NSW are on the road to State of Origin redemption, thrashing Queensland 32-12 in the women’s series opener to begin John Strange’s coaching tenure with a bang.
An eye-gouging allegation from NSW hooker Keeley Davis headlined an eventful first match since the Blues coughed up their 1-0 lead last year to lose the inaugural three-match series 2-1.
But to begin the second, the Blues cashed in on Strange’s call to overhaul his team and finished with their biggest-ever women’s Origin win on Thursday night.
Strange didn’t speak too much on the eye gouging incident after the match, and instead said he would leave it up to the judiciary.
“Keeley, I just spoke to her after there, she said she got eye gouged during the game. She wasn’t sure who, there was a couple in the tackle, so she told the ref, they put it on report, so they’ll have a look at it,” Strange said.
Captain Isabelle Kelly spoke to referee Belinda Sharpe during the match to report the incident, but said her NSW hooker didn’t let the incident rattle her.
“I told any of the girls to come to me with anything if they need to, and that’s exactly what they did, put my players first, and we’ll see what comes of it,” Kelly said of the allegation.
“I think if you know Keeley, you know that’s not going to rattle her. She’s a professional Keels, she’s been great, I thought she was great tonight as well, I knew it wasn’t going to affect her.”
After the match, Queensland coach Tahnee Norris said she didn’t yet know anything about the allegation or who it was levelled against.
New halfback Jesse Southwell’s control of her left edge was game-defining, while the four NSW debutants shone before a Suncorp Stadium crowd of 26,022 – the largest in women’s Origin history.
First-gamer Jayme Fressard scored twice down the left wing, Ellie Johnston scored the go-ahead try by pummelling through Maroons in the second half, before fullback Abbi Church sealed the result.
NSW will fancy their chances of clinching the Origin shield for the first time since 2022, given they host the final two matches of the series.
Meanwhile, Tiana Penitani Gray risks the ire of the match review committee after pulling Tamika Upton’s hair as the Queensland fullback made a break late in the first half.
Jesse Southwell yells orders at her team.Credit: Getty Images
Penitani Gray had limited chances to shine on her much-discussed move to five-eighth as the majority of traffic went through Southwell’s left edge.
“She was brilliant defensively, and with the ball it was good. I thought she went really well,” Strange said of Penitani Gray.
“We wanted to put her in positions as a running six, and that was a little bit on Jesse to sort of square things up and give her space, and she did that really well and come up with a nice break there in the second half.”
In her first Origin game since 2023, Southwell combined seamlessly with new captain Kelly and second-rower Yasmin Clydsdale, with the former crashing over before Fressard’s double, before prop forward Johnston put the Blues on the path to victory when she burrowed over with 20 minutes to play.
AAP and Billie Eder
