Wests Tigers HNW second rower Kezie Apps has lifted the State of Origin shield after captaining New South Wales to victory at GIO Stadium.
Apps was joined on the winning side by her Wests Tigers teammate Jessica Sergis, who was at her barnstorming best on the right edge for the Blues.
The Maroons jumped out to an early lead courtesy of a try to Destiny Brill, but New South Wales soon hit back via Emma Tonegato and Kira Dibb.
The Blues held onto a slender half-time lead as both sides hit the sheds in front of a record crowd of 11,321.
Evania Pelite cut the Blues’ lead to two points with a try in the 56th minute, but Isabelle Kelly would ultimately cross for a late try to cruel any hopes of a Queensland comeback.
Kezie Apps earned the right to hold the Origin Shield aloft with a strong defensive performance, playing the full 70 minutes and making 35 tackles.
Sergis was one of six Blues players to run for 100 metres, accumulating five tackle busts and a line break despite playing the match with two broken fingers.
Representative Round will continue tomorrow when a number of other Wests Tigers players line up for their countries across three international test matches.
