The QRL Media Year in Review series continues with Burleigh Bears. The Bears led the pack for a large portion of the 2018 season, registering 10 wins from their first 12 games, giving them a stranglehold on the competition for the first half of the season.
Burleigh finished the regular season in second place, before going down by seven points to Redcliffe Dolphins in Week 1 of the finals. The following week, Burleigh returned home to Pizzey Park for week 2 of the finals, however suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of the Easts Tigers.
With the 2018 Intrust Super Cup season having drawn to a close QRL Media have decided to take a look back through the year for all 14 clubs to see what went right, what went wrong and what the club are likely to focus on going forward into the 2019 season.
More Intrust Super Cup Year in Review Series:
Mackay Cutters
CQ Capras
Wynnum Manly Seagulls
Tweed Heads Seagulls
Sunshine Coast Falcons
Souths Logan Magpies
Norths Devils
PNG Hunters
Townsville Blackhawks
Northern Pride
Ipswich Jets
The Season By-The-Numbers:
Final Position on Ladder: 2nd
Regular Season Win %:
- Won: 16
- Draw: 0
- Lost: 7
Home and Away Record:
- Home: 9-3
- Away: 7-4
Scoring:
- Scored: 589
- Conceded: 427
- F/A: 162
Players in Focus:
Standout Player: Pat Politoni
Tries: 1
Try Assists: 20
Line Break Assists: 20
Tackles: 922
Average Kick M: 113
Tackle Efficiency: 91%
Notable Player Mentions: Brayden Schwass, Jamal Fogarty & Sami Sauluma
Highlight: Round 24: Bears defeat Tigers 48-18, finishing the regular season with four straight wins.
Intrust Super Cup Rnd 24 HLs: Tigers vs Bears
Notable Player Achievements:
- Pat Politoni – Intrust Super Cup; Hooker of the Year 2018 and XXXX Queensland Residents
- Luke Page – PNG Kumuls selection and 100 games for Burleigh
- Blake Leary – XXXX Queensland Residents selection
- Jamal Fogarty – XXXX Queensland Residents selection
- Jai Whitbread – NRL debut Gold Coast Titans (Round 18 v Sydney Roosters)
Key Factor: Missed Opportunities
The Burleigh Bears entered Week 2 of the finals looking for a victory against the Tigers to secure a place in the 2018 Intrust Super Cup grand final. The Bears started the game strongly with two early tries, going into the break with a 12-8 lead. However, they failed to capitalise on their lead, conceding five tries in the second half, with Tigers claiming a convincing 36-26 victory to qualify for their first grand final since 2014.
Looking ahead to 2019:
Burleigh have retained most of their squad for the 2019 season, and with the guidance of inspirational leaders Jamal Fogarty, Luke Page, Pat Politoni and Blake Leary; the Bears will again be a competitive side in 2019.
