A record crowd of over 18,000 at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville witnessed a historic Women’s State of Origin clash, in which a penalty try in the final minute gave New South Wales an 18-14 win that was not enough to retain the shield.
In the first multi-game women’s Origin series, Queensland emerged victorious on the back of their eight-point opening game win. It led to strange scenes at full-time when the victorious Sky Blues appeared devastated and the vanquished Maroons were delirious with happiness.
The Maroons led the game with a minute to play before a stunning penalty try put the Blues up 18-14 and gave them a final, unsuccessful fling to win by the eight points required.
New South Wales dominated territory. They dominated possession. They had more than twice the tackle breaks and a huge edge in post-contact metres. But a lack of class in the newly-formed halves pairing left the Sky Blues stranded time and time again and ensured that even one of the all-time performances from fullback Emma Tonegato was not enough to retain interstate honours.
In typical Queensland-style, the Maroons were resilient in defence and took the few opportunities that were presented to them. Led by veterans Ali Brigginshaw, Tazmin Gray and Tamika Upton, Queensland delivered a win that will long be remembered for its toughness and its spirit. Gray was electric in attack, Upton was extraordinarily reliable at the back and Brigginshaw just hit and hit all night to deliver Queensland a famous win.
The Sky Blues started the contest with a superb first set and it did not take long for them to take advantage of the first real opportunity on the back of a penalty and an enterprising set that started off with a blindside move and resulted in a superb try for speedster Tiana Penitani. Hooker Keeley Davis slid a delightful grubber through at an acute angle that sat up nicely for the veteran Penitani to give the Sky Blues a 4-0 lead inside of five minutes.
There was intent from the opening whistle from New South Wales, highlighted perfectly by a long bullet pass on a kick return from custodian Emma Tonegato, who ran for 209 metres and had 11 tackle busts in a class showing. An error from Kezie Apps on the night she broke the record for the most capped Sky Blue put NSW on the defensive but they quickly countered following a Maroons error with Isabelle Kelly pushing through the Queensland defence and sending Penitani away. The Sky Blues capped that set off with a successful shot at penalty goal with a struggling Queensland failing to get back onside.
The attack was relentless and Penitani was again sent clear on a kick return by Tonegato, only for mercurial Queensland fullback Upton to shut the break down. The Sky Blues seemed destined to score but Jamie Chapman failed to bring down a bomb and Queensland were relieved to be down just 6-0 after the opening quarter of an hour.
The Maroons were hardly off the back foot in the opening 20 minutes yet went the length of the field to post their first try. Following a penalty for a high shot on Upton, the Maroons took advantage of improved field position and with their first legitimate opportunity, Gray broke through on their left edge and found the sizzling Upton.
Queensland remarkably took the lead soon after following another stunning play by Gray, who got a round-the-corner pass away to centre Evania Pelite, who in turn popped a miracle ball when all but held to send Emily Bass over untouched.
Two minutes later livewire Maroons No 6 Tarryn Aiken pushed through a poor attempted tackle from Olivia Kernick and darted to the left corner where Queensland had posted their first two tries. Zahara Temara converted and remarkably a Maroons team that was on the backfoot for much of the opening stanza was up 14-6.
The Sky Blues compounded a disastrous period by putting the ensuing kickoff out on the full but survived thanks to Aiken sliding a grubber dead with more points looming. New South Wales just lacked the polish in the halves to secure points and despite a late attacking raid went one-out too often and trailed at halftime by eight.
Needing to win by at least eight points to retain the shield, the Sky Blues came out chasing points and got them early with Penitani crashing over for her second on the back of silky smooth passing from Tonegato and Kelly. The Blues nearly crossed again through a dart from backup rake Quincy Dodd but a penalty saw them curiously take the two to trail 14-12.
NSW remained camped down the Maroons end for most of the opening 20 minutes of the second half but a lack of creativity, poor kicking and some ordinary handling left the Sky Blues frustrated and behind until the final minute when Yasmin Clydesdale’s attempt to ground the ball was stymied by Shenae Ciesiolka’s boot, which The Bunker ruled was an illegal kick.
