Mixed bag for best of Bears
THERE was pleasure and pain for Burleigh yesterday, with four of the six Bears involved in the NRLW grand final walking away happy.
Brisbane dominated the Roosters to win the title 34-12, with Bears players Amber Pilley, Rona Peters and Chelsea Lenarduzzi snaring premiership medallions. Lenarduzzi was promoted to the starting line-up for the final, with Burleigh coach Tahnee Norris saying the young forward has the potential to be a Jillaroo.
“She has a huge amount of potential and a huge amount of skill as well,” Norris said.
“She’s developing an offload to her game which I think is going to be really good for her. There’s a lot of work to be done to be that tough front-rower – putting the big hits on and being a dominant defensive player as well – but she has good potential.”
Broncos five-eighth Kimiora Nati scored a hat-trick to win the Karyn Murphy Medal as player of the grand final, stepping up as the Roosters targeted her halves partner, Brisbane captain Ali Brigginshaw.
The Roosters’ first try came from a Burleigh combination with Zahara Temara’s cross field kick finding Tazmin Gray after bouncing off the head of Taleena Simon, Gray on the spot for the most unlikely of tries.
Norris was impressed with the final and her players.
“Tazzie Gray, in a beaten side, she was probably my standout,” Norris said.
“She had a really good game but it’s hard watching it when you’ve got six girls involved in both teams.”
Playmaker Temara has been a revelation for the Chooks since being shifted into the halves after the opening two games of the season, although the Nerang junior was kept relatively quiet in the decider.
With the Roosters unable to control possession, they had little chance against the premiership favourites, with former Burleigh player, fullback Karina Brown, also left disappointed. Burleigh’s fourth member of the Broncos’ squad, interchange player Tallisha Harden, was not named in Brisbane’s final 17 and did not play yesterday.