The I Luv Coffee Burleigh Bears have moved to the top of the Intrust Super Cup ladder after winning their first local derby clash at Piggabeen in the past decade.
The Bears dominated possession and position in the first half to take a 24-0 lead at the break against a Tweed Heads side that made too many errors and kept control to win 36-4.
It was only with less than three minutes to go before the Seagulls, who never carried the ball into the Bears’ 20-metre zone in the first half, that the Tweed Heads side posted their points, through left winger Leva Li.
The competition lead, after Townsville Blackhawks went down to Ipswich Jets 24-12. was good enticement for the Bears to maintain their controlled, power-running game in atrocious wet conditions and that’s what they provided.
They were on the scoreboard early when Pacey fullback Kurtis Rowe scored his 12th try of the season from a shift down the left-side and they were rarely troubled after that.
A Jamal Fogarty penalty goal took the lead to 8-0 and the Bears’ second try came in the 25th minute when a good long ball as he fell to the ground from Cullen to put centre Semi Sauiluma into space for 12-0 lead.
Right centre Connor Broadhurst scored on the other side four minutes later after the Bears went right through halfback Fogarty to Rowe who passed to Broadhurst who had a slight juggle but stepped Seagulls fullback Ali Grants with right foot and score. Fogarty’s goal for made it 18-0.
The relentless Bears, who controlled possession well in the wet, were not finished and big Paterika Vaival stormed over from close range with Fogarty converting for a 24-0 half-time lead.
The Seagulls competed better in the second half as heavy rain fell and restricted the Bears to two more tries. The first came in the 58th minutes when five-eighth Cameron Cullen, one of their best, dummied right and ran left on last tackle and found Ailaomai who fed winger Waka Wanahi who ran through water to score. A great conversion into the wind for Fogarty on the left touchline 3took the score to 30-0
In the 73rd minute the powerful Josh Ailaomai took an inside ball from Politoni and could not be stopped from 10 metres. Fogarty converted for 36-0.
Li scored a consolation try for the Seagulls in the 77th minutes when he pounced on a grubber from Grant grubber from 10m.
Victorious Bears coach Jim Lenihan said after the match: “I’m really happy with what we are doing at the moment but hopefully we have a lot of improvement in us still.
“It’s always pleasing to get a win at Piggabeen in the local derby. I feel like we are a bullet proof team yet, I feel we have a lot of improving to do and we need to be up there with the Blackhawks and PNG.”
Burleigh Bears 36 (Rowe, Sauiluma, Wanahi, Broadhurst, Vaivail, Ailaomai tries; Fogarty 6 goals) beat Tweed Heads Seagulls 4 (Li try) at Piggabeen Sports Complex.
INTRUST SUPER CUP
POINTS TABLE AFTER ROUND 15
Team |
Played |
Won |
Draw |
Lost |
Bye |
For |
Agnst |
Total |
Burleigh Bears |
15 |
11 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
430 |
314 |
23 |
Redcliffe Dolphins |
13 |
9 |
0 |
4 |
2 |
356 |
204 |
22 |
PNG Hunters |
14 |
10 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
317 |
251 |
22 |
Townsville Blackhawks |
15 |
10 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
456 |
247 |
21 |
Easts Tigers |
14 |
8 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
355 |
284 |
19 |
Sunshine Coast Falcons |
14 |
7 |
1 |
6 |
1 |
275 |
270 |
17 |
Northern Pride |
14 |
7 |
0 |
7 |
1 |
323 |
293 |
16 |
Souths Logan Magpies |
14 |
5 |
2 |
7 |
1 |
337 |
356 |
14 |
CQ Capras |
14 |
6 |
0 |
8 |
1 |
296 |
414 |
14 |
Norths Devils |
14 |
5 |
1 |
8 |
1 |
304 |
388 |
13 |
Ipswich Jets |
15 |
6 |
0 |
9 |
0 |
332 |
377 |
12 |
Wynnum Manly Seagulls |
14 |
5 |
0 |
9 |
1 |
316 |
361 |
12 |
Tweed Heads Seagulls |
14 |
5 |
0 |
9 |
1 |
257 |
394 |
12 |
Mackay Cutters |
14 |
1 |
1 |
12 |
1 |
272 |
473 |
5 |
NEXT WEEK’S GAMES
Saturday 25 June
Easts Tigers v Northern Pride at Suzuki Stadium, Langlands Park 3:00pm
Townsville Blackhawks v Sunshine Coast Falcons at Jack Manski Oval 4:00pm
CQ Capras v Burleigh Bears at Browne Park 6:00pm
Sunday 26 June
Redcliffe Dolphins v Mackay Cutters at Dolphin Oval 1:40pm (Channel 9)
Tweed Heads Seagulls v Souths Logan Magpies at Piggabeen Sports 2:00pm
Norths Devils v PNG Hunters at Bishop Park 3:05pm
Bye: Wynnum Manly Seagulls, Ipswich Jets
