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Westpac NSW Blues stars Kezie Apps and Isabelle Kelly have backed Maroons stalwart Ali Brigginshaw to bounce back from the hurt of Origin II in next week’s series finale at McDonald Jones Stadium.

Brigginshaw was a forlorn figure after the Blues wrapped up the series with a 26-6 triumph at Allianz Stadium to give NSW a shot at an historic clean sweep in Newcastle, but Apps and Kelly remain wary of the Queensland great.

The pair, who are senior members of the Australian team with Brigginshaw, attempted to comfort the distraught Maroons and Jillaroos co-captain at fulltime in Sydney.

“I am a really good friend of Ali’s and I know how hard she has worked and how much that result hurt her," Apps said.

Blues captain Isabelle Kelly consoles her Maroons counterpart Ali Brigginshaw after Origin II.
Blues captain Isabelle Kelly consoles her Maroons counterpart Ali Brigginshaw after Origin II. ©David Hossack/NRL Photos

“I have so much respect for Ali and the rest of the girls, and I know they were upset with how the game went.

“On the flipside, I have been on the other end of that, and I am just super proud of the girls and how they turned up for our six-week pre-season that we had together and just kept on the grind for these last couple of weeks.”

Kelly, who has taken over the Blues captaincy from Apps for this year's series, said she had seen how upset Brigginshaw was after the game and wanted to check in on her.

"It was more mate-to-mate but as a captain I could really feel the hurt for her, and obviously I respect her so much that I wanted to make sure she was okay," Kelly said.

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NSW Blues v QLD Maroons - Game II, 2025

"State of Origin is obviously the biggest rivalry so for me when I step on the field there are no mates within that side, but I can also step back and respect some of those girls when I am off the field.

"I think there is a bigger picture at the end of the day with rugby league, as well, in making sure that your mates are OK."

Queensland coach Tahnee Norris responded to back-to-back 20-point defeats in Origin I and II by shifting Brigginshaw from halfback to lock, with Lauren Brown moving from hooker to halfback.

Injuries to superstar fullback Tamika Upton and lock Keilee Joseph have forced further changes, with Hayley Maddick taking over the No.1 jersey and Destiny Brill recalled to start at hooker.

Georgia Hannaway, who forced her way into the five-eighth role at Cronulla last season, will make her Origin debut from the interchange with an obvious view to the future.

However, Apps and Kelly believe Brigginshaw’s distinguished representative career isn’t finished yet.

Kezie Apps comforts her Jillaroos co-captain Ali Brigginshaw after NSW sealed the State of Origin series in Game Two at Allianz Stadium.
Kezie Apps comforts her Jillaroos co-captain Ali Brigginshaw after NSW sealed the State of Origin series in Game Two at Allianz Stadium. ©QRL Media

The long-serving playmaker and future Hall of Famer made her debut for Queensland and Australia in 2009, playing alongside Norris and Jillaroos great Karyn Murphy, whose No.7 jersey she inherited after the 2013 World Cup.

"Ali is one of the people that I first met when starting in rugby league and going into the high-performance scene with the Jillaroos so I have a lot of respect for her and we have been mates for a long time," Kelly said.

"She is a massive reason for why we are where we are and a massive advocate for our game that has really gotten us to where we are."

The 35-year-old was player-of-the-match in the last two World Cup finals, at Suncorp Stadium in 2017 and Old Trafford in 2022, and she has made it known that her goal is to continue playing for the Jillaroos until after the 2026 World Cup.

"She has had to go through a lot of stuff within rugby league and I think that is how you build up a lot of resilience. She is a leader for a reason and I think she is really good at bouncing back.

"She was obviously quite distraught with the result, and we have been like that the last few years so I understood what she was going through, but I know she will be a lot better in her mindset come next week."