Key events
Here’s the match report. Thanks for joining us:
That’s it from the live blog tonight. As the rain continues to tumble down here at Allianz Stadium, the tears of joy are flowing for NSW players and fans. The Blues have clinched their first State of Origin Shield over QLD, winning Game 2 to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. They now head to Newcastle in a fortnight looking for a clean sweep.
Thanks for your company this evening and stay tuned for a match report.
NSW WIN GAME 2 BY 26-6!
The Blues have done it! Their first State of Origin Shield and sweet revenge for their painful defeat last year where they let a 1-0 lead slip to lose the series. 2025 has been a different story. They dominated QLD in Game 1 and have now monstered them in Game 2. The Maroons never looked in it tonight. They were outmuscled, out-coached and out-enthused by a relentless NSW squad.
Jess Southwell was the mastermind of tonight’s victory. Shunned by former coach Kylie Hilder last year, the 20-year-old half returned under new NSW boss John Strange and looked every bit the star, kicking with lethal accuracy and passing to teammates on the fly every time she touched the ball.
Simaima Taufa was massive again for the Blues, the 30-year-old forward personified the ruthless attitude NSW carried into this series. Every time the veteran ran, NSW lifted and QLD slumped. She bent the line every time she ran and Southwell orchestrated the chaos thereafter.
Huge night for lock Olivia Kernick as well who scored two vital tries and won Player of the Match for her performance which included two tries, 236 run metres and 35 tackles in a dominant showing in the middle.
John Strange is on the muddy battlefield hugging his players. A happy Sydney crowd are cheering for their team and hugging players over the fences. Great joyous scenes.
67th minute: Southwell has it on a string! Again she pins QLD in goal. This time the short QLD kickoff finds the heroic leaping Julia Robinson. She’s taken in the air so QLD get a. sliver of a chance as they kick for touch and resume just short of halfway. Consolation try time? NSW don’t look to be in a consoling mood tonight. After letting Game 2 slip last year, they’ve been ruthless tonight. Sure enough, QLD fail to find the spark they need and NSW get it back
64th minute: Yasmin Clydsdale has been a veritable warhorse tonight. Again she carries it from the kickoff. And again NSW make easy yards downfield. QLD ranks are broken.Tiana Penitani Gray makes a half-bust but her fumble stalls the momentum. Eventually Southwell is content to grubber into the in-goal and field the drop-out for another NSW raid.
TRY! NSW 26-6 QLD (Kernick 62′)
Kernick gets a double! And Southwell converts to make it a 20-point margin. The Sydney crowd are really starting to party now as Sweet Caroline rings out around the stadium.
62nd minute: The rain has returned. So has the NSW attack. Yasmin Clydsdale gets within 5m of the line. Quick play the ball and they find Olivia Kernick on the fly and she’s over!
60th minute: Tonight’s crowd is 16,026. It’s a good gathering considering the weather but well short of the 26k+ who crammed into Suncorp for Game 1. Finally, QLD are within sight of the NSW line. But they’ve coughed it up 8m out! Ouch. With just 10 minutes to go, that could’ve been their miracle try. Instead they’re back on the defence with NSW rockjeting downfield and another precision kick pinning Tarryn Aiken behind the line. A fumble! Have NSW managed a grounding? No.
57th minute: Strong runs by Olivia Kernick and Yasmin Clydsdale have NSW back on the attack. This time the grubber kick is blocked at shin level and retrieved by QLD. What have they got? Makenzie Weale is returning from the bench. Can she spark something? Better defence by Lauren Brown sends a Blues charge backwards. But then Taufa wins back the momentum with another charge. NSW gets within 25m but not further. Better by QLD but they’re running out of time.
52nd minute: Tiana Penitani Gray bustles it into enemy territory for NSW. Southwell’s kick finds its way to Sienna Lofipo whose heavy legs get it to the 40m. QLD are mired in their own half by the time Brigginshaw’s kick comes. Again, Apps is there to charge it back. Now people’s hero Ellie Johnston crashes it past halfway. Now the rain has stopped and the field is drying, the skills are improving. Time for QLD to chance their hand…
50th minute: Good grief! Taufa then Apps have bullocked almost to halfway in the first two tackles. QLD need some starch in their defence quick. Now Southwell puts it long and QLD No 1 Tamika Upton gingerly gives chase. The little fullback reels it in but there’s a wall of blue waiting for her and they slam into the sodden turf.
TRY! NSW 22-6 QLD (Chapman 46′)
Great swerving try by Jaime Chapman! The powerful blonde winger for NSW burst down the right touchline but still had two dfenders to beat. She feinted left then went right to beat the first then jagged again to slip from the grasp of the fullback. Chapman tripped short of the line but the slick field helped her slide over the line to score the try.
46th minute: That’s more like it. Sienna Lofipo delivers an absolute bellringing tackle to stop NSW in their tracks. Can QLD build on it? No, there’s a bust down the sideline by Jaime Chapman…
44th minute: It’s a worried looking QLD coach Tahnee Norris in the box right now. Her side needed to score first in this half. Instead they’ve conceded a try in the opening minutes to go 10 points down. Real trouble for the Maroons. They really haven’t looked like scoring… even when they scored their first try. Now they have NSW camped on their line again. But they survive after dragging down a rare dud kick from Southwell.
TRY! NSW 16-6 QLD ( Fressard 39′)
Lovely cut out pass by Southwell frees up Jayme Fressard to score in the corner! What a dream debut series the winger is having. Two tries in Game 1 and now another in Game 2. Southwell’s conversion falls just short of the black dot.
37th minute: QLD kickoff and Taufa charges it into the teeth of the defence. Kezi Apps is involved early again with a wriggling run that makes 15m and gets NSW within 25m. Chapman puts it o0n the boot and QLD slowly trudge out of trouble. Charge down! NSW smother the Brigginshaw kick and win it back 30m out.
HALFTIME: NSW 12-6 QLD
That was an enthralling half of football. QLD got the rub of the green early with a try despite the curious fact that even they didn’t think they’d scored. However, the Bunker adjudged in the affirmative so let’s hope that decision isn’t the difference.
Stirred but not shaken, NSW stormed back into the contest, owning the middle and bossing the fringes. Both team’s kicking games have suffered with the heavy weather but Jesse Southwell’s poise under pressure has been the difference for NSW. She has run, kicked and passed with courage and skill, again off the back of a forward pack dominating their QLD rivals.
Ellie Johnston has been immense for the Blues and Simauma Taufa’s try was just reward for what has been an awesome return to the Origin arena. QLD have struggled all over the park but Chelsea Lenarduzzi showed QLD the way late with a flurry of barging runs into enemy territory. The Maroons need to follow her if they’re to save this series and hang onto that State of Origin Shield.
34th minute: We’ve got biff! Well almost… the two sides have charged at each other after Lenarduzzi made a strong charge to the line for QLD but then botched the play-the-ball by slipping forward She got a verbal serve from the laughing tackler and spun on her heel to give the hyena a healthy shove and it was on. Tensions running high here at Allianz! But it’s NSW going to the break in front.
32nd minute: QLD have won it back from a short kickoff. What have they got in store? Nothing. NSW steal back a loose pass and put pedal to the metal on halfway. Another huge run from the fresh legs of reserve player Sarah Togatuki. But again the ball jars loose 20m out and possession switches to what looks a very tired QLD side
TRY! NSW 12-6 QLD (Olivia Kernick 30′)
Kernick gallops away to score! What a try. She busted the first tackles, sweerved a second and turn ed poor QLD fullback Tamika Upton inside out on her way to the line. That was butter soft defence from the Queenslanders and NSW charge further ahead! Southwell ices the kick to make it a six-point margin with four minutes left in the half.
27th minute: Uh-oh. Rory Owen has lost the ball for QLD and NSW will mount another raid just 25m out. Another powerful run by Taufa gets them within 6m and a quick play-the-ball gives Southwell time to dart into the line and make an overlap to the right. But the pass is long and offline and it bounces before Jaime Chapman can scoop it up and runs over the sideline. QLD get out of trouble!
20th minute: Great work by Jesse Southwell! She fielded the grubber under the posts then rose quickly and slithered her way 10m infield with sheer grit. Inspiring stuff by the young half. Now she reefs it long, a better kick and it pins QLD on their 30m line. A great run by interchange weapon Chelsea Lenarducci gets it over halfway on the last.
22nd minute: Almost a bust by NSW but QLD hang on and it’s Upton who retrieves the soggy final tackle bomb from Southwell. QLD slop it within 30m of the line before another heavy kick finds Jaime Chapman. She takes a high mark and is back slammed by the Maroons defence. NSW advance strongly to the 50m but Tiana Penitani has spilled it in the tackle. Both teams are caked in mud and slop and handling is a nightmare.
TRY! NSW 6-6 QLD (Simaima Taufa 18′)
The veteran gets it done! Simaima Taufa has crossed for NSW, slithering past a couple of defenders to cross near the posts. That’s just reward for a dominant 10 minutes by NSW after that surprise opening try for their rivals. Jesse Southwell adds the extras and we are all tied up.
17th minute: Oh no! Ellie Johnston has dropped it a metre out for NSW. She was heading into traffic but took her eyes on the line not the ball and the ball jolts loose. Now QLD thump it out of trouble. Strong charges from Elliston and Lofipo before Brigginshaw wobbles a kick off the side of her boot. safely fielded on the sideline and the Blues charge back into the red zone.
14th minute: Now it’s NSW on the attack. They go left, they go right. Finally they go up the middle. No dice as the Maroons defence holds. Finally Chapman dribbles a kick through and it’s saved by Julia Robinson. NSW will get another chance here. The chant of New-South-Wales is ringing out around the stadium!
11th minute: The rain seems to have stopped but some scrappy play has ensued. QLD have handed it back via a knockon and Jesse Southwell caps the return set with a limp bomb under major Maroons pressure. NSW are trying to dominate the middle as they did in Game 1 and Ellie Johnston rumbles it over the gainline with a powerful charge. Strong comeback by NSW. And they’ve forced a play-the-ball error from Upton!
TRY! QLD 6-0 NSW (Tamika Upton 7′)
Wow, Sutton has awarded the try. Neither Upton or QLD thought they were a chance but somehow the officials have found a grounding. Big jeers from the Sydney crowd. Conversion is successful. QLD have first blood!
7th minute: A thunderous hit from NSW captain Isabelle Kelly has snuffed that raid. But a Blues knockon gives QLD a sniff and they come again via Tamika Upton. Has she scrambled over? She’s claiming a try. But QLD have retreated to the halfway. But hang on, Gerard Sutton is having a long consultation with the bunker…
5th minute: NSW already look the more adventurous after a strong bust on just their second tackle. But their yardage doesn’t exceed halfway and again Lauren Brown reels in the catch. QLD get busy fast, thunderimng downfield as though rain isn’t a factor. They get it within a few metres of the line and now they’ve forced an error. Maroons 10m out…
2nd minute: A strong start by the Maroons as Tamika Upton fields the kickoff and runs it back. The Maroons get through the middle of the ruck and up to the 40m before a big Lauren Brown kick pins NSW in their corner, after being tapped back to Abbi Church.
NSW will kick off. Here we go…!
A healthy crowd is trickling in despite the weather. Most have retreated to the covered areas but a few hardy souls are huddled under tarps. Here come the Queenslanders to the tune of Burwood boys AC/DC with Thunderstruck. The jeers ring out!
Now the Blues to Erskineville’s Grammy award-winners Wolfmother with The Joker and the Thief. Hearty cheers for the home side whose sky blue jerseys have turned a much darker blue in the downpour.
The preliminaries have begun at Allianz with a children’s choir led out in their ponchos. Poor little buggers. That heavy rain has now eased to a light mix infused with fireworks smoke. Huge puddles already forming on the field. A mudbath looks certain. Will it be a bloodbath too?
For those who came in late, here’s how Jack Snape saw Game 1…
Here are the final teams for tonight’s Game 2 showdown…
NSW: 1. Abbi Church 2. Jaime Chapman 3. Jess Sergis 4. Isabelle Kelly 5. Jayme Fressard 6. Tiana Penitani Gray 7. Jesse Southwell 8. Simaima Taufa 9. Keely Davis 10. Ellie Johnston 11. Kezie Apps 12. Yasmin Clydsdale 13. Olivia Kernick 14. Jocelyn Kelleher 15. Kennedy Cherrington 16. Sarah Togatuki 17. Emma Verran. 18th player: Shaylee Bent
Queensland: 1. Tamika Upton 2. Julia Robinson 3. Shenae Ciesiolka 4. Rory Owen 5. Jasmine Peter 6. Tarryn Aiken 7. Ali Brigginshaw 8. Makenzie Weale 9. Lauren Brown 10. Jessika Elliston 11. Sienna Lofipo 12. Romy Teitzel 13. Keilee Joseph 14. Jada Ferguson 15. Sophie Holyman 16. Chelsea Lenarduzzi 17. Tavarna Papalii. 18th player: Hayley Maddick
NSW coach John Strange has shown faith in the 17 Blues that bullied Queensland in Game 1, while Maroons coach Tahne Norris has brought in veteran forward Chelsea Lenarduzzi and dropped Destiny Brill to the reserves.
Preamble
Angus Fontaine
Greetings sports fans! Welcome to Game 2 of the Women’s State of Origin from the land of the Gadigal in Sydney where heavy rain is falling at Allianz Stadium for NSW’s quest to clinch a first Origin shield since 2022 and Queensland’s bid to save the series.
The Blues’ 1-0 lead is richly deserved. Despite neither side playing any NRLW in months, John Strange’s team looked fitter, fresher and full of running as they notched a magnificent 32-12 victory at Suncorp Stadium.
That six-tries-to-two triumph was led by the guile of young NSW half Jesse Southwell whose kicking and passing game was superb in her return to the Origin cauldron after being controversially omitted last year. The 20-year-old’s sparkle was only possible due to the sweat of her forward pack where returning veteran Simaima Taufa was the wrecking ball in a fearsome return from the shoulder injury that ruled her out last year.
Queensland went toe-toe with NSW in the first half of Game 1 but the Blues totally blew them away in the second. That will worry Maroons coach Tahnee Norris. However, her team will draw confidence from their incredible comeback last year. Beaten at home in Game 1, the Queenslanders roared back in Game 2, overturning a six-point halftime deficit before a Lauren Brown field goal snatched a boilover win. They then delivered a 22-6 coup de grace in Townsville to retain the Shield.
Can they turn the tables on NSW again? Or have the Blues learned their lesson? We’ll soon find out with kickoff slated for 7.45pm.