Sergis expecting Townsville improvement after error-riddled performance

NSW star Jess Sergis expects a better quality showing from both sides in Origin II after majority of players had their first match in over a month in the series opener on Thursday night.

With the regular seasons of the Harvey Norman NSW Premiership and Queensland's BMD Premiership both finishing last month, players and coaches believe the error-ridden series opener can be put down to a lack of recent game time.

With both the Sky Blues and Maroons making 15 errors each in the 70-minute match, a frustrated Sergis said she hopes her side have dusted off the cobwebs in what was a "horrible" performance on show in Thursday's 18-10 defeat to the Maroons.

"Obviously Harvey Norman was our last few games so we have been shy of a few games of football," Sergis told the media following the match.

"It was just our completions that let us down. We knew it was going to be wet, but it was just horrible.

"With all the drop balls we were struggling to compete and the first 20 minutes we were on our line defending.

"We just had a few brain farts and it felt like we were on the back foot the whole game and just really chasing so we were pushing things that we wouldn’t usually push.

"Just silly things that I know we definitely can fix and we will definitely be working on that for Townsville."

While cold weather and dewy conditions made life no easier, the 25-year-old Australian international said the Sky Blues performance was a long way from their six-point victory at GIO Stadium last year.

With a 62 per cent completion rate a dismal stat compared to last Origin's 85 per cent effort - the error count more than doubling last year's seven - the Roosters centre is hopeful they can turn it around for Game Two in Townsville.

"We didn’t play the footy that we want to play, our completion was so great last year. We completed like 92 per cent and I’m a bit scared to look at this game, it was terrible," she said.

"We’re pretty disappointed with our performance, but the beauty now is we have a two-game series and we can go back now, watch what we’ve done and fix those silly errors.

"When we defended that first 15 minutes of the game, we were pretty strong and the points could have been a lot higher but we held them out so I was really impressed with that.

"As I said, our drop ball and our completion really screwed us over but they’re things we can fix.

"Townsville is going to be a bit hotter and nicer weather so hopefully it won’t be as wet but yeah, I’m not worried at all.

"Kylie (Hilder) said we’re not there to chase points, we’re there to play footy and that’s what we’ll do."

NSW coach Kylie Hilder said her side's lack of opportunity to get match fitness was a challenge in the lead up to Game One this week.

"I think last year's game was a reflection of how good the competition is because we came off the back on an NRLW season," Hilder said.

"We had girls that have played two games of footy since the World Cup and it's been really tough this week trying to make sure we've got the right balance of what we're doing in training to get some mileage in their legs and get them ready for that fatigue.

"It's definitely been an issue and I think that showed tonight."