Mal Meninga Cup finals time is here and it will all kick off this weekend with two elimination finals.
Two teams will bow out of the 2024 premiership race and another two will advance to next week’s qualifying finals against the competition leaders in the minor premiers, Tweed Seagulls, and the second-placed Redcliffe Dolphins.
The first elimination showdown will take place on Saturday when the Burleigh Bears play host to the Wynnum Manly Seagulls.
The two have already faced off once this year and it was a 36-16 win to the Bears in Round 3.
Burleigh head into the elimination finals off the back of a stunning Round 11 victory over the Wide Bay Bulls, recording a 130-0 scoreline.
The Bears dominated every aspect of the game and had high level performers like Disharne Tonihi, who made five line breaks and scored four tries with 274 run metres.
What a weapon: Disharne Tonihi
Tonihi finished the year with 14 tries.
Meanwhile, Bears halfback Coby Black kicked goals for fun with 19 from 23 and two tries against the Bulls.
The young Brisbane Broncos affiliate’s points haul saw him end the regular season with 48 goals from 62 attempts. His goal kicking will be vital this week.
It was the Bears’ bench that kept the momentum going against the Bulls - Talas Abell played 47 minutes but had a huge impact with one try and an assist, 231 run metres, three line breaks and 10 tackle breaks.
For Bears coach Ben Linde, the key is to move past last week and focus only on the finals.
“My rule is, it doesn’t matter what happens. We bin it in 24 hours and we don’t talk about it again so we have moved onto Wynnum and we’re ready to go,” Linde said of the turnaround from the Bulls match.
“Wynnum have great middles and (Beni) Allen and (Cameron) Bukowski are a big part of that.
“My focus is where we give them the ball and our attention to detail.”
Wynnum Manly played finals last year and lost to a Redcliffe juggernaut, with John Fineanganofo leading the way for the Dolphins.
The Seagulls matched them early and then fell in a heap, losing 56-18.
Their halfback in that game last year was the now-Bears No.7, Black.
The Seagulls will still be burning from that missed opportunity.
Coming into this year’s finals, Wynnum Manly scraped in at sixth after a solid win over the Pride to finish the regular season.
They have won four games in a row and captain Harry Armstrong said earlier this week they’ve been building nicely at the right time of the year.
The Seagulls will look to their forwards to win this game against the Bears - Beni Allen and Cameron Bukowski will be front and centre and willing in this battle.
Match: Bears v WM Seagulls
Semi Final -
home Team
Bears
away Team
WM Seagulls
Venue: UAA Park, Gold Coast
Then in the second elimination final, the Ipswich Jets will take on the Mackay Cutters on Sunday.
Ipswich are coming off the bye so might start slowly as they ease into the game.
But Ipswich have shown this year that they can start casually and then fight back into the match from there.
Amaziah Murgha will be one of the Jets' best attacking options. He has scored eight tries – nearly a try per game - and always has an impact when the Jets needs him.
Saifiti Junior Saifiti is another strike player, who brings the ball back with power and gets his side down the field when they need it most.
Ipswich coach Ty Ingebrigtsen thinks the Jets are ready to handle the finals challenge.
“We had last week off with the bye,” Ingebrigtsen said.
“We really needed the week off… we had a lot of injuries and we get guys back this week.
“Mackay have great front rowers and a great fullback in (Mutua) Brown.
“(Xavier) Kerrisk is a great hooker and he is going to take some stopping.
“We have to stop them through the middle. That’s our challenge and a challenge we want.”
Match: Jets v Cutters
Semi Final -
home Team
Jets
away Team
Cutters
Venue: North Ipswich Reserve, Ipswich
The last time the Mackay Cutters made the Mal Meninga Cup finals was in 2018 when they lost in week one to the Norths Devils.
If the Jets do start slow, it will be Mackay’s hooker and captain Xavier Kerrisk that takes full advantage.
The Cutters No.9 would be close to the form forward of the competition and is a constant threat out of dummy half.
Sixty metre tries by hookers aren’t the norm but that is what Kerrisk did against Souths Logan last round - showing great footwork and speed, he was able to bust the game open when the Cutters needed it.
But the Cutters only held onto the ball for 43 per cent of the game and that is something that will need attention this week.
Cutters coach Andrew Battaia knows finals time is special.
“I want us to be proud and know we have achieved something but also know the job isn’t done,” Battaia said.
“Our front row is important for us. Matthew Watts and Tavita Penaia Te’o are going to play a big part on Sunday.
“Xavier Kerrisk is just a competitor. If you dropped five cents on the ground, he’d fight for it and come up with it too.
“We are excited and looking forward to the finals.”
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