The Central Queensland Capras have closed out their BMD Premiership season with a 34-8 loss to Burleigh Bears, with a strong Bears surge across the middle of the match proving decisive.
Playing their final game of the campaign at UAA Park, the Capras were forced onto the back foot early as Burleigh centre Sarina Masaga struck twice inside the opening 15 minutes.
Her quick double gave the Bears a 10-0 advantage, but Central Queensland worked their way back into the contest and found a response through Maycee Brown in the 25th minute.
Brown’s try cut the margin to 10-4 and gave the Capras a foothold after Burleigh’s fast start.
The contest shifted again late in the opening half when Tylah Phillips was sent to the sin bin in the 33rd minute. Burleigh capitalised through Shannon Muru to take a 14-4 advantage into half-time.
The Bears wasted little time extending that lead after the break, with Mia Byrnes crossing in the 37th minute before Masaga completed her hat-trick six minutes later.
Burleigh captain Teaghan Hartigan added another in the 48th minute and Byrnes converted, stretching the lead to 28-4 as the Bears began to put some distance between the sides.
There was an opening for Central Queensland when Burleigh hooker Tavarna Papalii was sent to the sin bin in the 50th minute, but the Capras were unable to make the extra player count on the scoreboard.
Instead, Burleigh found the next points through Ebony Laing in the 56th minute. Zara Canfield converted to make it 34-4, completing a run of four tries in the space of 23 minutes either side of half-time that took the game away from Central Queensland.
The Capras kept searching for a response and were rewarded late when Josie Wogand crossed in the 69th minute. The hooker’s try gave Central Queensland the final points of the afternoon and brought the final margin back to 34-8.
Masaga finished with a hat-trick to lead Burleigh’s seven-try performance, while Brown and Wogand provided Central Queensland’s two tries. The Capras were unable to convert either, while Canfield kicked two conversions for the Bears and Byrnes added one.
The result brings the curtain down on Central Queensland’s BMD Premiership campaign, with the Capras finishing their season in Round 11 after missing out on a place in the finals.
