It’s been seven years since NSW have won back-to-back women’s Origin titles, but it’s a drought Isabelle Kelly and her team have a chance to break on Thursday night.
After winning game one in Newcastle with a Jesse Southwell field goal – and a 70th-minute try for Jess Sergis for good measure – the Blues get the opportunity to wrap up the 2026 series in game two at Suncorp Stadium and lift the shield for the second year in a row.
But it’s a challenge the NSW women’s team hasn’t been able to overcome since 2019, when they retained the shield after winning the inaugural women’s Origin match in 2018.
A lot has changed since then, when the annual “series” was one match played at North Sydney Oval, but there are a couple of constants, and one of them is NSW skipper Kelly who helped lead her team to victory in 2025.
With a near-identical team to the one that got the job done in Newcastle – bar Tiana Penitani Gray who has been ruled out with a knee injury – Blues coach John Strange was confident his team could carry that momentum into game two.
“Getting the result was really important in game one. The character and grit that the girls showed, it wasn’t a surprise, so we’re just looking to carry that through into this game,” Strange said.
“We know it’s going to be tougher, obviously there’s going to be some desperation from the Queensland girls. We know that’s got to still be there, and we’ve got to up our game as well.”
With Penitani Gray out, Roosters forward Rima Butler comes into the side on the bench.
“There’s a lot that’s special about Rima, if you get to know her as a personality. What she brings on the field, she brings energy, she’s really tough as well,” Strange said.
“No matter how fatigued she is there in the middle she’ll keep working for her teammates and that’s the quality that we want to bring into this side.”
Queensland were impressive in game one – especially given the changes to their team with veteran halfback Ali Brigginshaw retiring and playmaker Tarryn Aiken out due to an ACL injury suffered in the 2025 NRLW season – and Kelly said her team was wary of a fired-up Maroons side.
“Queensland come out firing every game … No matter who steps on that paddock with those girls, it’s always a really intense game,” Kelly said.
“The first game, the intensity was really high, and it was probably one of the hardest games that we’ve played, personally for myself as well. So, I know, no matter what comes tomorrow it’s going to be a really tough one, but it’s going to be [about] who sticks it out for the longest period of time.”
Billie Eder is a sports reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.