BMD Premiership: Round 5 Wrap
Round 5 tightened the BMD Premiership ladder, with the Bears staying unbeaten, the Tigers and Devils holding firm in the top three, and the Falcons and Pride making strong moves into the top five.
Northern Pride (44) def. Ipswich Jets (28) at Barlow Park.
Northern Pride delivered one of the attacking performances of the round, running in nine tries to climb from seventh to fifth. Jairel-Ellen Martin-Savage and Shaniah Power both finished with doubles, while Pride’s fast start helped them build a 24-12 half-time lead. The Jets showed plenty with five tries of their own, but the loss saw them slide from fourth to sixth.
Brisbane Tigers (38) def. Tweed Seagulls (14) at Preston Building Sports Complex.
The Tigers kept pace with the competition leaders, holding second spot with a strong road win over Tweed. Alice Shannon scored twice inside the opening 14 minutes, while Pauline Piliae-Rasabale was influential with a try and five goals. Brisbane led 28-6 at half-time and now own the best points differential in the competition at +84. Whilst Tweed remain 12th and are still searching for their first win.
Wynnum Manly Seagulls (28) def. Western Clydesdales (6) at Stafford Park.
Wynnum Manly produced a strong second-half turnaround to claim their first win of the season. The Seagulls trailed 6-4 at half-time, but took control after the break with tries to Tara Kerr, Linneke Gevers, Charlotte Wells, Shya Peri and Sheteyah Han. The win lifts Wynnum Manly onto their first competition points, while the Clydesdales remain ninth after a third straight defeat.
Sunshine Coast Falcons (40) def. Central Queensland Capras (12) at Sunshine Coast Stadium.
The Falcons jumped from sixth to fourth with a commanding home win over the Capras. Ace Pollock was the standout, crossing for a hat-trick inside the dying minutes of the game, while Sophie Zipf was sharp off the boot with six of a possible seven conversions. Sunshine Coast led 22-8 at half-time and kept the pressure on after the break, finishing with seven tries to three. The Capras remain 10th after grabbing their only points off the back of their round 1 victory.
Norths Devils (34) def. Mackay Cutters (12) at BB Print Stadium.
The Devils did the damage early, racing to a 24-0 half-time lead before closing out a strong away win in Mackay. Tayla Sykes and Natalie Wright both scored doubles, with Wright also kicking five conversions in a big performance, individually contributing 18 of the Devils points. The result keeps Norths in third spot and now level on points with the Tigers. The Cutters fought back late through Bella Thompson and Lyrech Mara, but dropped from fifth to seventh.
Burleigh Bears (26) def. Souths Logan Magpies (20) at Davies Park.
The Bears stayed perfect at the top of the ladder, but not without having to work hard for the victory. Burleigh led 20-6 at the break and had enough of a buffer to hold off a storming Magpies second-half push. Tavarna Papalii crossed twice, while Zara Canfield added three conversions. Souths Logan scored three second-half tries to make it interesting, but the Bears held steady to remain the only unbeaten side in the competition at 5-0.
Overall, Round 5 left the ladder with the Bears still the table topper, the Tigers and Devils chasing, and Falcons and Pride forcing their way into the top-five conversation.
