The Brisbane Tigers have pulled off a stunning comeback to edge out the Burleigh Bears 18–16 in a dramatic BMD Premiership showdown on Saturday afternoon.
Trailing for much of the contest, the Tigers surged home with two tries in the final 10 minutes — including the match-winner from Courtney Robinson in the dying moments — to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat at Totally Workwear Stadium.
It was a high-quality contest between two of the competition’s fiercest rivals, with momentum swinging across both halves in a physical, fast-paced encounter. The Tigers opened the scoring early through Kameryn Bray in the third minute, with Courtney Robinson converting to give the home side a 6–0 lead.
The Bears, however, responded with a strong first-half showing of their own. Burleigh back-rower Deleni Paitai proved a handful on the left edge, scoring twice inside the opening 40 minutes, while Brooke Saddler also crossed in the 30th minute to put the visitors ahead 12–6 heading into the break.
After some end-to-end exchanges to start the second half, it was the Tigers who struck first. Tahlia Marshall broke through in the 60th minute to level the scores at 12–12, with Evelyn Roberts stepping up to convert and lock the game up.
With time running out and Burleigh clinging to a 16–12 lead thanks to another effort from Paitai, the Tigers turned to their experienced campaigners to steady the ship. A composed final set saw the ball shift right into the hands of Robinson, who sliced through Burleigh’s defence to score the decisive try under pressure with less than a minute left on the clock. Roberts again kept her nerve from the tee, slotting the conversion to seal the 18–16 win.
It was a gutsy and spirited performance from the Tigers, who overcame scoreboard pressure, injuries, and a fierce Bears pack to grind their way to victory. The win keeps Brisbane firmly in 1st place and undefeated.
With players like Marshall, Bray, and Robinson continuing to shine and the forward pack lifting across the park, the Tigers now head into a 2 week break returning on the 9th of August for their Round 7 clash against Tweed Head Seagulls.
