Maroons hope to repeat history after early dampener to series

Down 0-1 to start the 2025 State of Origin series, Queensland were on the back foot even before kick-off after a burst water pipe flooded their warm-up room.

A misdirected kick during the final stages of their preparations before running out caused the leak to occur, but Maroons centre Shenae Ciesiolka said it didn’t affect their focus before the match.

“We were in the warm up and one of the girls - Lauren Brown - kicked the water main and burst the pipe; she was putting some kicks in and hit the water main and burst one of the pipes so we had water spraying out everywhere and we actually flooded our dressing room before the game,” Ciesiolka said.

“We had to get the sandbags out … (but it was) alright, it was at the end of the warm up, it was just her kicking right towards the end and we didn't let that affect us.”

While in the wash-up, the pre-game spray didn’t rattle the home side, the Blues forwards did and after a back-and-forth opening half, New South blew Queensland away in the second, outmuscling the home side and keeping them scoreless in the 32-12 win. 

With the next game taking place on Thursday, May 15 at Allianz Stadium, the Maroons will hoping history can repeat and have vowed to fight back once again from a 0-1 start in this year’s State of Origin series in their quest to retain the shield.

“Most definitely we can do it again, obviously, last year we lost the first game and ended up coming back and winning Game Two and Three and won the series, so, definitely we can do it and we're going to remain positive,” Ciesiolka said.

“There's lots of things that we can take out of this game and things that we need to improve on and work on, but they're just learning things and we'll come out firing for Game Two.”

Down on all the major statistics inclusion possession, completions, line breaks and run metres, the 11 errors from the side proved costly, with coach Tahnee Norris calling them out as a key area to fix before facing off with the Blues again in two weeks.  

“It just reminds me of last year actually, but, disappointing in parts of that game … first half we scrapped really well, got back into the fight there and just errors and defensive errors let us down,” Norris said.

“It's something that we need to regroup on when we get back into camp next week and obviously (need) improvement for Game Two.”

Last year, although Queensland were able to turn their fortunes around and win the following two games after their opening loss, this year the challenge has been made even harder with two games being played in New South Wales in Sydney and then Newcastle.

Maroons skipper Ali Brigginshaw did not shy away from the tough task ahead. 

“We're up for anything,” Brigginshaw said.

“It's a challenge and I think we have some players in this team and squad that want to take on a challenge.

“I would have liked to get one at home, that would have been nice, especially at Suncorp.

“We probably haven't showed up again, in front of our home crowd, which is probably what hits home the most, it's pretty disappointing.

“But once again, the crowd showed up for women's footy, so to see that going around and just hearing them cheer for every moment of the game is a still surreal moment in footy.”

Norris said the side would be ready for a hostile crowd to close out the series, having been able to make the vital turn-around in from of a parochial Blues crowd at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle last year.

“I don't mind an underdog tag anyway, but I think the memories from Newcastle; it doesn't bother us at all what happened there last year,” Norris said.

“Going down to New South Wales, playing at big stadiums, it’s no dramas from our girls' point of view.

“I think it's just a matter of getting them up for the next two games.”

Tickets for game two at Allianz Stadium Sydney are available to purchase now.