QUEENSLAND 4 NEW SOUTH WALES 12
TOM SMITH, Cbus Super Stadium, Thursday

NEW SOUTH WALES captain Isabelle Kelly spearheaded her side’s gruelling victory over Queensland to seal the Blues’ series clean sweep.

Kelly scored NSW’s first try then set up their second to help the women in blue outmuscle the Maroons for the third time this campaign.

Both sides struggled to handle the Steeden in slippery conditions on the Gold Coast, although the Blues enjoyed the lion’s share of the ball and converted their possession into points thanks to captain Kelly.

Lock forward Olivia Kernick completed a superb series with a game-high 199 running metres and 31 tackles, while props Millie Elliott and Ellie Johnston laid the perfect foundation in the wet.

The Blues had already retained the shield with tense five- and four-point victories in Newcastle and Brisbane over the past month, and travelled to the rainy Gold Coast aiming to become the first team to claim a clean sweep since women’s Origin moved to a three-game series in 2024.

Queensland denied NSW a 3-0 triumph twelve months ago but they couldn’t triumph in front of their home fans here.

The win rounds out a dream 24 hours for NSW coach John Strange, who watched his son Ethan help his state claim the men’s Origin opener on debut in Sydney the night before.

Strange didn’t tinker with a winning side, sticking with the same 17 that sealed at Suncorp Stadium.

On the other hand, injury forced Queensland coach Nathan Cross into several key changes.

Fullback Tamika Upton suffered nerve pain down her arm in Game Two, bringing Destiny Mino-Sinapati in for her interstate bow.

Shenae Ciesiolka replaced Julia Robinson (foot) on the wing and debutant Lillian Yarrow came onto the bench for Makenzie Weale (fractured cheekbone).

And the Maroons sorely missed playmaker Tarryn Aiken, who missed the whole series with an ACL injury.

The Blues looked certain to score first when Titans local Jaime Chapman snaffled a Jesse Southwell cross-field kick, only for Rory Owen and club team-mate Lauren Brown to deny her.

Down the other flank, Jayme Fressard – one of eight Sydney Roosters on Strange’s team sheet – appeared to eventually break the deadlock, until the Bunker spotted a knock-on due to Jasmine Peters’ desperate tackle.

The southerners eventually hit the scoreboard via Kelly, who benefitted from some neat passing by Southwell and Abbi Church down the left edge.

But four minutes before the break, Queensland struck back. A set scrum-base move sent Peters scampering down the right touchline, beating Southwell and Church to the corner.

Southwell and Brown missed their respective conversions to make it 4-all at the break.

After a tense start to the second half, Southwell made no mistake with a penalty goal resulting from an offside infringement to poke the Blues’ noses in front.

And NSW gave themselves even more breathing room once Fressard capitalised on a Kelly offload with a surging run to the stripe and Southwell’s boot extended the lead to eight points.

Queensland asked questions of the visitors’ defence as the clock ticked down, but the Blues flexed the defensive muscle that has been their signature this series to secure victory.

GAMESTAR: Isabelle Kelly had her fingerprints all over the Blues’ two tries, scoring one and assisting the other.

GAMEBREAKER: Jayme Fressard collected a Kelly offload then sliced through the Maroons’ goal-line defence to give NSW enough points to defend.

MATCHFACTS

MAROONS
1 Destiny Mino-Sinapati (Gold Coast Titans)
2 Shenae Ciesiolka (Brisbane Broncos)
3 Rory Owen (Parramatta Eels)
4 Ivana Lolesio (Gold Coast Titans)
5 Jasmine Peters (North Queensland Cowboys)
6 Chantay Kiria-Ratu (Cronulla Sharks)
7 Lauren Brown (Gold Coast Titans)
8 Otesa Pule (Sydney Roosters)
9 Destiny Brill (Brisbane Broncos)
10 Jessika Elliston (Gold Coast Titans)
11 Sienna Lofipo (Gold Coast Titans)
12 Romy Teitzel (Brisbane Broncos)
13 Keilee Joseph (Parramatta Eels)
Subs (all used)
14 Emma Manzelmann (North Queensland Cowboys)
15 Brianna Clark (Brisbane Broncos)
16 Lillian Yarrow (North Queensland Cowboys)
17 Jada Ferguson (Brisbane Broncos)

Tries: Peters (31)
Goals: Brown 0/1

BLUES
1 Abbi Church (Parramatta Eels)
2 Jaime Chapman (Gold Coast Titans)
3 Jessica Sergis (Sydney Roosters)
4 Isabelle Kelly (Sydney Roosters)
5 Jayme Fressard (Sydney Roosters)
6 Jocelyn Kelleher (Sydney Roosters)
7 Jesse Southwell (Brisbane Broncos)
8 Millie Elliott (Sydney Roosters)
9 Olivia Higgins (Newcastle Knights)
10 Ellie Johnston (Cronulla Sharks)
11 Kezie Apps (Wests Tigers)
12 Yasmin Meakes (Newcastle Knights)
13 Olivia Kernick (Sydney Roosters)
Subs (all used)
14 Keeley Nizza (Sydney Roosters)
15 Kennedy Cherrington (Parramatta Eels)
16 Rima Butler (Sydney Roosters)
17 Teagan Berry (St George Illawarra Dragons)

Tries: Kelly (27), Fressard (53)
Goals: Southwell 2/3

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 4-4; 4-6, 4-12

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Women of the Match
Maroons: Jessika Elliston; Blues: Isabelle Kelly

Penalty count: 4-6
Half-time: 4-4
Referee: Belinda Sharpe
Attendance: 11,816