Skipper's rousing message that sparked Maroons star

Queensland skipper Ali Brigginshaw has revealed the stirring connection she gave Maroons debutant Keilee Joseph earlier her Player of the Match show successful the State of Origin opener.

Joseph was outstanding, running for 103 metres and laying 23 tackles arsenic the Maroons claimed a captious 18-10 victory astatine CommBank Stadium successful Sydney.

The 21-year-old fastener played with the words "nanny" and "poppy" written connected her taped wrists arsenic she revealed her sick gramps had been a large root of inspiration.

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However, Joseph's grandparents weren't her lone root of inspiration connected the night, with her skipper Brigginshaw opening up connected her ain words of proposal to her young teammate.

Keilee Joseph was named the Player of the Match connected her State of Origin debut for Queensland (Matt King via Getty Images)

"I spoke to her earlier the crippled and said, 'You don't privation to beryllium a one-game player, you privation to [play for] 10 years'," she told Nine.

"I wanted her to acceptable her standards and acceptable a bequest for that jersey and she did that tonight."

Joseph revealed that she was "very, precise nervous" successful the lead-up to the match, calling her Player of the Match grant "amazing".

Queensland besides revealed however the stirring comeback triumph from their antheral counterparts connected Wednesday nighttime laid the level for their ain victory.

"Definitely (drew inspiration from past night), the boys played an awesome crippled and we wanted to bring that retired contiguous arsenic well," Maroons prima Julia Robinson, who scored a double, told Nine.

Maroons skipper Ali Brigginshaw celebrates with her teammates aft the last whistle (Matt King via Getty Images)

"We conscionable had to beryllium calm and acceptable ourselves backmost up and conscionable spell retired determination and link with each other."

"I was conscionable truthful arrogant of however the girls were unneurotic arsenic a team. We watched the boys past nighttime and they conscionable showed up for each other, truthful if anything, watching them showed america the way," added Brigginshaw.

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"We've got truthful galore young kids, but I loved however we brought it together."

The 2 sides volition conscionable again successful Townsville connected June 22 for the bid finale, with NSW needing a triumph by 9 points oregon much to clasp the Origin shield.

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