Round 7 Sunday wrap: Semi-finals locked in as Bears wrap up regular season with a win
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The 2023 BMD Premiership semi-finals have been locked in, as Burleigh wrapped up the regular season with a commanding victory over the Brisbane Tigers on Sunday.
The Bears finished in second place on the ladder and will host third-placed Mackay Cutters in next week's grand final qualifiers, after a stunning second half performance at UAA Park saw them claim a 42-8 win to close out Round 7.
Burleigh v Mackay will be the second semi-final at 12.15pm next Sunday at Davies Park, with the undefeated Souths Logan Magpies to take on fourth-placed Wynnum Manly in the first semi-final, from 10.30am also at Davies Park.
The Bears were already guaranteed a finals appearance, but coach Scott Cooke wanted to see his team close out the regular season on a high note.
A brave Brisbane Tigers outfit certainly made the home team work for it in the first half, with the two sides going into the break with Burleigh holding a narrow 10-4 lead.
Match: Bears v Tigers
Round 7 -
home Team
Bears
2nd Position
away Team
Tigers
6th Position
Venue: UAA Park, Gold Coast
But, led strongly by their forward pack and finding plenty of success down the left edge, the Bears flexed their muscle.
Cooke said however he wants to see a lot more from his side in next week's semi-final if they are any hope of progressing to the premiership decider.
"Our first half, we weren’t so happy with ... we were our own worst enemy," Cooke said.
"We’ve got to be better than that coming into the semis. We responded in the second half and showed some really good signs of what we’re capable of but we have to get the little stuff right too.
"We were just a bit disappointed as a group and the fact we challenged each other in the sheds at halftime, that changed our mindset and that helped in the second half.
"As a group we just responded. All our middles stood up there and we came out stronger throughout the middle part of the field and we earnt it a little bit more there so I’m happy with what we saw there."
The Bears are hoping to be boosted by the presence of Harvey Norman Queensland Maroons forward Chelsea Lenarduzzi next week, who sat out today's clash after suffering a head knock in Round 6 that left her with loose teeth.
While she is yet to be completely cleared, Cooke said they need her presence on the field, especially against the Cutters, who have a strong contingent of players from last year's premiers, the North Queensland Gold Stars.
"We need the experience," Cooke said.
"We only have a young squad … that’s what (Lenarduzzi) adds and a real strong push through the middle of the field, a late offload and some good defensive efforts so that’s what we need out of ‘Duzzi next week."
The BMD Premiership semi-finals will be broadcast live on Qplus.tv next Sunday, May 7.
For a wrap of the Round 7 BMD Premiership Saturday games, click here.
