Marauding Blues hold off luckless Maroons to take Women’s Origin series lead

In the end, it had to be Jesse Southwell. The Blues halfback may have chosen to leave her home town club Newcastle for Brisbane this year, but in familiar surrounds at McDonald Jones Stadium in front of 20,000 fans on Thursday it was her who proved coolest as New South Wales won the opening Women’s State of Origin game, 11-6.

Her field goal with seven minutes to go stole the glory from a valiant Queensland, who went close to the winning try before Blues centre Jess Sergis scored a sealer on the whistle.

Southwell described it as “probably the fastest” and “definitely the toughest” game she had ever played.

“It was end-to-end and Queensland never let up,” she said. “It just goes to show what the women’s game is doing.”

NSW’s Jessica Sergis jumps over Queensland’s Julia Robinson in the first half. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

The result hung in the balance until the very end, and with scores locked at 6-6 Lauren Brown – who kicked the Maroons to victory two years ago on this ground – hit her field goal attempt left of the posts. Earlier, Southwell had a one-pointer blocked by prop Destiny Brill, who was only brought on late after the Maroons lost two players to head impacts.

The result could have been reversed however with just three minutes left on the clock. The Maroons looked certain to score when hooker Jada Ferguson darted out of dummy half metres out from the try-line. But Blues fullback Abbi Church and Millie Elliott – playing her first top-level match in more than a year after becoming a mother and just seven months after giving birth – managed to keep the ball off the white chalk.

It was a heartbreaking near-miss given Queensland’s effort throughout the evening. The visitors held a surprise 6-0 lead at half-time. Southwell, however, said her side didn’t doubt they would come back.

“We knew within ourselves that we were going to be sweet,” she said. “Coaching staff at half-time were so calm, our leaders were so calm, so we knew we just had to hold on to the ball and keep doing what we’re doing.”

In the end, the revamped Maroons held out the marauding Blues for 45 minutes. They had defended smartly, desperately, and everything in between, but the pressure took its toll. The crack was found by Ellie Johnston, the imposing prop whose momentum is kryptonite for even the most heroic defensive lines, who jumpstarted the Blues’ shield defence.