The Bears capped off their regular season games on Saturday night with a dominant 32–6 victory over the Melbourne Storm, finishing the season on a high heading into the finals. The day kicked off at 12:30pm with our Junior League grand final matches playing in front of a spirited crowd in the sunshine. Congratulations to all the teams who competed and a special congratulations to our grand final winners!

The Bears controlled much of the match with 61% possession, making the most of the opportunities that came their way. Early defensive pressure from Matt Komolafe set the tone, producing a strong effort to force the Storm winger out and regain possession for the Bears. David Tui showcased his skill and footwork accelerating through the Storm defensive line whilst being pulled back and finding Kieran Hayman with an offload. Hayman then produced a perfectly executed pass to put Raymond Tuaimalo Vaega who finished off the slick play under the posts.

A knock-on by the Storm in the 11th minute saw Abiarthur Toi Tuilaepa gather the ball off the ground with a perfect bounce to score the Bears’ second try of the match. With 10 minutes remaining before half-time, the Bears were already two tries ahead before Kieran Hayman extended their lead. A well-placed kick deflected off Riley Meyn’s foot which allowed Hayman to chase through and secure the ball on the try line. This try gave the Bears a further six-point advantage heading into half-time.

Despite the Storm scoring shortly after the break, the Bears continued to build pressure, with Hayman successfully converting a penalty goal to extend their lead. Just two minutes later, Hayman was at it again, producing another brilliant kick and chase to regather the ball and score under the posts in the 66th minute. As the clock wound down, Sean Vaivelata capped off the Bears’ strong performance with a powerful final try, muscling his way through the Storm’s defensive line to ground the ball and seal the result.

The boys put in a strong all-round performance, combining plenty of attacking metres with a solid defensive effort. They ran for 1,665 metres while producing four line breaks and 34 tackle breaks. Defensively, the Bears completed tackles at an impressive 81.13% effective rate, with Bayden Moran leading the way with 32 tackles. Harry McKeon topped the run metres with 190, while Kieran Hayman was perfect with the boot, converting 5/5 kicks, including a penalty goal, and adding two tries to cap off an outstanding performance.

We’d also like to give a special shout-out to all our fans, sponsors, corporate partners and most importantly, our loyal members who have come to support the Bears this season. Thank you for continuing to show up at Bear Park and cheer on the boys throughout what has been a spectacular season so far. With spirits high heading into Week 1 of the finals, we call on all our fans to get behind the boys this Saturday afternoon as they take on the Newcastle Knights at St George Venues Jubilee Stadium in Kogarah. It’s set to be a tight contest, and we’d love to see as much red and black in the stands as possible!

Check out the Bears named to pull on a red & black jersey this Saturday for the Qualification Final >>