Easts Tigers defeat Burleigh Bears in Intrust Super Cup preliminary final

A PROP once linked with a move to the Titans has inspired Easts to punt Burleigh out of the Intrust Super Cup premiership race.

Matt White’s career is officially over after Burleigh’s loss to Easts. Picture: SMP Images

A PROP once linked with a move to the Titans has inspired Easts to punt Burleigh out of the Intrust Super Cup premiership race.

The 36-26 preliminary final defeat not only crushes the Bears’ dream of a second premiership in three years but ends the career of retiring veteran Matt White, who led the team out for his last appearance at Pizzey Park.

The Tigers looked on-song from the start, with former New Zealand Warriors front-rower Albert Vete steamrolling his way through the middle of the field with fearsome carries and multiple offloads.

Vete had in previous years been rumoured to be interested in signing with Gold Coast before he joined Melbourne, though he has mainly played for their Easts feeder team since.

Albert Vete during his Warriors days. Picture: Getty Images

Playing a finals match in front of their home crowd for the first time since 2005, Burleigh did themselves no favours with a plethora of early errors.

They lost a scrum against the feed, had skipper Luke Page sin-binned for an unnecessary professional foul and Jamal Fogarty missed a straightforward penalty goal.

When the Tigers extended their lead to 8-0 and Burleigh’s ensuing kick-off sailed out on the full, it seemed it just would not be the Bears’ day.

Dylan Phythian was among the Bears’ best. Picture: SMP Images

The hosts fought back, however, to enter the break leading by four points as five-eighth Dylan Phythian delivered on his potential to spark the side to life, having missed the previous weekend against Redcliffe through suspension.

Phythian shut down a Tigers attacking raid with a brutal hit before opening Burleigh’s account when he pounced on a Fogarty grubber just inside the dead ball line.

Burleigh’s right side defence came unstuck after halftime, allowing Easts to score thrice in a 10-minute blitz to open up a 12-point buffer.

Again it was Phythian who got the Bears back into the contest, with a sublime cutout pass to Troy Leo leading to a Kurtis Rowe try.

Burleigh skipper Luke Page. Picture: SMP Images

But it was too little too late, with Easts all but sealing the deal through a 70th minute Chris Ostwald try to earn a grand final berth against Redcliffe next weekend.

The Bears did at least score with their final play of the year, with Jai Whitbread latching onto another Fogarty grubber, but are left to ponder what they must do to add to their silverware in 2019 after being leading contenders throughout the year.

White finished his career by converting the Whitbread try.