Five quick hits from Women's State of Origin I: Debutants shine as Keeley Davis makes gouging accusation

Australia Broadcast Center

01-05-2025

Eye gouges, hair pulls, a classic duel and a glorious night for the new kids on the block.
Here are five quick hits from the Women's State of Origin series opener at Lang Park.
1. Playing in the doubles Ali
Ali Brigginshaw made an uncharacteristic blunder in the opening set.
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Getty Images: Chris Hyde
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Ali Brigginshaw has done just about everything possible in rugby league, but hasn't been immune from quiet games in Origin in recent years.
Sometimes she'll start slow, weather questions about if the game has passed her by at long last, then she'll come back out and remind everyone why she's been at the top as long as she has.
This time she got her blunder out of the way early, launching the first kick of the match out on the full.
It put her and her Maroons behind the eight ball to start.
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2. Keeley's complaint
As Isabelle Kelly celebrated NSW's second try, she was approached by teammate Keeley Davis.
The pair got the attention of referee Belinda Sharpe, accusing a Maroons player of an eye gouge in the previous set.
All Sharpe could do was put the incident on report, with Sienna Lofipo believed to be the accused.
3. Jaime & Julia
Origin I may have been the first time Jaime Chapman (right) has been outplayed by her opposite number.
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AAP: Dave Hunt
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Jaime Chapman is perhaps the best athlete in women's rugby league and a terrifying presence who is a threat to break any game open at any moment.
Julia Robinson is one of the only players who can challenge her for sheer athleticism and try-scoring brilliance was marked up against her in the series opener.
Unfortunately, most of rugby league attack is designed around avoiding having your winger one on one against each other. But we still got a couple of moments late in the first half.
Robinson won both — dominating Chapman in a ball-and-all tackle before out-leaping her for a high ball at the other end of the field.
Two more clean bomb catches and another monstrous tackle from Robinson at the start of the second half left Chapman looking outmatched for perhaps the first time in her Origin career.
By the end of the match, Robinson made a costly error out of exhaustion and ultimately was on the wrong side of the scoreboard. So we'll call it a draw and get ready for round two.
4. Grade 1 — Hairless
Tamika Upton is tough to stop in full flight.
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Getty Images: Hannah Peters
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The rugby league world has been buzzing about high contact of late, but we mercifully got through the whole game without anyone being sent off the field.
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We did, however, see a player reported for high contact. Or should we say
hair
contact.
Faced with the prospect of a flying Tamika Upton, Blues five-eighth Tiana Penitani-Gray reached for whatever she could grab and managed to nab a lock of the dynamic Queensland fullback's hair.
It cost NSW a penalty, but may well have saved a try.
Upton might consider an up-do next time out.
5. Day for the debutants
Reigning NRLW fullback of the year Abbi Church was one of four players to score on debut.
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Getty Images: Hannah Peters
)
With eight first-timers on the field, it was always going to be tough to keep them out of the game, but even considering the sheer volume of them, the debutants were electric in Origin I.
NSW winger Jayme Fressard got a double either side of half-time, while prop Ellie Johnston and fullback Abbi Church chimed in with crucial four-pointers late in the piece.
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For the Maroons, centre Rory Owen crossed early and Tavarna Papali'i spent the entire night folding ball-handlers in half.
On the other end of the spectrum was Jasmine Peters, with the Maroons winger unable to take part in the second half after a nasty head clash.
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