Mal Meninga Cup qualifying finals preview

Bears playmaker Bailey McConnell has been a revelation this year and it was his run with the game delicately poised at 18-16 that set up Coates and ultimately finished Wynnum Manly’s finals campaign.

The Bears’ attack was lethal with eight line breaks and 48 tackle breaks in total. They just kept coming at the Seagulls.

Their defence was stifling with only 26 missed tackles. Whenever you thought the Seagulls were coming back, the Bears would gather and deny.

Hayden Watson was a defensive machine with 30 tackles while Cooper Bai spent 10 minutes in the sin bin but still came up with 157 metres.

The last time the Bears played the Dolphins was Round 2 and the Bears won 20-12.

Burleigh coach Ben Linde knows where this game could be won.

“There has never been a game not won by the forwards… we know they’re coming and we have to hold them in the middle,” Linde said.

“It’s finals and that’s what we play for all year so we are excited about this opportunity,

“The Dolphins are well-coached and a great side. They’re going to be a great challenge but to win in two weeks (for the May 25 grand final) you have to win this week.”

The Dolphins are the reigning premiers for a reason and their big forwards will be raring to go after the week’s rest.

Redcliffe coach Scott Tronc is looking after the Dolphins’ backyard.

“We can only control what we can control. I am yet to see a team control the other team,” Tronc said.

“Bears are a well-coached team and have been playing well.

“It’s a new competition now. Round 2 doesn’t mean anything, last week means nothing.”

In the other elimination final last weekend, the Ipswich Jets and Mackay Cutters attacked with speed and velocity.

Ipswich turned around their recent slow starts and had the first three tries.

Jets big man Kanaan Magele was instrumental in then sealing the deal in the back half of the match, first forcing his way over in the 51st minute to get the scores to 32-22.

While Mackay hit back, Magele wasn’t done there. He made with a huge run and Jets fullback Dom Sandow scored.

Magele finished with 155 metres and a try for a great final’s performance.

Ethan Quinn tackled his heart out from start to finish with 27 tackles while outside back Amaziah Murgha scored a great try.

The Jets capitalised on their chances and from their seven line breaks scored seven tries.

The concern for the Jets will be the 32 points the Cutters were able to score - the 46 missed tackles won’t fly against Tweed this week.

Keaton Stutt’s kicking game was a finals’ beacon for the Jets and he will need to do that again this week. Stutt’s game awareness and options were first class.

Jets coach Tye Ingebrigtsen knows the Jets are underdogs but he’s ready.

“Of course we are the underdogs… we don’t have Queensland reps, we don’t have players that are in NRL squads,” Ingebrigtsen said.

“I think this will be a high-scoring game. Tweed can score points and I don’t think you can keep them to 14 and win by four.

“You need to score points too.”

Tweed have had the week off and the last time the two teams met, the Seagulls won 40-16.

Sam Stephenson will be a handful for the Jets defence while Zane Harrison is close to the form half in the Mal Meninga Cup and will want to continue the long line of Tweed halves winning the competition, like Tom Weaver in 2021 and Toby Sexton in 2019.

Tweed coach Sam Meskell admits there are some unknowns.

“I think the week off will be a good thing but we won’t know until Saturday,” Meskell said.

“The Jets are a bit unknown… they play a style that is probably a bit different to everyone else and they score a lot of points.3

“We have a lot of respect for Ipswich and can’t wait for this week.”