NEW SOUTH WALES BLUES 11 QUEENSLAND MAROONS 6
TOM SMITH, McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle, Thursday

JESSE Southwell’s late field-goal and Jessica Sergis’ last-minute try clinched a tense victory for New South Wales over Queensland in Game One of the Women’s State of Origin series.

Under new coach Nathan Cross, the Maroons took a six-nil lead to the sheds thanks to debutant Otesa Pule’s early try.

But the experienced Blues — aiming to retain the shield after their 2025 success — levelled things with Ellie Johnston’s barge-over, before Southwell and Sergis stood up at the death.

The Maroons claimed victory in enemy territory in the previous two Origin encounters in Newcastle but the 20,179 locals went home happy this time.

The Queenslanders had a fresh look with Cross taking the clipboard off Tahnee Norris after five years at the helm, Ali Brigginshaw calling time on a decorated 16-year career in the maroon jumper and halves partner Tarryn Aiken sidelined by an ACL injury.

Cross shifted hooker Lauren Brown into halfback alongside Cronulla rookie Chantay Kiria-Ratu on her interstate debut.

Also making their Queensland bows were Titans pair Ivana Lolesio and Phoenix-Raine Hippi plus Roosters forward and Kiwi international Pule, who benefitted from new eligibility rules allowing New Zealanders to take part.

NSW coach John Strange enjoyed the luxury of naming a much more settled line-up, adding new mum Millie Elliott and debutant Teagan Berry to the line-up that claimed last year’s series.

Seven of the Blues’ starting 13 play under Strange at the Roosters — the club that dominated the last two editions of the NRLW.

This clash started with a bang, with Queensland front-rower Makenzie Weale forced off with a failed head injury assessment in the opening seconds.

That brought Pule on for her first taste of Origin — and the Chooks enforcer made an instant impact.

After Kiria-Ratu’s bomb forced an error out of NSW fullback Abbi Church, Pule overpowered three opponents to register the first points.

Brown made no mistake with the easy conversion and 6-nil is how the scoreboard stayed for the remainder of the first half.

Speedster Jaime Chapman threatened to run the length of the field until she was reeled in by Tamika Upton, the biggest attacking threat of an attritional arm wrestle.

The Blues finally hit the scoreboard 10 minutes after the restart, when Johnston steamed onto a neat inside ball from dummy-half Olivia Higgins to cross from close range.

With both sides hunting the next score, Church denied Keilee Joseph inches from the line — then Joseph became the next Queenslander to succumb to a head injury.

Brown and Southwell traded unsuccessful drop-goal attempts, before the NSW playmaker put her side ahead by one point with seven minutes to play.

After repelling a late Queensland raid, it was party time for the hosts when Sergis scrambled over on the stroke of full-time.

The series now moves to Brisbane, where Game Two will kick off Magic Round at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday 14 May, before a potential decider down the road at Gold Coast’s Cbus Super Stadium a fortnight later.

GAMESTAR: Front-rower Ellie Johnston crashed over for the vital try that shifted the momentum in the Blues’ favour.

GAMEBREAKER: Jesse Southwell’s composed field-goal gave NSW the late lead, before Jessica Sergis made sure of the series-opening win.

MATCHFACTS
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 Keeley Nizza (Sydney Roosters)
10 Ellie Johnston (Cronulla Sharks)
11 Tiana Penitani Gray (Cronulla Sharks)
12 Yasmin Meakes (Newcastle Knights)
13 Olivia Kernick (Sydney Roosters)
Subs (all used)
14 Olivia Higgins (Newcastle Knights)
15 Kennedy Cherrington (Parramatta Eels)
16 Kezie Apps (Wests Tigers)
17 Teagan Berry (St George Illawarra Dragons) (D)

Tries: Johnston (46), Sergis (70)
Goals: Southwell 1/2
Field goal: Southwell (63)

MAROONS
1 Tamika Upton (Brisbane Broncos)
2 Julia Robinson (Brisbane Broncos)
3 Rory Owen (Parramatta Eels)
18 Ivana Lolesio (Gold Coast Titans) (D)
5 Phoenix-Raine Hippi (Gold Coast Titans) (D)
6 Chantay Kiria-Ratu (Cronulla Sharks) (D)
7 Lauren Brown (Gold Coast Titans)
8 Makenzie Weale (North Queensland Cowboys)
9 Jada Ferguson (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)
4 Shenae Ciesiolka (St George Illawarra Dragons)
14 Emma Manzelmann (North Queensland Cowboys)
15 Otesa Pule (Sydney Roosters) (D)
16 Chelsea Lenarduzzi (Brisbane Broncos)
18th player (used)
19 Destiny Brill (Brisbane Broncos)

Tries: Pule (3)
Goals: Brown 1/1

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6; 6-6, 7-6, 11-6

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Women of the Match
Blues: Ellie Johnston; Maroons: Otesa Pule

Penalty count: 7-3
Half-time: 0-6
Referee: Belinda Sharpe
Attendance: 20,179