While the final 44-6 scoreline points to a Platypi domination, in the second half when there was only 10 points in it, the Vipers looked to be building towards a comeback.

But as Vipers centre Alana-rose Cramer made an angled run towards the line, she was crunched by Kennedy.

It was a moment that changed the match as the Platypi then went on to score five tries in 16 minutes to win the clash at Carrington Park and book a grand final berth.

"How did she [Cramer] get up? You could hear the thump - I've never seen anything like it, never, not in my life," Platypi coach Kevin Grimshaw said of Kennedy's huge hit.

"She just went whack and the feet went off the ground, it was full contact. That definitely changed momentum, that was a turning point.

"Molly played really well she did, she was really good today, she holds her own in the middle there very nicely."

Earlier it was Kennedy who helped the Platypi make a bright start to the sudden-death match. With three minutes gone, she dished out a brutal don't argue and charged over the line.

Five minutes later a nice ball from centre Meredith Jones gave fleet-footed winger Tiana Anderson space and from there she did the rest.

Those tries, along with a Zarlia Griffiths conversion, made it 10-0.

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But it didn't take any of the enthusiasm out of an under-manned Vipers.

They upped their efforts in defence and five out from the break, talented playmaker Tori Moore got them on the board.

She sliced through a gap 35 meters out and ran away to score under the sticks. It left Ella Barrett with an easy kick to make it 10-6.

It had Grimshaw nervous as he addressed his side in the sheds at half-time.

"They scored that try just before half-time and I thought 'What's going to happen here?' But then we just went bang," he said.

They 'went bang' on the first play of the second half as five-eighth Nicole Schneider split the Vipers defence open and took the ball within inches of the line.

She then flicked a pass to Jones who scored untouched. Griffiths converted and it was 16-6.

But then came a period where five out of the next six sets the ball was in the hand of the Vipers as they turned up the pressure.

The Platypi responded with excellent online defence and the Kennedy tackle which definitely ranks as one the biggest seen in the competition.

"That's what we've been working on, our defence, that's what we did all week, tackle, tackle, tackle," Grimshaw said.

"Good sides stand up in defence and they done it really well."

Having absorbed that Vipers pressure, it was then attack mode as the defending premiers stepped up a gear.

Centre Jacinta Windsor backed up a half break from Anderson, and with ball in her arms sprinted away down the right edge to score.

Kennedy crashed over between the sticks for her second three minutes later to make it 26-6.

While a brilliant ball-and-all tackle from Christine Sims then denied Jones, the Panorama centre picked up a soft dummy-half try soon after.

Windsor's speed helped her to a double before a top Schneider ball put Anderson over with some 90 seconds remaining. Griffiths added the extras to put the final score at 44-6.

Vipers halfback Moore said that score reflected both the talent within the Platypi's ranks and the absence of key players from her side.

"We had a lot out today, we were missing six of our starting team and really, at the end of the day, they'd be six of our better players as well," she said.

"The first half we were in it, but then we just ran out of legs. They were just too good, too quick.

"It was a hot day, no subs, we had to use a couple of under 18s players who had already played a game and had to hang around a couple of hours so we could have a team."

Though the loss means the Vipers exit the title chase, Moore said she and the playing group were still proud to have reached the semi-finals.

Barrett scored 44 points for the season while Tabua Tuinakauvadra, who was absent on Saturday, crossed for a total of nine tries.

The Vipers also scored more than 50 points in a match twice across the eight-round regular season.

"At the start of the season a lot of us said we were just going to play and see how we go, so to get to semis was good," Moore said.

"We had a few good games coming into semis, but yeah, just people out made it tough today.

"I think Panorama, they've got the skill level across the board, I think they can win it."

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