An easy shot for Brown and the Maroons are flying.
The Maroons are really testing the NSW defence, moving the ball wide, from edge to edge and finally they’re rewarded, with Weale crashing over in the centre after the defence was stretched.
6 mins:Some great ball playing from the Maroons inside the Blues’ 20m nearly leads to a try – in fact, referee Sharpe awards it. But the Bunker sticks their nose in and rules that Lofipo puts her hand on the dead ball line as she scores and overrules the decision. The Blues get the ball back, but immediately make an error with the slippery ball and give the Maroons another shot to open their account. The Blues defend their line very hard and the ball goes dead in goal, but it’s ruled to come off the Blues, so there’ll be a line drop out.
4 mins:Chapman nearly scores at the end of that set, but another try saving tackle from Robinson pulls her off the field as she attempts to score in the corner. Queensland get their first use of the ball and almost immediately, the Blues give away a penalty and they get some good field position after their horror start.
2 mins:Well there couldn’t have been a worse start from the Maroons, who attempt a short kick off for some reason – the element of surprise maybe? It doesn’t make the 10 metres and NSW get the ball in great field position. Quick as flash the Blues are deep in Maroons territory, Sergis makes a break and Robinson pulls off a try saving tackle, knocking the ball on in the process and the Blues get another set.
And we’re off!Queensland has kicked off and the game is underway.
The teams are out on the field now, with the Welcome to Country being delivered by Kumarah Kelly and the national anthem performed by Leigh Archer.
For the Maroons, Lauren Brown with her first start in halfback in Origin is determined that her team is pumped to win this game, despite the fact that the series win is out of the question.
“You never know with this rain what’s going to happen, but we’re a very pumped Queensland team ready to win this game,” she says.
Kicking off the broadcast coverage with a classic Gus Gould monologue, talking up the possibility of the Blues’ first whitewash – men’s or women’s – since 2000. Blues’ five-eighth Tiana Penitani Gray is excited by the prospect, but emphasises the team isn’t getting ahead of itself.
“It would mean the world, there’s such a rich history in this series,” she says. “But just to hold up the shield for the first time in a three match series will be amazing.”
A late change for Queensland, with Emily Bass coming from the reserves into the starting line, playing in the centres for Rory Owen, who has been ruled out of the match. Georgia Hannaway will make her debut for the Maroons tonight from the interchange bench.
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Abbi Church
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Jaime Chapman
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Jessica Sergis
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Isabelle Kelly
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Jayme Fressard
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Tiana Penitani Gray
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Jesse Southwell
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Simaima Taufa
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Keeley Davis
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Ellie Johnston
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Kezie Apps
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Yasmin Clydsdale
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Olivia Kernick
Interchange:
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Jocelyn Kelleher
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Kennedy Cherrington
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Sarah Togatuki
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Emma Verran
Reserves:
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Olivia Higgins
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Hayley Maddick
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Julia Robinson
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Shenae Ciesiolka
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Emily Bass
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Jasmine Peters
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Tarryn Aiken
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Lauren Brown
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Makenzie Weale
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Destiny Brill
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Jessika Elliston
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Sienna Lofipo
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Romy Teitzel
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Chelsea Lenarduzzi
Interchange:
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Ali Brigginshaw
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Georgia Hannaway
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Sophie Holyman
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Tavarna Papalii
Reserves:
- Jada Ferguson
Hello everyone and welcome to Origin III! I missed live blogging the last one with you all due to being at the game, live and in person, which was very exciting – fortunately I was safely undercover, unlike the players.
It looks like things will be mostly dry in Newcastle tonight, which I’m sure will be a welcome change from the swimming pool the players waded through in Sydney two weeks ago.
Now of course the elephant in the room is that this is a dead rubber – NSW took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series after winning in Sydney, so it is only pride on the line for Queensland tonight, while NSW will be motivated by securing the whitewash (bluewash?)
For the Blues, John Strange has made no changes going into the final game of the series, meaning the same 17 players will line up in all three games. Meanwhile, it’s quite a different story for the Maroons, with injuries to star fullback Tamika Upton and lock Keilee Joseph.
Despite the match being a dead rubber, there’s hope the crowd will still turn up in numbers tonight. Game I of the series set a new crowd record, while over 16,000 braved the rain in Sydney. Newcastle represented hard last year in torrential rain, so let’s see if they can do the same this year!
Kick off is at 7.45pm AEST, which isn’t too far away, so let’s get into it and count down to this final match of the series!