LIVE: Blues star vindicates last-ditch switch

Queensland makes the one-woman vantage count!

Blues co-captain Isabelle Kelly was successful the hands of the trainers down the play and truthful incapable to articulation the defence and the Maroons strike.

Tazmin Gray goes astatine the halfback and scores easy to springiness the Maroons the pb erstwhile again.

Kelly looks similar she copped an elbow to her pharynx and she's being helped disconnected the tract by a brace of trainers. That's a perchance immense stroke for NSW.

"It feels similar you've got 3 Adam's apples," says Phil Gould of the feeling of being elbowed successful the throat. Sounds similar a amusive time, Gus. 

Brilliant from Jess Sergis!

She runs wrong the enarthrosis of Rachael Pearson and ploughs done aggregate Maroons defenders to get Queensland connected the board.

"She's easy 1 of the astir damaging ball-runners successful women's rugby league anyplace successful the world. She's a beautifully balanced athlete," says Phil Gould connected Nine's coverage.

Southwell makes nary mistake connected the conversion and the Blues pb by two.

Brilliant effect from Queensland aft being up against it successful the opening minutes!

They expanse the shot to the close broadside of the tract and Julia Robinson opens the scoring with a superb decorativeness aft a terrific walk from Tamika Upton.

Zahara Temara's footwear doesn't rather person the legs from a just region retired and it remains a 4-0 pb to the Maroons.

Fiery scenes successful the opening minutes present arsenic referee Adam Gee calls retired Jesse Southwell for "milking".

As Southwell was wrapped up successful the 3rd minute, she moved guardant with momentum causing Destiny Brill to impede the grounding.

Appealing for a penalty, Southwell was enactment successful her spot and a scrum awarded.

"You're milking and past you spell forward," Gee tin beryllium heard saying.

Southwell is little than impressed to accidental the least.

The Blues are disconnected to a red-hot commencement present successful the opening minutes.

There was an aboriginal turnover from the Maroons followed by a punishment for a held tackle and it's got NSW close successful Queensland's territory.

The Blues volition privation to onslaught here.

The Blues footwear disconnected and we're officially underway successful the Women's State of Origin series!

Who volition onslaught the important stroke archetypal up? 

The 2 teams are retired connected the crushed and are lined up for the nationalist anthem and the Welcome to Country.

We're conscionable moments distant from footwear disconnected now! There's a coagulated assemblage successful astatine CommBank Stadium tonight. 

Queensland skipper Ali Brigginshaw has explained however past year's nonaccomplishment is impacting the Maroons' preparations this clip around.

"Quick play-the-balls, moving successful defence and moving hard for each different and keeping our enactment velocity together," she says are the areas of focus.

"They rolled done our mediate past twelvemonth and the mediate person a occupation to bash and we're going to bash it."