Unstoppable: Phil Gould Left in Awe as ‘Outstanding’ Jesse Southwell Makes a Triumphant Return for NSW Blues

The maturity of Jesse Southwell shone brightly on Thursday as she played a pivotal role in leading NSW to a groundbreaking victory in the women’s State of Origin series.

Having been left out of the Origin lineup in the previous season, Southwell had no intention of allowing history to repeat itself under the guidance of new coach John Strange.

The 20-year-old drew constant praise from Phil Gould throughout the match as she orchestrated multiple back-to-back sets and crafted try-scoring chances for NSW.

An early error from Ali Brigginshaw forced Queensland into defence right from the start, as the Blues capitalised on Southwell’s exceptional kicking skills to pile on the pressure with successive sets.

The Queensland squad was pushed back toward their goal line, struggling to contain NSW players, which eventually led to Jess Sergis finding a gap on the edge to score.

Before long, Southwell delivered a deft pass to her captain, Isabelle Kelly, allowing her to score, a play that Gould hailed as a demonstration of Southwell’s “maturity beyond her years.”

“Jesse demonstrated poise by allowing the ball to bounce without panicking despite the defenders closing in on her… that’s maturity and composure that belies her age,” Gould noted.

“She remained calm; despite the ball dropping, she didn’t panic, executing a brilliant pass that opened up space.”

Southwell’s exceptional form persisted as she set up an overlap close to the try line, enabling Kelly to assist debutant Jayme Fressard in scoring at the corner.

However, NSW’s blitzing performance faced a hurdle with an eye-gouging and hair-pulling incident, after which Rory Owen managed to narrow the margin for Queensland to just two points as halftime approached.

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Injury issues for Sergis and Dally M Medalist Olivia Kernick didn’t deter the visitors; Fressard powered through to score her second try on debut after Queensland’s Togatuki mishandled the play-the-ball.

“Oh dear… why does this keep happening?” Gould remarked, lamenting the situation.

“If I had the answer, I would still be coaching.”

Ellie Johnston added her name to the try-scoring sheet in the 50th minute, and Southwell successfully converted.

As the game progressed, Queensland’s nine errors, compared to NSW’s six, began to take their toll, leading to an offside call that allowed Southwell to slot a penalty goal directly in front of the posts.

“The Blues have been relentless… it’s been an outstanding second half, popping Queensland out of the contest,” Gould stated.

Allana Ferguson chimed in: “They’ve reverted to their strengths with their kicking game.

“Jesse Southwell has truly made this match her own since the first six sets.”

The icing on the cake came when Southwell assisted Abbi Church in scoring in the 64th minute.

“Some of her passing tonight has been exquisite, showcasing real class,” Gould commented on the young halfback’s performance.

“She has had an outstanding game tonight.”

Queensland were left scoreless in the second half as NSW celebrated their 1-0 series lead in Origin.

The Maroons will be looking to bounce back on 15 May, as they prepare to face NSW on their home ground at Allianz Stadium for the second match of the series.