The Bull Sharks women have done it again – and now the history books need another chapter.
In front of nearly 3,000 at Ballymore, Bond claimed a fourth consecutive Queensland Premier Rugby title, edging out Easts in a 32-29 Founders Cup grand final thriller that had everything – heavy collisions, wild momentum swings, and a finish fit for a dynasty.
Down 19-5 at halftime, the Bull Sharks looked cornered. Easts were rampant at the set piece, their big pack charging through the middle and Reds star Piper Flynn marshalling a stubborn defensive line.
But dynasties are built on belief. The Bull Sharks had expected and planned for the bigger, more powerful Easts side to start well. The final word from coach Lawrence Faifua in the lead-up to the game had been simple – “stay in the fight and be ready when the opportunities come.”
They were banking on their superior fitness and were confident that when Easts tired, their potent offence could drag them back into the game.
It is exactly how they won the 2024 decider.
Within 20 minutes of the restart, Bond had piled on 27 unanswered points – tries to Zara Colless, Dianne Waight, TJ Murray and Lucy Thorpe flipped the script entirely. Colless, who stepped in at flyhalf, kicked a penalty for good measure and walked away with the Cheyenne Campbell Medal as player of the match – joining Zoe Hanna and two- time winner Mel Wilks as grand final MVPs.
It was Bond v Easts in 2024 too. You don’t reach consecutive grand finals without serious character and ability and the Bull Sharks knew the Tigers would fight to the final siren.
They drew to within three points in the final minutes, but Bond never blinked. They had been here before. And they knew how to close.
The coach they call Teddy Bear
The fingerprints of head coach Lawrence Faifua were all over the comeback.
Not through a furious spray at halftime, but through the quiet, steady leadership he has built into this group over years.
Grace Baker, Dianne Waight and Jemma Bemrose are now four-time premiership players. Zoe Hanna would have joined that group if not for a shoulder injury suffered in the major semi-final. Akira Crocker has also won three and veterans Madison Schuck and Shelley Fox have been there from the start.
The likes of Zara Colless, Lucy Thorpe, Paris Mohr, Evie Sampson, Eva Doblo, Mahlia Snowden and Charlize Ratu have all played in multiple winning grand finals.
Faifua didn’t need to deliver the type of rousing half time address that is the staple of most sporting movies and documentaries – he has been preparing them for every scenario and building their confidence to make the right decisions in the big moments week after week for years.
To understand Bond’s four-peat, you can’t start with the tries or the trophies. You start with Faifua. He is why players come. He is why they stay. He is why, in the words of Baker, “it feels more like a family than a team.”
Off the field, he checks in. He calls. He notices when players are struggling and gives them space to talk, or just to be. On the field, he has created an environment where culture is queen and egos have no oxygen.
“It’s a trust thing,” said 2024 premiership skipper Zoe Hanna. “Lawrence gives us structure and belief, and in turn, we want to give everything for him and each other.”
A season of change
This wasn’t a flawless campaign. Bond lost experienced names, shuffled positions, and were forced to adapt. At times during the Challenge Cup Series they didn’t look much like the Bull Sharks and their aura of past years had faded slightly.
Instead of tightening his grip, Faifua did the opposite. He handed responsibility over to his senior players. Training sessions were designed by the coaches, but run by game managers on the field. The theory was simple, if players could own the sessions, they would own the big moments on match day.
The plan worked. On the Saturday that mattered most, it was the players who steadied themselves at 19-5 down. No panic or pointing fingers. Just calm confidence.
And just as striking as their resilience was their composure in the build-up. The weeks before the grand final were deliberately lighthearted – fun games on Tuesday, review and themed dress-up dinner on Thursday in the first week, families invited for jumper presentations on the final Thursday before the game. For a team chasing history, Bond looked like they were just enjoying the ride.
For Zoe
If there was one bittersweet note in the victory, it was the absence of skipper Zoe Hanna. The triple premiership winning back-rower injured her shoulder in the preliminary final and could only watch from the sidelines as her teammates sealed the four-peat.
It hurt – but it also became another source of resolve. She spent the game on the bench with the team, and in the moments after full time, she was in the thick of the celebrations. Her teammates knew their success had been paved by her leadership and her standards.
“Zoe has been central to everything we’ve achieved over the past three years,” Faifua said pre-match. “The opportunity now is for others to step up and provide the leadership she always shows.”
They did exactly that. Jemma Bemrose assumed her position at number eight. Lucy Thorpe entered the starting side. And together, they carried Hanna’s spirit into the battle.
The comeback queens
If the second half proved anything, it’s that Bond know how to win.
Colless’ try sparked the surge. Waight, who finished as the competition’s leading try-scorer, inevitably found the line. Teen sensation TJ Murray’s finish after an Eva Doblo pass gave Bond their first lead. Thorpe powered over to cap a dominant burst.
Easts, to their credit, refused to fold, but Bond had already wrestled back the momentum. Every steal, every scramble, every desperate tackle was executed with the conviction of a team that knows how to survive the fire.
“Stay in the fight,” had been the mantra all week. And they did.
The Unbreakable Bond
Four straight premierships. Two national club championships. An unbeaten 7s streak. Bond aren’t just Queensland’s dominant program – they are the standard nationally.
But within the team, that’s not how they talk about it. For them, it’s about connection. About culture. About the teddy bear who holds it all together.
“Lawrence has been there for me since I was 15,” said Baker. “He’s coached me in touch, 7s, 15s. He’s like a second dad.”
Colless was more direct: “He’s one of the reasons I’m still playing rugby.”
That bond – between coach and players, and between players themselves – is what has carried Bond through injuries, pressure, and four straight finals campaigns where everyone else wanted to bring them down.
The dynasty rolls on
The medal went to Colless, the tries went into the highlights reel, but the moment belonged to the group.
From the veterans who have carried the dynasty, to the younger players stepping into leadership roles, to the families and supporters who lined the Ballymore stands – this was history shared.
“We’ve said all year that we’re a family,” said Doblo. “This win just proves it again.”
Bond’s women now stand as one of the greatest club rugby sides Queensland has seen – four straight premierships and counting. With a conveyor belt of talent, a culture that outlasts individuals, and leaders ready to step up, you wouldn’t bet against them making it five.