Rookie coach Meg Ward and her team of Norths Devils fighters have stormed into the club’s first grand final in a statewide women’s competition after a stirring win over defending premiers Burleigh Bears.
The Devils’ 36-12 semi-final win at Bishop Park yesterday booked a showdown with Mackay at Kayo Stadium this Saturday afternoon.
The Devils have reached the decider in just their second season in the BMD Premiership.
And the result was unexpected because this team has fought the odds.
The Devils lost some of their most experienced players during the off-season when an expanded competition lured players to new clubs. And the Devils also lost key playmakers to long-term injury during the pre-season.
But this Devils team has scrapped from the first game and their progress was showcased in yesterday’s win over Burleigh.
The teams played in the opening match of the season when the Devils’ firepower was first glimpsed when they jumped to a 14-6 lead against the champions. But the experience of Burleigh ground down the Devils that day in a 10-point win.
Yesterday, the Devils’ 18-0 halftime lead became 18-12 early in the second half as the premiers stirred.
But the Devils put the foot down with three tries in the last 20 minutes to earn a berth against a Mackay team that swept aside Western Clydesdales 22-4.
Ward immediately put a lid on celebrations to focus her team on the grand final.
“It’s a really big achievement to reach a grand final in a competition like this but we can’t rest there,” Ward said.
“We have the chance now to play against a really good Mackay team and it’s not going to be easy.
“But these girls have been overcoming hurdles throughout the year so we know they will play hard.”
The game started with fans seeing double yesterday.
Burleigh left their jerseys at home, forcing them to borrow an old set of Norths jerseys to take the field.
For Devils fans, the team in the proper home jersey made the early running after weathering an onslaught from the Bears.
Norths’ hard work at the defensive end was turned into points in the 15th minute when the combination of five-eighth Georgia Hannaway and edge forward Portia Bourke scored for the first of two tries.
Six minutes later, powerful forward Sita Payne crashed over from co-captain Jada Ferguson’s dummy-half pass.
Bourke was over again in the 32nd minute from Hannaway’s pass to establish the halftime lead.
But the Bears, wearing their own jerseys for the second half, came out rushing with a try within two minutes before hard-running forward Chelsea Lenarduzzi crossed for an 18-12 scoreline.
“That was a big test for us to see how we would fightback against a premiership team that was starting to gain momentum,” Ward said.
“Fortunately, we were able to keep calm and the next try helped.”
That try was among the Devils’ best of the season, created by the forwards as Bree Eales charged to the line with a sweet short pass to co-captain Netta Nu’uausala who twisted and passed to halfback Jocelyn Kelleher to score.
Hannaway had a magic trick 10 minutes later with a trademark line break and 50-metre run finished by Ferguson’s double cut-out pass for winger Denyce Perham to score.
That put the Devils out of reach with a 30-12 lead inside the last 10 minutes but the home team had a final shot when Kelleher’s slicing 40-metre run found fullback Montaya Hudson for a try.
BMD PREMIERSHIP SEMI-FINAL: NORTHS DEVILS 36 (Portia Bourke 2, Sita Payne, Jocelyn Kelleher, Denyce Perham, Montaya Hudson tries, Georgia Hannaway 6goals) bt BURLEIGH BEARS 12 (Shaianne McGlone, Chelsea Lenarduzzi tries, Mia Barber two goals) at Bishop Park.
Photo by Alan Drinnen
