Better by half: Tanah Boyd dominates as Warriors hammer Burleigh

Experienced playmaker Tanah Boyd proved a class above as the Warriors outgunned Burleigh Bears 50-20 in the NRL State Championship at Accor Stadium on Sunday.

With Warriors head coach Andrew Webster a face in the crowd, Boyd scored a try midway through the first half and had a hand in several others as the Wahs added the scalp of the Queensland premiers to the NSW Cup title they claimed a week earlier.

Boyd finished with a personal tally of 18 points from a try and seven goals, prompting Channel Nine commentator Phil Gould to declare he was capable of becoming a regular starting half in the NRL.

“He knows his stuff,” Gould said of the 25-year-old, who has 78 top-grade games under his belt.

After joining the Warriors at the end of last season when Gold Coast moved him on, Boyd spent the first half of the season in NSW Cup, waiting for an opportunity.

When Luke Metcalf suffered a season-ending injury, Boyd was elevated to the Warriors’ top side and played in nine games, including the loss to Penrith in round one of the play-offs.

The Runaway Bay junior had also qualified for the NSW Cup finals series, after making 14 regular-season appearances in the second-tier competition.

Boyd helped the Warriors trounce St George Illawarra 30-12 in the NSW Cup grand final, setting up a winner-takes-all clash for the national title with Burleigh, who beat Brisbane Norths 22-8 to be crowned Queensland champions.

“It’s been an up-and-down year but I’ve really enjoyed it,” Boyd said.

“It’s given me a lot of confidence coming into next year. I want to have a good pre-season now and push for that spot in round one next year.”

With Boyd calling the shots, the interstate showdown was one-way traffic from the outset as the Warriors ran in six tries before the half-time break.

The Warriors appeared to have opened the scoring in the fourth minute when winger Setu Tu caught a Boyd chip kick, only to be denied by the video referee.

Six minutes later, the Bears cracked when centre Ali Leiataua charged onto a pinpoint Boyd pass.

Tu made amends in the 16th minute, flying high to catch a cross-field kick and touch down, then Boyd backed up a break by hooker Sam Healy and raced away to score.

When exciting fullback Taine Tuaupiki dashed over a few minutes later, a cricket score was on the cards.

The Bears hit back with a try from bench utility Cole Geyer, but then Boyd sent Freddy Lussick over with a short ball to leave Burleigh facing a 26-point deficit at the break.

A Luke Hanson try in the 51st minute increased the Warriors’ lead, before a Ewan Moore reply gave Burleigh fans something to celebrate.

Tuaupiki – a Burleigh junior – made it a double midway through the second half, then Hanson did likewise.

Warriors tyro Jett Cleary – younger brother of Panthers champion Nathan – was sparingly used off the bench.

The 20-year-old was not required in the first half, eventually entering the fray as replacement hooker in the 68th minute with the Warriors leading 50-12.

“It’s mad,” Cleary said. “To win two comps in two weeks, we’ve never done it before as a club, so that makes it even better.”

Cleary said he was “really blessed” and had learned many lessons during his first season with the Warriors. His goal is to push for an NRL debut.

“I’m still trying to get better every game I play, every week I train,” he said.

“Wherever that takes me, that’s cool … next year, the year after, I’m just trying to play. I don’t have a timeline on it.”

To their credit, Burleigh salvaged some respect by posting three second-half tries.

NRL is Live and Free on Channel 9 & 9Now