- NSW Blues defeated Queensland Maroons 22-14 at Suncorp Stadium
- Was the first match of a three-game series and kicked off the Magic Round
- In a controversial moment, footy fans were left scratching their heads
New South Wales may be celebrating a big win in the opening match of the first-ever three-match series in Brisbane, but one crucial moment could have led to a very different outcome.
Footy fans were left stunned after Blues five-eighth Corban Baxter appeared to avoid a penalty for colliding with the kicker’s leg during the opening substitution of the first match of Magic Round at Suncorp Stadium.
The incident occurred just days after Melbourne Storm and Queensland Maroons hooker Harry Grant were handed penalties for a similar, milder offence.
New South Wales five-eighth Corban Baxter made contact with the Queensland kicker’s leg but no penalty was awarded. She was later put on the report
Melbourne Storm star Harry Grant was left stunned after being adjudged by referee Ashley Klein for grazing a kicker’s leg last Friday
Early in the match, Baxter collided with the Maroons’ Zahara Temara after kicking the ball, but no immediate action was taken by referee Kasey Badger or the Bunker.
Baxter was later reported for the collision, causing further confusion among fans.
This incident followed Grant’s recent sin-binning for minimal contact with a kicker, which sparked debates over the enforcement of the rules. The NRL judge ruled that Grant’s contact posed a risk of injury, but was not careless.
The issue of illegal pressure on kickers has been prominent this season, with several players facing charges. Despite injuries from such incidents, the league’s football boss denied any directive to crack down on the action.
“Harry Grant got the sin thrown away for less than what Corban Baxter did. Just saying,” one person posted.
‘Refereeing is completely different from the men’s game. You are thrown out for attacking the leg of a kicker and a breaker. In this match, all you get is rapport,” said another.
“A terrible look for the game considering the ‘player safety’ the NRL has in store for us all week,” another commented.
Blues coach Kylie Hilder played down the contact after the match.
‘I don’t think she deliberately attacked the legs. It was just an unfortunate situation,” Hilder said.
It proved a masterstroke for NSW to replace teenage sensation Jesse Southwell with veteran halfback Rachael Pearson.
The 30-year-old drilled a dropout to the touchline, signaling the start of NSW’s first-half dominance in front of 25,492 fans – the most to ever attend a women’s Origin match.
Jamie Chapman scored a sensational solo try to extend the lead for the Blues
New South Wales won the first game of the series, which has gone to three matches for the first time in Women’s Origin history
Pearson continued to kick deftly, showing little sign of the calf injury that had hampered her this month, and made a try-saving one-on-one tackle on Tarryn Aiken in the second half as Queensland stormed back into the match.
“I thought Rachael was excellent,” NSW coach Kylie Hilder said.
Sky Blues pro Caitlan Johnston was excellent with 108 meters and two line breaks, collecting a short ball from Olivia Higgins and crashing to seal Queensland’s comeback with six minutes remaining.
The experienced Maroons were clumsy early on and had no answer as the visitors moved the ball at breakneck speed.
“We knew we made some crucial mistakes in that first half and that cost us,” Maroons coach Tahnee Norris said.
“If we can fix those critical mistakes, I think it will be a game changer.”