“We made too many mistakes,” said Burdekin River ladies coach Anita Hagarty after her team went down 24-14 to Western Lions at Brothers on Sunday in the R.L.T.D. Ladies preliminary final in Townsville.
Last week, the team beat Brothers by letting the ball do the work, and the strategy delivered a solid win. This week, they tried the same approach. Toni Daisy crossed for a strong opening try, and with Rebecca Pace’s conversion, Burdekin led 6-0.
However, the experienced and bigger Lions soon pressured the team, exploiting mistakes and using their size to move ahead. Western Lions scored three tries before halftime, taking a 10-6 lead, but Martina Monday’s pace and swerve brought Burdekin back to 14-10 at the break. Ball control remained the key to turning the match around.
In the second half, Lions extended their lead to 18-10. Martina Monday crossed again to make it 18-14. A potential chance to level the scores went unnoticed when a player was lifted and dumped near the tryline without a penalty. The Lions sealed the result with a converted try, finishing 24-14 and booking a Grand Final clash with Centrals.
Despite the loss, Anita praised her team, noting that five players are under 18. Paige Horvat was named best back, winning the Old Boys voucher despite taking several heavy hits. Lily Mills made some strong runs, while Martina Monday continued to shine despite tight marking.
In the forwards, Taleisha Bulgarelli’s tireless effort earned her the Old Boys award, while Rebecca Pace and Sarah Castles put in heavy work in the middle. Overall, the experiment of combining the two clubs has been successful and looks promising for the future.
Contributed with thanks to Brian Carnes.
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