'Let's get 40,000 there': Blues call for support in Sydney to win series

NSW stars have urged fans to get behind them at Allianz Stadium and create another Women's Origin attendance record as they aim to wrap up the series and avoid having to win a decider in Newcastle.

With 20-year-old halfback Jesse Southwell steering the team around, the Westpac NSW Blues took a 1-0 lead over Queensland after an emphatic 32-12 triumph before a record crowd of 26022 at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday night.

The match was also watched by a national Australian TV audience of 927,000 viewers, making it Nine's most-watched rugby league match so far this year.

Blues now head to Sydney with the chance to win the State of Origin Shield for the first time since the format was expanded from a single match to a series for the women in 2023.

However, after winning last year’s opener only to lose the series 1-2, long serving NSW stars Jess Sergis and Kezie Apps believe they need the support of NSW fans to help get them home.

“Suncorp was amazing, and I think the crowd at Allianz will be amazing,” Apps said. “Even though a lot of the crowd weren’t going for us, the roar that we heard when we ran out - and obviously the roar when Queensland ran out - gave me goosebumps.

“Just to see how far women’s rugby league has come, and for all of these people to be here to watch us play, it was very special. Hopefully we can get a bigger crowd in Sydney. That’s what we want and that’s what we need.”

Sergis is one of six Sydney Roosters players in the NSW side, who call Allianz Stadium home, while the Blues are coached by the club’s NRLW premiership winning mentor John Strange.

“I think it would be very special to win the series in Sydney,” the star centre said.” I love Allianz Stadium, it’s been our home ground back at club, so we have got some great memories there and hopefully we get a massive turn out to finish this series.

Let’s get 40,000 there. I think the more Blues fans we get there, it will really help to get us home.

"It’s close for people to get to, you’ve got the trams that go there, so we really need that support to help us bring it home.”

Apps and Sergis said the Blues knew from last year’s series, in which Queensland snatched an 11-10 victory at McDonald Jones Stadium before triumphing 22-6 in Townsville to retain the Origin Shield, how desperate the Maroons will be to win in Sydney.

“Newcastle was very bittersweet – or actually just very bitter – so to close it off in Sydney, that's going to be the goal,” Sergis said. “We've got a lot more to work on from this game, and we'll get back into camp and work hard.”

Apps said: “The job isn't done yet. We know that we can go to another level and Queensland can as well. That’s what Queensland do, they just keep turning up for each other and they are a really tough side. We know that and we know that we have to be better.”

After dominating the opening exchanges, NSW conceded two first half tries off errors to hang on to a 14-12 at halftime.

However, the Blues dominated the second half, with Southwell’s kicking game and powerful running by middle forwards Ellie Johnston, Simaima Taufa, Olivia Kernick, Sarah Togatuki and Kennedy Cherrington keeping Queensland on the back foot.

The match was literally a coming of age for Southwell, who made her Origin debut as an 18-year-old in 2023, but was overlooked for last year’s series.

“I think she's grown so much, she is really finding her voice and she steered us all over the park,” Sergis said.

“I think that she just had to believe in herself. Being such a young player and having that No.7 role, it can be very daunting, but she really just took that pressure on board and she was amazing.

“She is 20 years old and she's playing football like that.”