2022 Hostplus Cup: Burleigh Bears ready to unleash Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui on Blackhawks
Just like his famous older brother, Iszac Fa’asuamaleau is a ‘good, physical speciman’ and Burleigh Bears can’t wait to throw him into the Hostplus Cup furnace this weekend.
QRL
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Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui is set to make his Hostplus Cup debut for Burleigh this weekend as the Bears look to continue the momentum from their round one win.
The brother of Gold Coast Titans skipper Tino Fa’asuamaleaui has been named on the bench for Burleigh’s clash with the Blackhawks on Saturday afternoon with Jarrod Wallace, Herman Ese’ese and Esan Marsters out for NRL duties.
Bears winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira is set to sit out this weekend’s clash after copping a head knock against Wynnum Manly in round one, with Matiu Stone-Dunn named to take his place.
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Young winger Tony Francis is also likely to hold on to his wing position following his two-try haul against Wynnum Manly while backrower Jacob Allick has also been named to back up his debut.
Coach Rick Stone said Fa’asuamaleaui will also be a welcomed boost for the squad.
“He’s still a young fella but has a good motor and he’s a good, physical specimen,” Stone said.
“He’s still working on his game.
“I don’t think he’s played at this level yet. He trained with us last year and trained full-time with the Titans this year, so he’s had plenty of exposure to the big boys.
“There’s plenty to suggest he will go well, so we’re looking forward to seeing how he goes.”
The Bears managed to defeat last year’s runners up Wynnum Manly 26-18 and will now face the Blackhawks in Townsville on Saturday afternoon.
Stone said despite his side’s impressive defensive effort, there were still areas of their game which needed improvement.
“I was probably impressed by our defence,” he said.
“We let in a couple of soft tries but we only missed 10 tackles in total.
“When we did have the ball in the right places, we showed we did have some strike and could score points.
“We just need to tidy up our errors and a few things and we can get a lot better.”
Defending premiers Norths kicked off their 2022 season on a positive note and will face the Dolphins at Bishop Park in Sunday’s televised match – which will also be streamed on Kayo.
Rising Queensland stars set to push NRLW cause
The daughter of The King and a host of NRLW talent will strap up the boots this weekend to launch the new-look BMD Premiership for the 2022 season.
The statewide women’s competition has welcomed two new teams to the fray this year – Wynnum Manly Seagulls and Souths Logan Magpies – while the Valkyries Queensland and Valleys Diehards have dropped out.
In the first round of the seven-game season, a host of rising stars have been named to play including Tigers’ Jamie-Lee Lewis, daughter of Broncos great Wally Lewis, and Broncos development player Jayde Herdergen for Wynnum Manly.
Meanwhile, defending premiers Burleigh will launch their title defence on Saturday against newcomers Wynnum Manly at Iona College in Brisbane.
Bears prop Jasmine Kemp said the 2021 premiers had undergone several changes this season, including new coach Scott Cooke, but was confident they will remain a dominant force in the competition.
“Every year is different, so we just have to focus on the year ahead,” Kemp said.
“We have a few changes. We have a new coach in Scott Cooke. He’s been part of the club for a few years now.
“We’ve also got a few new ladies from out of state.”
For Wynnum Manly, it will be their first foray in the statewide women’s competition and dummy half Patrice Chambers said the club was preparing to showcase a host of promising young talent.
“One thing that I’m looking forward to is that we have a lot of young girls coming through the under-19s pathway,” Chambers said.
“From that, it brings some really strong girls up into our BMD Premiership.
“It inspires the other girls around us to know they’re already this good.
“It’s exciting to see what the future holds.”
The women’s game is growing exponentially and last week’s announcement from the NRL for a 10-team NRLW competition in 2024 has sparked more interest and more inspiration for Queensland’s female players.
“It’s only going to get bigger from here on in,” Chambers said.
“It’s a really exciting time for women’s rugby league, not just in Queensland but all over.
“I had a yarn to some of the girls at Wynnum and told them to stay ready, you never know what can happen.
“It’s a really exciting time.”
A number of current NRLW players will be eligible to play in this year’s BMD Premiership from round 3, once the national women’s competition is complete, including Ali Brigginshaw (Brisbane Tigers), Tamika Upton (CQ Capras) and Millie Boyle (Burleigh Bears).
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