NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS 50 BURLEIGH BEARS 20
TOM SMITH, Accor Stadium, Sydney, Sunday
Ex-Burleigh Bears Tanah Boyd and Taine Tuaupiki tormented their former team-mates to lead the Warriors to the State Championship.
Halfback Boyd tallied four try assists and 18 points while fullback Tuaupiki crossed twice, as did winger Setu Tu and standoff Luke Hanson.
Boasting a side laced with NRL experience, NSW Cup winners New Zealand completed a dominant campaign in which they only lost twice.
It’s the Warriors’ first State Championship and maiden senior title, while it’s a third defeat on this stage for Burleigh – the Brisbane Broncos feeder club who lifted the Queensland Cup.
A Boyd cut-out set up Ali Leiataua’s opener, then Tu snaffled a Boyd bomb for the Aucklanders’ second.
A Samuel Healey run from dummy-half sent Boyd in under the sticks before Tuaupiki snared his first from a scrum and Boyd assisted Freddy Lussick moments after coming on.
Cole Geyer – son of Storm legend Matt – finally got the Bears on the board from dummy-half, before Tu nabbed his second in the right corner seconds before the break.
Burleigh refused to give up in the second half – Ewan Moore finished a great team try originating with a Josh Rogers chip, Paul Roache squeezed a smart offload to hand Rogers four points and Watson grounded a Fletcher Baker kick to give the Queenslanders something too cheer.
But Hanson slashed through twice and Tuaupiki struck from long range to bring up the Warriors’ half-century.
WARRIORS: 1 Taine Tuaupiki, 2 Setu Tu, 3 Ali Leiataua, 4 Moala Graham-Taufa, 5 Edward Kosi, 6 Luke Hanson, 7 Tanah Boyd, 8 Bunty Afoa, 9 Samuel Healey, 10 Tanner Stowers-Smith, 11 Kayliss Fatialofa, 12 Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, 13 Kalani Going. Subs (all used): 14 Jett Cleary, 15 Jason Seu Salalilo, 16 Tom Ale, 17 Freddy Lussick
Tries: Leiataua (10), Tu (15, 40), Boyd (23), Tuaupiki (27, 61), Lussick (30), Hanson (52, 67); Goals: Boyd 7/9
BEARS: 1 Nicholas O’Meley, 2 Troy Leo, 3 Sami Sauiluma, 4 Kea Pere, 5 Mitch Watson, 6 Josh Rogers, 7 Guy Hamilton, 8 Fletcher Baker, 9 Paul Roache, 10 Matthew Koellner, 11 Adam Christensen, 12 Ewan Moore, 13 Sam Coster. Subs (all used): 14 Cole Geyer, 15 Lorenzo Mulitalo, 16 Takitau Mapapalangi, 17 Lochlyn Sheldon
Tries: Geyer (36), Moore (58), Rogers (70), Watson (74); Goals: Rogers 2/4
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 18-0, 22-0, 28-0, 28-6, 32-6; 38-6, 38-12, 44-12, 50-12, 50-16, 50-20
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Warriors: Tanah Boyd; Bears: Fletcher Baker
Penalty count: 5-6; Half-time: 32-6; Referee: Liam Kennedy