State of Origin weekend starts tonight when the Queensland Maroons and NSW Sky Blues line up in the women’s clash at Sunshine Coast Stadium. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 7:45pm (AEST).
After being played at North Sydney Oval for the first two years, the Women’s State of Origin moved to the Sunshine Coast in 2020. It signalled a change fpr Queensland, breaking their State of Origin duck with a 24-18 victory.
While Ali Brigginshaw is the captain and chief organiser of the Maroons team, it was five-eighth Tarryn Aiken and fullback Tamika Upton that put NSW on the back foot early last year. A year more experienced, they will be keen to go back-to-back.
Chelsea Lenarduzzi and Shannon Mato form a big front row for Queensland, but they will be relying on Tallisha Harden and Rona Peters to get through their fitness tests.
For Maddie Studdon, this is a bit of a redemption story. After guiding NSW to victory in 2019, poor form cost her a spot in the team in 2020 and it hit the NSW half hard. She’s back, in form, and is a big threat to Queensland.
The Sky Blues will be looking to run plenty of their attack through Jess Sergis and Isabelle Kelly, both stars of this game.
Simaima Taufa and Millie Boyle make up a formidable front row, and we can’t way to see Hannah Southwell and her classic defence.
Prediction
Looking at the teams, NSW are probably the stronger side on paper. However, that doesn’t always count for much during Origin.
It will be close but I expect Queensland to even the ledger.
Queensland by 2
Kick-off: 7:45pm (AEST)
Venue: Sunshine Coast Stadium
TV: Nine, Fox League
Live stream: Kayo Sports, Foxtel Now, Foxtel Go, 9Now
Betting: Maroons $1.50, Blues $2.60 (odds via PlayUp)
Queensland
1. Tamika Upton 2. Shenae Ciesiolka 3. Lauren Brown 4. Julia Robinson 5. Karina Brown 6. Tarryn Aiken 7. Zahara Temara 8. Chelsea Lenarduzzi 9. Destiny Brill 10. Shannon Mato 11. Tazmin Gray 12. Tiana Raftstrand-Smith 13. Ali Brigginshaw (c)
Interchange:14. Romy Teitzel 15. Natassja Purontakanen 16. Shaniah Power 17. Brianna Clark
Reserves: 18. Tallisha Harden 19. Rona Peters
New South Wales
1. Botille Vette-Welsh 2. Yasmin Meakes 3. Jess Sergis 4. Isabelle Kelly 5. Tiana Penitani 6. Corban Baxter 7. Maddie Studdon 8. Simaima Taufa 9. Keeley Davis 10. Millie Boyle 11. Kezie Apps (c) 12. Sarah Togatuki 13. Hannah Southwell
Interchange: 14. Quincy Dodd 15. Filomina Hanisi 16. Kennedy Cherrington 17. Holli Wheeler
Reserves: 18. Brydie Parker 19. Renee Targett
The Barry
Roar Guru
Badger isn’t a ref…
Rob
Guest
The ref interpretation of the rules obviously has no influence on the result TB. They just enjoy being involved. Tell you what thou the blues were next level in the ruck caper compared to the QLD girls for a majority of the game. But I’m bias unlike yourself.
Rob
Guest
Great game by the women. I must be old as I found the closeness of the contest and willingness to keep turning up and slug it out throughly engaging. No fear those girls with plenty of skill and passion. Shame it was a penalty at the end. The Queenslander in me thought the obstruction was a correct but lucky call for the Blues as they were saved by a slight bit of miss timing in the wet. I’ll take the penalty for the win. NSW were very unlucky Sergis dropped the kick.
PeterCtheThird
Guest
We wuz robbed! Robbed I tells ya! Robbed! Evil biased corrupt Queensland officiating! Nothing to do with crap handling, poor halves, dropping the ball! Robbed I sez again! Good practice for Sunday, I guess…
eagleJack
Roar Guru
The ruck was a mess from both sides. Hopefully not a preview for Sunday night. Help out those poor Maroons on home soil?
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
Well i thought the final penalty just made up for the blatant bs NSW put into the ruck the whole game. Do the Blues have a Storm consultant?
Dutski
Roar Guru
Tight game. Lack of game management by the nsw halves was a killer. Brigginshaw looked a class above.
Bob
Guest
Felt like the moment was too big for her. I reckon she was too worried about not missing a call that she was looking for any reason to blow her whistle.
eagleJack
Roar Guru
Fun game. Lot of passion out there, with good quality play in trying conditions. NSW ran riot with tackle breaks of 40 to 14, but lacked classy halves to finish the job. QLD would have iced with a FG anyway. They finished on top, and deserved the win.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
Good to see Female Refs are keeping up the standard.
David Holden
Roar Guru
Thanks all for following the blog tonight. I will be back on Sunday night for State of Origin II at Suncorp. Have a good weekend all
souvalis
Roar Rookie
It was an Aaron Woods move..and refs haven’t fallen for that ever.
David Holden
Roar Guru
FT" Queensland have won their second Women's State of Origin in a row tonight after a tight 8-6 victory. Unfortunately for NSW, a raft of handling errors saw Queensland camped on the Sky Blues line late. The penalty called at the death was a bit soft in the circumstances but it was the Blues handling, i n the wet conditions, that swung the game the Maroons way in the end
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Ref lets it go all night and then decides to reward that one. Makes you wonder.
Bingo
Roar Rookie
Pens 9-6 to Qld. In a very tight game that’s a telling stat. No more Sharpe next year.
Dave
Guest
Ref sucked. Hope all the females out there felt “empowered” because it came at the cost of proper officiating Also Studdon should never be near a rep team again, just relies on her name to get her into teams, NSW were easily the better team, lack of direction by the halves killed them
Bob
Guest
Ref will be embarrassed by that when she watches it back. Falling for a clear case of milking at such a critical part of the game is a massive no-no.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Pathetic call.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
What a shame - female refs just as bad as male refs. Terrible way to end a tight game. Neither side deserved that end.
Bingo
Roar Rookie
Terrible Belinda Sharpe. Ruined the game with your second half bias. Three penalties to Qld coming out of trouble and then that last clanger…