Women's State of Origin Game I live- NSW Blues host Queensland Maroons in series opener

This is where ABC Sport concludes its live blog coverage of Women’s State of Origin Game I.

NSW has a 1-0 lead in the series after coming from behind to defeat Queensland 11-6.

It is the first time the Blues have beaten the Maroons in Newcastle, and they can win the series with victory in a fortnight.

But Game II and Game III of the series will be played in Queensland, and the Maroons will be expected to lift in front of their home fans.

ABC Sport will return tomorrow for round nine of the NRL premiership.

We hope you join us then.

NSW Blues coach John Strange has described tonight’s 11-6 win over Queensland as “important”.

It was the first time the Blues have won in Newcastle, and it gives the reigning champs a 1-0 lead.

Game II and Game III of the series will be played in Queensland, meaning the Blues will have to win the shield in enemy territory.

“It’s important, no matter where it is,” Strange says.

“In Origin, you want to win the first game.”

The prospect of playing two matches in Queensland is not an issue, according to Strange, who will be relying in recent experience to steer the Blues to another series win.

“We went up there last year for Game I, and the girls played really well. So, for me, it doesn’t really matter where you play,” Strange says.

“We’ll go up there, and it’ll be obviously predominantly Queensland, but that doesn’t concern us or the girls.”

Queensland coach Nathan Cross is speaking after his first match in charge of the Maroons side.

Queensland held a 6-0 lead at half-time, but a poor second half cost them the win.

“Plenty to take away from it, but extremely disappointed,” Cross says.

Continuing, the Queensland coach said losing prop Makenzie Weale in the opening minute was a strain on the side, but not an excuse for the defeat.

Cross said the Queenslanders could see how to win Game I but just failed to execute their plans.

“One thing [Tamika Upton] is really good at with this footy team is providing the clarity to the players, as a conduit from the coaching staff to the playing group,” Cross says.

“I feel like we trained really well for that in the last seven days, and I just felt at times, we could see that what we wanted to do would work, but we just couldn’t execute it.

“That comes from fatigue, you know, having to get someone on after 10 seconds is just not what you plan on, but that’s no excuse.

“We missed a chance tonight, but also talking to [Upton], you know, we can see where we can win it next time.”

Queensland will rue many missed chances tonight, and a very poor start to the second half.

The Maroons scored their only try in the third minute, but missed chances to hold a bigger half-time lead.

The start of the second half was poor. The Queenslanders gave away the ball too easily and never allowed themselves to establish any momentum.

Their goal-line defence was stout and brave, but they put themselves under pressure too many times, and it cost them.

“Two completely different halves,” Queensland halfback Lauren Brown tells ABC Sport.

“First half, we managed to get to our kicks, and complete our sets.

“Second half, just barely completing sets, not getting to our kicks, giving them all the field position and we barely had time to attack our line.”

It was Ellie Johnston’s try that allowed NSW to level the scores in Game I.

The Blues would go onto win the match, to take a 1-0 series lead, but also win for the first time in Newcastle.

“It’s been a bit of a drought the last few years, but we’re so glad to get it done,’ Johnston tells ABC Sport.

“Off to a good start this year, and it’s just amazing to see all the fans out here, 20,000-odd, it just makes us very proud.”

— reporting by AAP

NSW have drawn first blood in the Women’s State of Origin series with Jesse Southwell starring to help the Blues to a 11-6 win over Queensland.

Southwell slotted a one-pointer with seven minutes left to play before having a hand in the final play of the game for NSW centre Jess Sergis’ late try in front of 20,179 at Hunter Stadium in Newcastle on Thursday.

Halfback Southwell’s cool head has assured the Blues are just one win from claiming a second-straight series under John Strange ahead of away trips to Brisbane on May 14 and the Gold Coast on May 28.

Neither side was fluid — there were 19 errors across the 70 minutes — but as far first Origin hit-outs go this still felt high stakes.

The Maroons had to contend with losing two players to head injury assessments (HIA), including Mackenzie Weale in the first minute, but were in the fight right until the end.

Weale’s replacement Otesa Pule, one of the New Zealand representatives cleared for Queensland because of the loosening of the Origin eligibility rules, took the field.

Sydney Roosters prop Pule made an immediate impact by charging over from close range under the sticks to give the Maroons a second-minute lead.

Lauren Brown nudged the conversion and the visitors held on to lead 6-0 at the break, the NSW attack struggling for spark except for a few cavalier runs from winger Jaime Chapman.

The Blues had all the territory and possession in the opening 10 minutes after halftime and turned to brute force to get off the mark when prop Ellie Johnston powered through some heavy traffic to score.

Southwell converted to draw the sides level.

Queensland’s Keilee Joseph dropped the ball with the line beckoning and then went off for a HIA with 12 minutes left after completing a tackle on Tiana Penitani Gray.

Given the Maroons had lost Weale they were permitted to activate their 18th player in Destiny Brill.

Brill charged down Southwell’s first attempt at a field goal before the playmaker made no mistake with her second.

As the siren sounded the ball was flicked wide to Sergis who cut back against the grain to wrap up victory for NSW.

NSW wins.

It is the final play of the game, and the Blues are attacking the goal-line.

The Blues just need to run the clock down.

The home side keeps the ball alive with some nice passes, and centre Jessica Sergis finds a hole and scores as the full-time siren sounds.

NSW 11

QLD 6

NSW marched down the field, and a nice kick into the in-goal has forced a Queensland dropout.

The Maroons go for a short dropout, but it does not go 10 metres.

The Blues are so close.

The Maroons are in field goal range.

But on the fourth tackle, Jada Ferguson runs from dummy-half.

She is brought down just inches from the goal-line.

It was a desperate defence from the Blues. It was Millie Elliot and Abbi Church who stopped Ferguson.

It is final play.

The ball needs to go to Lauren Brown, but the Maroons go with a short pass to a forward, and the Blues defend their line.

Destiny Brill tried to get to the line, but she was swarmed by several NSW players.

NSW prop Millie Elliott has given away a penalty for interfering in the ruck.

That was the fifth tackle for the Maroons.

Now they have a full set, starting just 40 metres from the NSW goal-line.

After the miss at the other end from Queensland, the NSW women had a seven-tackle set.

The Blues marched down the field to set up Jesse Southwell.

She is 25 metres out, in front of the posts, and Southwell drills the kick.

NSW 7

QLD 6

Maroons halfback Lauren Brown has had a shot at the field goal, and she has missed.

NSW 6

QLD 6

Destiny Brill was not supposed to play.

She was activated as the 18th woman after two Maroons were knocked out of this contest.

And she has produced the play of the match.

NSW halfback Jesse Southwell takes a shot at the field goal.

Brill makes the charge down, then sprints 20 metres to gather the ball.

NSW 6

QLD 6

A stretcher has been called for Queensland lock Keilee Joseph.

The Queensland number 13 was trying to tackle NSW’s Tiana Penitani Gray.

The elbow of Gray’s ball-carrying arm hits the top of Joseph’s head.

The poor Queenslander was out before she hit the ground.

She was able to walk, assisted, to the stretcher and sat on it as she was driven off the field.

NSW 6

QLD 6

Queensland was attacking a NSW side with just 12 women, as Isabelle Kelly stayed on the ground with an ankle injury.

The Maroons were attacking the NSW line, when a short pass to Keilee Joseph threatened the goal-line.

Joseph looks certain to score, but a cover tackle from Yasmin Meakes and Abbi Church forced the ball loose.

NSW 6

QLD 6

NSW had a scrum on halfway after another Queensland error.

The Blues attacked the short side from the scrum, and Isabelle Kelly almost broke through.

KNOCK-ON.

Kelly has dropped the ball, and she stays on the ground with a very sore ankle.

NSW 6

QLD 6

NSW is in charge of this match.

The only thing that is equal between the two sides is the score.

The Maroons are yet to have an attacking play inside the NSW 30-metre, while the Blues have had multiple sets at the Queensland goal-line.

The two areas where NSW are winning are in the middle and the errors.

Queensland have made too many errors so far in this half.

NSW 6

QLD 6

It is third time lucky for the NSW Blues.

With the third set at the Queensland line to open the second half, they have finally scored.

Prop Ellie Johnston has charged over from close range.

Queensland have been punished for poor, and repeated, errors.

NSW 6

QLD 6