Women's State of Origin game 1: NSW Blues take down Queensland Maroons
Jayme Fressard of the Blues one of her two tries during the Women's State of Origin series opner in Brisbane.
Jayme Fressard of the Blues one of her two tries during the Women's State of Origin series opner in Brisbane. Photograph: Dave Hunt/AAP
New South Wales overpowered a mistake-prone Queensland side 32-12 in a compelling but ultimately one-sided Women's State of Origin opener in front of a record crowd at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday, thanks to key contributions from three debutants.
Late try-scorer Abbi Church was incisive at fullback, Jayme Fressard crossed twice on the left wing and towering prop forward Ellie Johnston scored the decisive four-pointer midway through the second half that settled the contest which gave the Blues a lead in the three-match series.
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Johnston, a proven NRLW performer with Cronulla, said she wanted to make the most of the step up, but there was nothing complicated about her try. 'Me and Em [Emma Verran] have a really good connection, and she just knew that I wanted it, and I knew Queensland were short on that side so I just went for it,' she said.
The crowd of 26,022 at the match – the first in four days of entertainment as part of NRL's Magic Round – set a new record for the series. It eclipsed the 25,782 that attended game two in last season's series.
In that match the Blues gave up a second-half lead that would turn the series on its head, but there were no signs of nerves on Thursday from a new-look Blues side under new coach John Strange. Jesse Southwell was recalled at halfback and was effective as kicker and playmaker.
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But it was the solid work of the Blues pack that set the platform for their success on a fresh Brisbane evening. They were helped by a series of mistakes in the second half by the Maroons, who coughed up the ball repeatedly inside their half, three ending in tries that would settle the contest.
Right-winger Jaime Chapman helped bring about the first try of the second half for her team-mate Jayme Fressard on the opposite flank, when she forced an error from Queensland deep in their territory. Seconds later the Blues were over in the left corner, and Fressard had two tries on debut.
Johnston provided the moment of the match when she crossed to help put the Blues up by two converted tries. A forward pass from Queensland 30m out gifted their opponents possession, and once again the home side paid dearly. Johnston carried two defenders over the line for the try, then erupted in celebrations in a crowd of delighted teammates.
She almost did it again in the dying stages, as another marauding run under the posts was only narrowly held up by a desperate mass of Queensland defenders. Seconds later Church took advantage of Johnston's efforts, and crossed on the left to mark her own dazzling debut.
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Queensland captain Tamika Upton said her team tried hard but made too many errors. 'We gave them a lot of ball, and we definitely paid the price for it, but I'm very proud of the girls for their defence, particularly the debutants, it was a very tough slog in the middle there.'
New South Wales led 14-12 after an entertaining first half featuring five tries, and multiple momentum swings. The Blues crossed first via centre Jess Sergis, one of three first-half tries for the visitors. The best was their third, midway through the period, when the footwork of Church created an overlap on the left. A mid-air catch and pass from captain Isabelle Kelly sent Fressard over just inside the corner flag in front a bay of New South Wales fans in blue.
The lead-up to the Blues' second try, a four-pointer for Kelly, was notable for an apparent complaint from New South Wales over an alleged eye gouge. It was the first of two unpleasant incidents in the first stanza, which also included a hair pull on Upton by Tiana Penitani Gray. But those moments were largely forgotten in a second half in which the Blues romped to a deserved victory.
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