‘Pink Panthers’ between Burleigh and glory
BURLEIGH’S last hurdle in their mission for a premiership four-peat will be West Brisbane after the Panthers sprung a surprise in the SEQ women’s rugby league division one preliminary final.
Wests upset Brothers Ips- wich 16-12 at Thornlands to qualify for the title decider, to be played at Cbus Super Stadium on Saturday as a curtainraiser to Gold Coast’s NRL match against Penrith.
The “Pink Panthers” only just snuck into the playoffs despite losing more games than they won during the regular season but they have quickly risen to giant-killer status, having beaten Easts the previous weekend.
Bears captain Tallisha Harden joined teammates in heading north to watch the preliminary final action and predicted the battle of the forwards could be decisive this weekend.
“Wests have a really strong forward pack,” Harden said. “That is probably their big strength, the fact that no matter who is starting in their forward pack they seem to always have that go-forward and they run hard and strong in numbers.
“They have lost a few girls this year to injuries … but they are firing and playing well and they’re playing as a team for each other. That’s something we also have to be mindful of, is if they get a run of points or a swing in momentum, they could get that sniff that sees them run out with the game.
“I know it sounds clichéd but we have to do those one percenters and get that fire in the belly to win it.”