Summary
Well for the second time this series, we got an absolute blockbuster that could have been anyone’s game right up to the final whistle. And for the second time this series, it was the Blues who held their nerve under pressure and got the win.
It’s unfortunate for the Maroons, as they haven’t played badly in either match, but their hopes of a series win have now dissolved. Tonight was particularly cruel, as they believed they had levelled the game with a kick to come on the siren and Brown could have put them ahead with her strong goal kicking. But Berry’s desperation on the line proved the difference and it was heartbreak once again for the Queenslanders.
In a low-scoring game, defence was the key and the Blues executed just that tiny bit better, with sensational try-saving tackles from Berry, Southwell and Apps not only denying the Maroons, but fuelling and motivating the Blues.
Now we head to Game 3 and despite it being a dead rubber, there will be plenty of heart and fight in the match. The Blues will want to go one better than last year and get the clean sweep, while the Maroons will want to take something away from this series and finish with a win.
Thanks so much for joining me tonight and don’t forget to follow along again for Game 3 in two week’s time. Until then, enjoy Magic Round and enjoy a huge festival of rugby league across the weekend!
Player of the match: Jesse Southwell
A very well deserved player of the match award for Southwell, she was outstanding tonight.
“Credit to the team and the culture that we’ve built. Every single player will do anything for the win and anything for the team, so that’s what we did. We love playing here in Suncorp, because it’s their home. That’s what Origin is about, you’ve got to flip the script. It’s an honour and blessing to be able to do what we do.”
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Rory Owen is understandably devastated, but is grateful to the crowd.
“Queenslanders are the most passionate rugby league supporters – thank you all for coming out tonight and sorry we couldn’t get the win for you.”
Kezie Apps is beaming with happiness as she’s interviewed post-match.
“We knew it was going to be tough here at Suncorp Stadium and our hearts were in our chests for a while there at the end, but came away with the win in the end. Super proud of the girls and their efforts on the defensive line.”
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Full time: Queensland 10-14 New South Wales
The Maroons get one last chance and they think they’ve done it, with Peters looking to score in the corner and the referee and touch judge agreeing that it’s a try. But the bunker sticks their noses in after the try is awarded and spot that Berry has dragged her feet into touch. The Blues get the ball with 24 seconds remaining and hold on to win the game and secure the series.
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69 mins: The Blues’ desperation comes back to bite them as they are penalised for a high tackle and gift the Maroons field position in what’s likely to be their final chance to score.
68 mins: The Maroons are desperate to score and level the series and they are powering down the field looking for a try. Manzelmann runs it on the fifth, hoping to catch the Blues looking for the kick, but they pull her down and get the hand over.
66 mins: The Maroons are defending for their lives and it’s truly a defensive effort for the ages and the Blues can’t make a breakthrough. Apps thinks she’s owed a six again call, but the referee says no and the Maroons get the ball.
64 mins: Upton looks to be in a bit of discomfort, but she’s playing through it. The Blues take the scrum feed 30m out. The Blues get very close to the line, but can’t get over. They put up a deft kick on the fifth tackle and force a knock on from the Maroons to get a scrum feed 10m out.
62 mins: The pressure is rising now and Brill makes an error for the Maroons, losing the ball in a tackle on the halfway line. Kelleher makes a great run, but can’t get through the defence. The Blues put up a desperate kick, but Upton leaps up to pull it out of the air and lands safely in the field of play. But they drop the ball midway through the set after not making much ground.
60 mins: The Blues force an error from Queensland to get a scrum feed on the halfway line. The crowd is announced at 23,846 and they make themselves known with a big Queenslander chant. Berry has a chance for the Blues to dash down the sideline, but she loses the ball.
58 mins: A huge line break from Owen gets the Maroons down into Blues territory and a great kick from Kiria-Ratu catches Church off guard and she puts it down. Peters looks certain to score, but Southwell pulls out an incredible try-saving effort to put her into touch in goal and the Blues get a 20m restart. It’s a good set from them, again finished with a good kick, but Upton is up to the challenge.
56 mins: The Blues get a penalty early in the set. The rain has settled a little now, but the ground is still pretty wet out there. Southwell goes down awkwardly in a tackle and we take a little break while the trainer checks her out. The doctor heads out there as well, which is a little concerning for both Southwell and the Blues, but she gets the all clear and continues on. Upton fields a great kick from Kelleher and then slips over, but holds on to the ball.
54 mins: Plenty of excitement and huge scrambling defence required by the Blues. Apps makes a try-saving tackle on Upton on one side of the field and then it looks like Peters will score on the other, but the Blues get her to the sideline and she gets turned around and throws a forward pass.
52 mins: The Maroons start in good position after that penalty. Kiria-Ratu puts up a monster of a kick, but Church holds her ground and takes the ball under immense pressure. Chapman makes a good run, but Robinson makes a huge tackle and she loses the ball.
50 mins: A spiral kick from the Blues at the end of their next set turns Upton around – she drops it, but backwards. The Blues are then penalised for a hair pull, but there doesn’t appear to be much in it.
GOAL! Queensland 10-14 New South Wales (Southwell 48')
A fantastic kick from Southwell from the sideline in driving rain adds the extra two points for the Blues.
TRY! Queensland 10-12 New South Wales (Sergis 46')
Southwell puts Church through a gap and she nearly dashes right through, but is brought down through desperate defence. But the Blues instead move it to the other side of the field and Southwell puts in another great pass and Sergis dummies and goes herself to score in the corner.
46 mins: Surprisingly, Brown misses the conversion – an easier shot than the one she nailed in the first half. The Maroons are in the lead, but it’s still very tight and it’s anyone’s game. The Queenslanders look to push their advantage, but they lose the ball in their first set after scoring.
TRY! Queensland 10-8 New South Wales (Ferguson 43')
A great offload from the Maroons early in the set and some fancy footwork from Upton gets the Maroons into strong position and then a crusher tackle from the Blues gives them a choice to make. They decide to go for the try rather than take the two from right in front, and it’s a good decision, finding their way towards the line and giving Ferguson a great opportunity to dive over.
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41 mins: Now it’s the Blues who have to be strong on defence and they are up to the challenge as well, keeping the Maroons away from the line. The Blues make an error midway through their attacking set and the Maroons get another shot.
39 mins: The Maroons have to defend hard and they do so, putting plenty of pressure on the Blues and forcing an error a few metres out from the line. They nearly lose the ball after the scrum, but manage to hang on and then get a penalty to really spark them into action.
37 mins: Kezie Apps takes the ball from the kick off to get the half started for the Blues. It’s a solid, but uneventful first set until Southwell puts up a bomb and the Maroons let it bounce. Lolesio picks it up on the sideline and she’s tackled into touch to give the ball back to the Blues.
The teams are back on the field and we’re ready for the second half to begin!
Half-time: Queensland 6-8 New South Wales
A very exciting first half, with the Blues dominating early, getting the best of the field position and finding the line twice. But once Upton made that huge break up the sideline, it seemed to spur the Maroons into action and from that point on, they dominated the field position and possession, getting a hard-fought try with five minutes left in the half. The Blues could have been further ahead if they had managed to convert their two tries, but the try scorers didn’t make it easy on Southwell. Brown’s accurate goal kicking could give the Maroons the edge, so the Blues will want to make sure they get more tries on the board.
It’s sure to be a fascinating second half, so go and grab some water and rehydrate and we’ll be back into the action very soon!
34 mins: Things are going the Maroons’ way right now, as they get a penalty early in the set and continue their push towards the try line. In the blink of an eye they’re at the Blues’ 10m line.
GOAL! Queensland 6-8 New South Wales (Brown 32')
It’s not an easy conversion by any means, but Brown slots it between the uprights to close the gap to two points.
TRY! Queensland 4-8 New South Wales (Owen 30')
Queensland keep building the pressure on the Blues and eventually a quick play the ball and pass from Upton out of dummy half puts Owen over the line and Queensland are on the board.
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30 mins: Chapman is penalised a few metres out, giving Queensland another six tackles inside the 10. The NSW defence is strong, but Queensland forces a line drop out with a smart grubber kick.
28 mins: Queensland get their first use of the football in quite some time and they play a solid, but cautious but solid set. However Kiria-Ratu puts up a huge, spiralling kick at the end of the set and Church can’t hold on to it, giving Queensland the ball in great position.
26 mins: Southwell has another tough conversion attempt – she gets closer to this one, but can’t quite knock it over. The Maroons are penalised for a high tackle at the start of the set and the Blues march down field. They lose the ball on the last tackle however.
TRY! Queensland 0-8 New South Wales (Nizza 22')
After being camped out in the Maroons 20 for some time, the Blues finally manage to find some grass over the line and Nizza throws a dummy and dives over from dummy half to score.
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22 mins: Sharpe rules that Kernick knocks the ball into a Queensland defender, but the Blues immediately challenge and the bunker finds that she knocked it back, before Queensland then knocked it on, so the Blues get another set. Butler then gets over the line, but she is also held up. It’s all happening! Upton dives on a Southwell grubber in goal at the end of the set and there’ll be a line drop out.
20 mins: The Maroons drop the ball from the kick and NSW are again in good position. They move it to the other side of the field and Kelleher gets over the line, but is held up.
18 mins: A good set from the Blues ends with a good kick, but Upton picks it up and sprints along the sideline, making a huge amount of ground before being brought down by Southwell, who attempts to drag her into touch. The Maroons make it all the way to the Blues’ line, but they drop the ball attempting to get over the line.
16 mins: Another great kick from Southwell splits the Maroons and allows the Blues to set up their defence. Upton nearly makes a line break, but as the defenders bring her down, she loses the ball and the Blues get the ball inside the Maroons’ half.
14 mins: The Blues almost immediately lose the ball and the Maroons have seven tackles inside the Blues 10. Upton very nearly crashes over, but a desperate Blues defensive effort holds her up. They try to swing it wide, but Robinson can’t hold on to the ball and it flies into touch. The Blues try to keep the momentum of their strong defensive set as they push down field.
12 mins: Southwell finishes the set with a well-placed kick that lands between the fullback and winger, but it bounces safely into touch and the Maroons start their set on the 30m line. There’s a half break through the line twice during the set and a good high kick to finish the set, but Fressard gets right underneath it.
10 mins: Southwell misses the conversion attempt from the sideline, so it’s just a four-point lead to the Blues. The Maroons put up a great kick off, but it’s fielded well by the Blues and they make their way down field.
TRY! Queensland 0-4 New South Wales (Chapman 4')
The Blues play a good set following the penalty, getting close to the line, but lose the ball over the sideline while attempting to swing the ball out wide. However, Robinson drops the ball for the Maroons immediately and give the Blues a scrum feed 10m out. The Blues this time manage to get their set play together and get the ball out wide to Chapman who fives over the line.
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6 mins: The Maroons finish their set with a bomb and they get players underneath it, but they can only knock it on and the Blues pick it up and play the advantage. Kernick makes a nice half break through the line. Kelleher puts up a nice kick and the Maroons are penalised for not attempting a tackle.
4 mins: The Maroons put in a solid defensive effort and the Blues can’t complete the set, following an ungenerous knock on call from referee Belinda Sharpe. The Maroons start well from the scrum and drive down the field with a lot of intent.
2 mins: A big first collision, as is traditional in State of Origin and the Maroons make their way down the field. They put up an early kick on the fourth tackle, trying to catch the Blues off guard with the wet ball, but Church is up to the challenge. Kelly draws a penalty early in the set and the Blues get some assistance to make ground down the field.
Kick-off
The Blues kick off and we are under way!
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Ashley Ruska performs the Welcome to Country and the Australian Girls’ Choir sing the national anthem tonight.
The players are running out on the field now – ready for the Welcome to Country and anthem. The Blues get a very hostile welcome, while a huge cheer erupts as the Maroons run out.
There’s a bit of rain around at Suncorp, but Maroons captain Tamika Upton says her team is prepared for the conditions. The Blues have warned Upton they will be testing her under the high ball with plenty of bombs to be put up throughout this game. The wet conditions will make that even more challenging, but Upton is a quality player who won’t be intimidated by this game plan.
If you want a refresher on Game 1 before we get underway tonight, you’re in luck! Jack Snape’s match report will take you right back to that fateful night in Newcastle just two short weeks ago.
A couple of changes to those teams since Game 1. Tiana Penitani is out for the Blues and has been replaced in the 17 by Rima Butler. For the Maroons, Jasmine Peters has come in to replace Phoenix-Rain Hippi, who sustained a hamstring injury in Newcastle.
Team list: NSW
1. Abbi Church
2. Jaime Chapman
3. Jessica Sergis
4. Isabelle Kelly (c)
5. Jayme Fressard
6. Jocelyn Kelleher
7. Jesse Southwell
8. Millie Elliott
14. Olivia Higgins
10. Ellie Johnston
11. Kezie Apps
12. Yasmin Meakes
13. Olivia Kernick
Interchange
9. Keeley Nizza
15. Kennedy Cherrington
16. Rima Butler
17. Teagan Berry
Reserve
18. Corban Baxter
Team list: Queensland
1. Tamika Upton
2. Julia Robinson
3. Rory Owen
4. Ivana Lolesio
5. Jasmine Peters
6. Chantay Kiria-Ratu
7. Lauren Brown
8. Otesa Pule
14. Destiny Brill
10. Jessika Elliston
11. Sienna Lofipo
12. Romy Teitzel
13. Keilee Joseph
Interchange
9. Jada Ferguson
15. Makenzie Weale
16. Brianna Clarke
19. Emma Manzelmann
Reserve
17. Shenae Ciesiolka
Preamble
Hello and welcome to Game 2 of the women’s State of Origin series! Last time it was the Blues with the win in a very tight match, breaking their run of losses in Newcastle and overcoming an early setback when the Maroons scored in the opening minutes of the match.
It was a victory the Blues will be happy with, but it was not dominant by any means and coming into the hostile environment of Suncorp Stadium, they will be wary of a resurgent Maroons team. However, Suncorp has not been a happy hunting ground for the Maroons in the past – they have not won a game there since playing under the State of Origin banner. They will be hoping this is the year for breaking home game loss streaks!
This match features as part of Magic Round, so there will be plenty of excitement around up in Brisbane, with a festival of rugby league happening all weekend. I’d expect to see a good crowd in, which will be very pro-Queensland.
There are a few team changes to discuss, so let’s get into it!
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