Maroons triumph in first sport of Ladies’s Origin sequence

Queensland are within the field seat to reclaim the Ladies’s State of Origin protect after recording a 18-10 win over defending champions NSW, whose co-captain Isabelle Kelly was taken to hospital with a throat damage.

Each side had been error-prone within the first sport of the expanded-two match sequence in entrance of 12,972 followers – the largest crowd for a ladies’s State of Origin sport – at Sydney’s CommBank Stadium.

However Queensland’s composure in assault at shut vary helped them maintain off the Sky Blues and turn into the primary Origin aspect to win in enemy territory for the reason that NRLW’s inception.

Now NSW might want to do the identical in Townsville on June 22.

To retain the protect, the Sky Blues should win that sport by 9 factors or extra, per the factors aggregation system applied for the brand new two-match sequence.

“I actually do not assume we might play as dangerous as we did tonight,” NSW coach Kylie Hilder stated.

“We have the expertise there, it was simply the execution and too many drop balls and too many penalties.”

Kelly copped Julia Robinson’s elbow within the throat as she tried to deal with the Maroons winger simply earlier than halftime and fell to her haunches coughing up blood.

The sport was inexplicably allowed to proceed and, with the Blues down a participant, the Maroons snatched the lead again via powerhouse ahead Tazmin Grey and went into the sheds up 10-6.

Kelly wanted the help of two trainers to go away the sphere and performed no additional half within the sport, with second-rower Yasmin Clydsdale shifting to the centres.

“She’s in hospital, she’s not nice,” Hilder stated of Kelly.

The Blues by no means reclaimed the lead, regardless of discovering their toes in assault later within the sport.

Beginning at lock, Maroons skipper Ali Brigginshaw scooted out of dummy-half after which handed to Tamika Upton, whose cut-out go to Robinson down the brief aspect allowed Queensland to open the scoring.

Robinson had her second after half-time because the Maroons stretched out.

A pre-match hamstring damage to Tiana Penitani had pressured Jess Sergis onto the wing on sport day however the Sydney Roosters celebrity floated infield to assist the Blues hit again.

She stepped previous Brigginshaw and crashed via Upton for a attempt to might have had a second had she not collided into Upton as she tried a chip-and-chase within the second half.

At 18 years and 109 days previous, five-eighth Jesse Southwell broke Brad Fittler’s file to turn into NSW’s youngest-ever Origin participant however took time warming into the sport.

She threw an intercept go to Shenae Ciesiolka that led on to the Maroons’ third attempt simply after the break and, together with NSW halfback Rachael Pearson, initially struggled to use stress with the boot.

However she mixed with Emma Tonegato off a scrum play that helped Jaime Chapman rating NSW’s second, after which pressured a drop-out that had the Sky Blues in management.

NSW had left their run too late, although, and couldn’t bridge the hole.

“They simply put effort upon effort and held NSW out late in that sport,” Queensland coach Tahnee Norris stated.

“I assumed they had been excellent.”

Blues ahead Sarah Togatuki might take into account herself fortunate to keep away from the sin bin after up-ending Keilee Joseph in a harmful throw within the minutes earlier than half-time.