NSW State of Origin captain Isabelle Kelly chokes back tears during emotional post-match presser

7NEWS

29-05-2025

NSW State of Origin captain Isabelle Kelly has choked back tears speaking to reporters after Thursday night's series-ending clash, admitting 'I let my team down'.
The Blues blew a gilt-edged chance to record a historic 3-0 series whitewash, going down 18-14 to Queensland in Newcastle.
Kelly couldn't help but look in the mirror after the match, ruing a walk-in try that she inexplicably failed to ground in the first half.
She became emotional addressing the incident at full-time, holding back tears.
'I'm obviously someone that gets quite disappointed when I let my team down, it makes me a bit emotional, like right now,' she said before bowing her head.
Jess Sergis helped Kelly save face, crashing over on the right shortly after, before Jesse Southwell gave the Blues a two-point half-time lead finding Jayme Fressard with a cut-out pass on the left.
Both sides were guilty of some woeful errors in game three, with Romy Teitzel's opening kick-off going less than 10 metres for Queensland.
Blues forward Kennedy Cherrington did not return after half-time, having suffered a knee injury that could impact her NRLW season with Parramatta.
'(It's a) PCL or MCL, potentially, but she'll go for scans,' Strange said.
'Hopefully for her, going into NRLW now, it's not too serious.'
Menatime, Ali Brigginshaw has shut down suggestions of State of Origin retirement but says Queensland selectors owe her no favours when they consider their team for the 2026 series.
It comes as coach Tahnee Norris delivered an impassioned defence of the Maroons captain following critiques of her form and online attacks during the 2-1 series loss to the Blues.
The oldest player on either side this Origin series, Brigginshaw struggled to spark the Maroons at halfback in two big losses to begin the series.
She was benched for Origin III on Thursday night and came on as back-up hooker, throwing the last pass for Chelsea Lenarduzzi's match-winning try in an improved performance.
Brigginshaw's Origin future will no doubt remain a talking point as the trailblazer turns 36 in December and does not hold a contract for 2026.
The three-time NRLW premiership winner said she had no plans to retire from the representative arena just yet.
'I do want to keep playing on, I think people just look at your age and think that that's enough,' she said.
'There were still comments out there tonight about when I'm going to retire. I still love my footy and if I get picked, I get picked.
'But I'm not saying people have to pick me just because I've been here before. I want to prove that I can play in this jersey and hopefully I did that tonight. I'll do whatever it takes for this jersey.'
Brigginshaw and her wife Kate were targeted with online trolling as the Queensland captain's form waned in the 2025 Origin series.
The Maroons utility said the negativity had been difficult to swallow.
'I'm really proud to represent Queensland and that's probably what hurts is people, surely they see how proud I am to do that,' she said.
'I'd do anything. I play any position I've ever asked. I don't really carry on and then to see my family and know how upset they were to see the things said about me, it's probably why it hurt the most.
'But the amount of support that I've had has been unbelievable.'
Her own future is likely to come under the microscope following the Maroons' series loss but Norris said she would continue to consider Brigginshaw for selection.
Norris felt Brigginshaw deserved to retire on her own terms when she was ready.
'She plays herself into teams, we pick her. Simple as that. It's up to her when she makes that call (retirement),' Norris said.
'But utmost respect for what she's done, utmost respect for how she's handled herself over the last couple of weeks. It's truly been really hard.'