update - Bears winger Troy Leo who came off with a high ankle injury is unlikely to return, but has not been ruled out just yet.

40th min: From nearly conceding a try down there end, the Warriors get one more try just before the break after picking up a loose ball in their in-goal and getting away from danger. Bears give up a penalty to give the Wahs a great position to set up a try and they do, with Tu over for his second. Boyd misses the kick and it's 32-6. 

36th min: Cole Geyer gets the Bears on the board with a strong run from dummyhalf, spinning out of the first defenders and getting the ball down. The Bears got their opportunity after an error from the Warriors where they didn't let a ball going dead bounce first, giving up a line drop out. Josh Rogers converts and it's 28-6. 

30th min: It's the Tanah Boyd show, setting up another try after cutting across to the middle of the field to find Freddy Lussick and putting him into a hole to go over under the posts. He converts this one and it's 28-0. 

27th min: Another former Bear in Taine Tuaupiki in on the board for the Warriors, capitalising on a poor passage of play from the Bears who hare well and truly on the back foot. Troy Leo just got out of the in-goal after a kick just held up in the right corner, but the next pass from dummy half didn't find its mark, causing an error. With a scrum in their own attacking 10, the Warriors spread the ball to the right, with the fullback scoring. Boyd misses his first conversion and the score stays 22-0. 

23rd min: Former Bear Tanah Boyd adds salt to the wounds, chasing through on a Sam Healey break in the middle of the field from his dummyhalf run to run in under the points to score. He converts his own try and it's 18-0.

15th min: After being held up earlier, Tu gets his try, leaping over the top of Bears defenders to score. Boyd converts again for a 12-0 lead.

10th min: After some back and forth, it's the Warriors on the board first, with Ali Leiataua getting the opening try of the afternoon, taking a Tanah Boyd pass as he runs to the line and spins his way away from Bears defenders. Boyd converts and it's 6-0. 

4th min: A chance for the Warriors early with Setu Tu going up in the air and bringing the ball down over the line, but the Bears defence holds him up.

Kick-off: The Warriors have first use of the ball in the first game of a massive day of rugby league. 

Late Mail

Warriors: Coach David Tangata-Toa heads into the State Championship showdown with the same 17 that claimed the club's first NSW Cup premiership with a 30-12 victory over the Dragons last Sunday. The Warriors have won 23 of 27 matches in 2025 and boast plenty of NRL experience in the shape of halfback Tanah Boyd, prop Bunty Afoa and outside backs Taine Tuaupiki and Ed Kosi. For Afoa, the clash bookends his Warriors career with a second grand final at Accor Stadium 11 years after being in the club’s winning NYC side in 2014. Centre Moala Graham-Taufa, prop Tom Ale and Kosi play their final game for the Warriors. No changes on game day with the line-up 1-18.

Bears: Nicholas O'Meley moves from centre to fill in for Creedence Toia, who limped off field just 15 minutes into last weekend's grand final win over Norths Devils with a calf injury. Sami Sauiluma comes into the starting side at centre and Lorenzo Mulitalo joins the bench. Halfback Guy Hamilton will play despite carrying a calf injury into the grand final and then hurting his ankle during the match. With bench forward Kurt de Luis nursing a broken jaw, last week's 18th man Lochlyn Sheldon has been added to the bench. This is the Burleigh Bears third State Championship appearance, after losses in 2016 to the Illawarra Cutters and 2019 to Newtown Jets. No changes on game day with the line-up 1-18.