May 29, 2025, 10:15 PM
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Chelsea Lenarduzzi has saved Queensland the embarrassment of a women's State of Origin series whitewash, scoring the late try that confirmed the Maroons' 18-14 defeat of NSW in Newcastle.
After being dominated in the first two games, the Maroons forward pack muscled up for the sake of state pride in a dour affair sullied by some inexplicable errors from both sides.
The Maroons looked down for the count when they lost Shenae Ciesolkia (knee) and Destiny Brill (rib) to mid-game injuries either side of half-time on Thursday night.
Georgia Hannaway (right) and Emily Bass of the Maroons celebrate the Game 3 win over NSW. Photo by Scott Gardiner/Getty Images
The visitors trailed by eight points when Blues utility Jocelyn Kelleher dived over from dummy half with 20 minutes to play.
But Maroons second-rower Romy Teitzel pounced on a Tarryn Aiken grubber kick to score and pull her side closer to parity as the final 15 minutes approached.
After a mostly ineffective opening two games, Maroons captain Ali Brigginshaw set up the game-winning try after coming on as bench hooker, changing direction at dummy half to put Lenarduzzi over with a short ball.
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Lenarduzzi, who missed selection for game one, was sin-binned in the final seconds for holding Tiana Penitani Gray down as the Blues waged one last attack on the Maroons' line.
But shifting left, NSW turned possession over and were denied the chance to record the first series whitewash in women's Origin history.
Lenarduzzi's fellow middle forwards Makenzie Weale and Jess Elliston were equally important, both running north of 140 metres with the former crashing over for the first try.
The result will ease pressure on Tahnee Norris, whose position as Maroons coach had appeared under threat following two hefty defeats to begin the series.
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Questions still remain as to the Origin future of Brigginshaw, 35, following a lukewarm series that admittedly ended on a high.
Both sides were guilty of some inexplicable errors in game three.
Teitzel's opening kick-off did not go 10 metres, while Blues captain Isabelle Kelly failed to ground the ball when she slid into the in-goal for what appeared a certain four-pointer in the first half.
Jess Sergis helped Kelly save face, crashing over on the right shortly after, before Jesse Southwell gave the Blues a two-point half-time lead finding Jayme Fressard with a looping cut-out pass on the left.
Abbi Church had a busy night at fullback for the Blues to cap a great debut series.