As New South Wales second rower Yasmin Clydsdale reached out desperately towards the tryline with 25 seconds remaining in Game 2 of last year’s Women’s State of Origin series, it should have been a bigger moment. The drama of the eventual penalty try, after Queensland centre Shenae Ciesiolka had led with her boot in preventing the grounding, was undercut by a sense of disappointment – this was a two-match series, and even though the teams won a game each, there would be no decider. Instead Queensland lifted the shield after winning the second-ever women’s series on points aggregate.
Being forced into doing frantic maths in the heat of an exciting finish to figure out who will take the series win is far from ideal. Neither are drawn series satisfying for anyone.
