Key events
56 mins: A great passage of play for the Maroons is dampened when Sergis steals the ball one-on-one and gets the ball back in Blue hands. Penitani nearly adds another four points, but the referee rules a knock on in the previous play.
54 mins: NSW get the ball back and they’re looking strong and confident after that try. In good news for QLD, Papali’i passed her HIA test and will be back on the field as they attempt to put a dent in this NSW margin.
GOAL! QLD 12-24 NSW
Southwell finally gets a simple kick and she makes no mistake in adding the extra two points.
TRY! QLD 12-22 NSW (Johnston 52′)
QLD will rue giving NSW so much field position – with Blues jerseys running at them everywhere, they couldn’t hold them out and Johnston crashes over just next to the post.
50 mins: Into the final 20 mins of the game now and QLD’s good set is defused by a very ordinary kick to give the ball straight to NSW on the move, making it easy for them to make some good metres. Southwell puts in a kick for Chapman and it looked like another four points, but Upton snatches it from the air to save the day for QLD. They make their move down the field, but a forward pass gives NSW the ball back in good position.
48 mins: NSW are on the attack again, with some great show and go from Southwell getting them very close to the QLD line, but they can’t find a good option on the fifth tackle and QLD get the ball back.
46 mins: A very good kick from QLD at the end of their set is allowed to bounce and it is a very unpredictable bounce that lands straight back in QLD hands, but they can’t capitalise and knock it on to give NSW an opportunity. Robinson shows everyone how it’s done by catching Southwell’s bomb in the air with NSW players running right at her.
44 mins: Southwell misses the conversion, so NSW stay just the six points ahead. Papali’i is off the field for a HIA assessment, hopefully she will be able to return after 15 minutes. NSW keep up their momentum with a strong set, but QLD field Southwell’s bomb with ease to head back down the field.
TRY! QLD 12-18 NSW (Fressard 40′)
Brown finishes the QLD set with an excellent kick, forcing Church to work hard to get the ball back in field. Southwell returns fire at the end of the NSW set with her best long kick in the match so far, that forces Ciesiolka to let the ball bounce multiple times and from there, an error hands the ball back to NSW, where they use their momentum to create an overlap and Fressard gets her second.
39 mins: Buoyed by that strong defence, NSW run hard out of their half and make good ground, nearly forcing an error from QLD when fielding a Southwell bomb. Jasmine Peters for QLD has been ruled out of the rest of the match with a head injurt that occurred late in the first half.
37 mins: Underway in the second half, QLD got us started with the kick off for the half and straight away there is intensity in QLD’s tackling game and they force an error in the play the ball very early in the set and get a scrum feed 20m out. NSW have to defend hard and they do it well, forcing Upton into kicking the ball dead in goal.
Plenty of action and drama in that first half, not least that complaint against the Maroons about eye gouging – we’re still yet to hear an update about that, but certainly an interesting situation to monitor.
It has been a high-quality game, especially considering many of these players haven’t played a competitive game in over six months, though a few errors began to creep in with the fatigue late in the half.
With the game poised as it is, both teams have the opportunity to stamp their dominance from the start of the second half and set up an important first game win – it certainly feels like there are a lot of points still to be scored out on that field tonight.
Half-time: QLD 12-14 NSW
Some drama late in the half with NSW penalised for a hair pull on Upton, though it was clearly accidental and her hair just got in the way of the tackle – personally I don’t think that should be a penalty, but unfortunately no one consults me when they write the rules of rugby league. NSW manages to hold QLD out from scoring late in the half, so we go into the break with just the two points in it.
It’s been a game of momentum swings so far, with each team looking dominant at different points of the half. The game could certainly go either way from here and it’s shaping up to be an incredible finish!
33 mins: Hard work for NSW defending a whole set on their own line with the relentless QLD attack coming at them. Verran picks up the grubber kick on the fifth and does fantastic work to keep it in the field of play. NSW play a decent set, but again Southwell isn’t quite nailing her long kicking game, though she has been excellent close to the line.
31 mins: QLD move quickly with ball in hand and march down towards the NSW line. Aiken puts up a sensational kick, which is dropped by Chapman – Robinson picks it up, the NSW defenders take her out over the sideline, but then the Maroons get the scrumfeed for the original error. It’s all happening now!
29 mins: A quick break while Kernick recovers from a surprise winding and the Blues have the ball and quickly get a penalty to help them get out of trouble up against their own line. The Blues lose the ball in the play the ball – or so the ref says! Apps wants to challenge it and the replay says they should have, but they do not.
27 mins: QLD are back in the points and they’re up and about and early in the set they get a penalty go their way for a crusher tackle by Cherrington. Upton nearly makes a break for the line, but the Blues scramble to pull her down.
GOAL! QLD 12-14 NSW
Brown adds the two points and it’s game on once again.
TRY! QLD 10-14 NSW (Owen 23′)
QLD make no mistake with the ball this time, creating a gap and sending debutant Owen straight through it.
24 mins: QLD have the ball for the first time in quite a while and immediately pick up a penalty, which will help their cause. Brown drops the ball in the ruck on the last tackle and NSW think they can sprint for the line, but referee Sharpe has other ideas and QLD gets the ball back.
22 mins: Southwell overcorrects in her conversion attempt from the same spot as the last one and again can’t add the two points. So far NSW have managed to control the game by dominating possession and keeping the ball far away from the hands of QLD’s superstars. Can they maintain it for the rest of the game?
TRY! QLD 6-14 NSW (Fressard 19′)
Again QLD attempt a short line drop out, but Rory Owen tackles the player in the air and it just results in another penalty to NSW. NSW swing the ball out wide and Kelly sets up Fressard with a quick catch and pass as she’s falling and it’s another four points for the Blues.
18 mins: Southwell can’t add the two points from the other side of the field, so NSW just have the four point lead now. In other news, NSW have lodged an official complaint against the Maroons for eye gouging – I’ll keep an eye on the situation as it develops. NSW get a penalty early in their set for more strong field position for them. Southwell puts in another excellent kick on the fifth to force a line drop out.
TRY! QLD 6-10 NSW (Kelly 14′)
A quick tap from a penalty gives NSW the field position they need and after a couple of nervous bounce passes, they create an overlap and Kelly runs over the line for an easy four points.
13 mins: The Maroons get the first penalty of the night, to the delight of the crowd, and they start the set 30m out from the Blues’ line. Upton makes a dive at the line on the third tackle, but desperate defence keeps her out.
11 mins: QLD are flying high after scoring, but on the first tackle after the kick off, they lose the ball and NSW get the scrum feed 20 metres out. But then the Blues knock the ball on straight away and the ball goes back into the scrum again for the Maroons this time.
GOAL! QLD 6-6 NSW
Brown makes the kick look easy from out wide and the scores are level!
TRY! QLD 4-6 NSW (Lofipo 7′)
Holding off the kick to the end of the set works much better for QLD, with a high bomb into the corner finding the safe hands of Lofipo to score.
7 mins: NSW start in their own half for the first time this match and QLD look determined to shut them down after giving away early points. It’s a regulation set, with Southwell’s kick on the fifth not putting as much pressure on the Maroons as it could.
GOAL! QLD 0-6 NSW
Southwell nails the conversion from out wide to add the extra two points for NSW.
TRY! QLD 0-4 NSW (Sergis 4′)
NSW build the pressure up and up and eventually it’s Sergis who finds the line, throwing a neat dummy to fool the defence and dive over the line.
4 mins: Davis nearly gers over the line on the fourth tackle, before the ball goes back out to Southwell who puts in a deft kick that the Maroons are forced to run dead to take the line dropout. They attempt a short kick, but NSW manage to get the ball and then a couple of Queensland errors reset the tackle count.
2 mins: The Maroons get first use of the football and there’s plenty of intensity from both teams from the outset. Queensland put in an early kick, aiming for a 40/30 through Brigginshaw, but she kicks it out on the full, handing NSW great field position for their first set.
And we’re off! The Blues have kicked off and the game is underway…
The teams are on the field now for the pre-match ceremonies, with Aaron Ruska delivering the Welcome to Country tonight and Emma Tomlinson performing the national anthem.
One of the key sticking points of this series has been the timing – the players who aren’t part of the Jillaroos set up haven’t had serious match play since last year’s NRLW season. Unlike the men’s series, which takes place in the middle of the NRL season, the pre-season timing means the players are often not at their peak. Could a change in timing provide an even better showcase for women’s rugby league?
Getting close to kick off now – the players are in the house and settling in for a big night.
If you want to get even more up to speed before tonight’s game, check out Jack Snape’s excellent preview, including Jessika Elliston’s description of how the crowd in Newcastle last year made her chest rattle with their sheer volume.
So both teams have named four debutants in their line ups for tonight! For the Maroons, centre Rory Owen and winger Jasmine Peters will both make their debuts, as well as Tavarna Papali’i and Jada Ferguson on the interchange bench. For the Blues it will be prop Ellie Johnston, fullback Abbi Church, winger Jayme Fressard and Jocelyn Kelleher from the bench who will enter the Origin arena for the first time.
Tiana Penitani is better known for playing in the centres, but she will be in five-eighth in this reshuffled line up. While the Maroons have 10 players from their winning 2024 squad in tonight’s line up, it’s also worth noting that the Blues have seven members of the NRLW premiership-winning Roosters team among their numbers.
It should be a fascinating battle between these two powerhouse teams – the changes have added an extra element of intrigue.
Team List: NSW
1 Abbi Church
2 Jaime Chapman
3 Jessica Sergis
4 Isabelle Kelly
5 Jayme Fressard
6 Tiana Penitani
7 Jesse Southwell
8 Simaima Taufa
9 Keeley Davis
10 Ellie Johnston
11 Kezie Apps
12 Yasmin Clydsdale
13 Olivia Kernick
Interchange:
14 Jocelyn Kelleher
15 Kennedy Cherrington
16 Sarah Togatuki
17 Emma Verran
Reserve:
18 Shaylee Bent
Team List: QLD
1 Tamika Upton
2 Julia Robinson
3 Shenae Ciesiolka
4 Rory Owen
5 Jasmine Peters
6 Tarryn Aiken
7 Ali Brigginshaw
8 Keilee Joseph
9 Lauren Brown
10 Jessika Elliston
11 Sienna Lofipo
12 Romy Teitzel
13 Destiny Brill
Interchange:
14 Jada Ferguson
15 Sophie Holyman
16 Makenzie Weale
17 Tavarna Papalii
Reserve:
18 Georgia Hannaway
Preamble
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Megan Maurice
Hello and welcome to the second ever three-match women’s Origin series! Last year’s series proved the value of the three-match format, with the series locked at 1-1 going into the final match after a nail-biting one-point win by the Maroons in the pouring rain at Newcastle in Game 2. It was the Queenslanders who were good enough to finish it off and come away with the series win, after a dominant victory in Townsville in Game 3.
This year it is NSW who have the two home games, meaning that if they pull off a win at Suncorp Stadium tonight – as they did in Game 1 last year – they will have the psychological advantage of knowing they go into the next two games with the crowd behind them at Allianz in Sydney and McDonald Jones in Newcastle.
While there has been an injury cloud hanging over star Maroons five-eighth Tarryn Aiken, she has confirmed she is fit to play tonight, which will be a great relief to Queenslanders everywhere – Aiken last year won not only the Origin series, but the NRLW premiership, the Karyn Murphy Medal for player of the NRLW grand final and the International Rugby League Golden Boot award. She is pivotal to the success of the Maroons tonight.
There have been plenty of shake ups to the squads, which we will delve into very soon, but expect a few new faces and some rejigged line ups when the teams take the field tonight.
John Strange makes his Origin head coaching debut for the Blues tonight, following a premiership win with the Roosters in 2024. He will be keen to make his mark on the series and kicking off with a win in the cauldron of Suncorp Stadium would be the very definition of a perfect start.
There is plenty to discuss and not long until the game gets underway at 7.45pm AEST, so let’s get into it!
