You put that kind of pressure on yourself at training
In the arena where she grew up dreaming, a 21-year-old halfback reached into hours of invisible preparation and produced a single, decisive act — a field goal she had never attempted in competition, yet had rehearsed a thousand times in her mind. Jesse Southwell's boot split the posts at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday night, lifting NSW to an 11-6 victory over Queensland in Game One of the Women's State of Origin series, and reminding us that the most visible moments of sport are built from the most private ones.
- With the score locked at 6-all and 20,000 voices pressing down on her, Southwell faced a moment that had no precedent in her competitive career — she had never kicked a field goal in a real match.
- A charged-down attempt just minutes earlier threatened to unravel her composure, raising the stakes of every second that followed.
- Southwell drew on a deliberate mental rehearsal practice — imagining exact scorelines, clocks, and pressures at training — and executed the kick cleanly to put NSW ahead 7-6.
- She then helped set up a match-sealing try for Jess Sergis on the final play, turning a narrow lead into a convincing series-opening statement.
- NSW now carry a 1-0 lead into hostile territory at Suncorp Stadium, with Southwell herself acknowledging there is significant room to grow before Game Two.
Jesse Southwell had never kicked a field goal in a competitive match. That fact made what happened in the 62nd minute of Women's State of Origin Game One all the more remarkable. With the score locked at 6-all and more than 20,000 people watching at McDonald Jones Stadium, the 21-year-old Newcastle halfback stepped forward and put NSW ahead 7-6 — a lead the Blues would not relinquish, eventually winning 11-6.
The kick was the product of hours of deliberate preparation. In the week before the match, Southwell had put herself through imagined high-pressure scenarios at training — visualizing the scoreline, the clock, the weight of the moment — until the response became instinct. "You can put that kind of pressure on yourself at training," she said. "You put that in your brain when you kick it at training." What made the execution more impressive still was that a previous attempt had been charged down just minutes earlier, a setback that might have rattled a less composed player.
The game itself was a grinding, defense-dominated contest. Queensland controlled the early exchanges before NSW seized momentum midway through the first half. The Maroons leveled through Ellie Johnston, but Southwell's field goal broke the deadlock, and she then helped set up a try for Jess Sergis on the final play to seal the win. Coach John Strange had backed her to steer the Blues toward a second-straight series victory, and the night felt like vindication of that faith.
There was a personal dimension to the occasion, too. Southwell grew up in Newcastle, plays for the Knights, and this was both a homecoming and a farewell — she has signed with the Brisbane Broncos for the upcoming NRLW season and will relocate north the morning after the match. The series now moves to Suncorp Stadium for Game Two, where Queensland will have the crowd and the occasion on their side. Southwell is clear-eyed about what lies ahead. "We have a lot to improve on," she said. "But that's our first game of the year. Everyone wanted a three-game series and we've got it."
Jesse Southwell had never kicked a field goal in a real game. Not once. But in the 62nd minute of Game One of the Women's State of Origin series, with the score locked at six-all and more than 20,000 people watching at McDonald Jones Stadium, the 21-year-old Newcastle halfback stepped up and did exactly that—putting NSW ahead 7-6 in what would become an 11-6 victory over Queensland.
The kick itself was the product of something less visible than the roar that followed it: hours spent on the training paddock, mentally rehearsing moments just like this one. Southwell had spent the week before the match preparing for high-pressure scenarios, putting herself through imagined situations where the game hung on a single attempt. She would visualize the scoreline, the clock, the weight of the moment—all of it practiced into muscle memory before she ever needed it to be real. "You practice them all the time, so you know what's coming," she said afterward. "You can put that kind of pressure on yourself at training—six-all, in a State of Origin game, minute to go, you have to get it to win—you put that in your brain when you kick it at training."
The moment itself came just minutes after a previous attempt had been charged down, a setback that could have shaken her confidence. Instead, Southwell showed the composure that has already marked her as one of the brightest young talents in the game. Her coach, John Strange, had backed her to steer the Blues toward a second-straight series victory, and this kick was vindication of that faith. It was also the opening move in a sequence that would seal the win: moments later, Southwell helped set up a try for Jess Sergis on the final play of the match.
The game itself had been a grinding affair, points scarce and defenses stubborn. Queensland had controlled the early exchanges, but NSW seized momentum midway through the first half and held it through most of the second. The Maroons' defense was relentless, repeatedly shutting down NSW attacks until Ellie Johnston eventually crashed over to level the scores. By halftime, Southwell knew her team was on top even though the scoreboard didn't reflect it. "The coaching staff had a lot of faith in us, the group had a lot of faith in each other," she said. "We know what we can do, we just had to stay in the grind."
There is a particular poignancy to where this victory took place. Southwell grew up in Newcastle, played for the Knights, and Game One at McDonald Jones Stadium was both a homecoming and a farewell. She has signed with the Brisbane Broncos for the upcoming NRLW season and will make the move north on the Sunday after the match. The two teams will play at a different venue this year, meaning she won't get another chance to play a regular-season game at her home stadium. For now, though, her focus is elsewhere. NSW must travel to Suncorp Stadium for Game Two, playing on Queensland's home turf with a one-game series lead and everything still to prove. Southwell knows the work ahead is substantial. "We have a lot to improve on," she said. "Personally, as the half, there's a lot I can clean up. But that's our first game of the year, our first hit out. Everyone wanted a three-game series and we've got it, so there's a lot of improvement to come."
Citas Notables
I've never kicked a field goal in a real game before. It was a good time to start.— Jesse Southwell
The scoreboard didn't show that at halftime, but we knew we were on top. The coaching staff had a lot of faith in us.— Jesse Southwell
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
What made you decide to spend all that time practicing field goals when you'd never actually needed one before?
You don't know when you'll need it, do you? That's the thing about halfback. You have to be ready for any moment. I just thought, if it comes down to this, I want to know I've done the work.
But practicing something you've never done in a real match—wasn't that strange? Didn't it feel abstract?
Not really. The pressure is the same whether you're at training or in front of 20,000 people. I just moved the pressure to training. I'd imagine the exact scenario—six-all, Origin game, minute to go—and I'd kick it. So when it actually happened, my body already knew what to do.
You had a kick charged down just minutes before the one that won the game. How did you not doubt yourself?
I think because I'd already failed in my head a hundred times at training. You practice the miss too. You practice staying composed after it. So when it actually happened, it was just another moment I'd already lived through.
This was your last game at McDonald Jones Stadium before moving to Brisbane. Did that add another layer to it?
Honestly, I wasn't thinking about that during the match. I was just thinking about the team, about what we needed. But afterward, yeah, it hit different. This place is home. To finish it like that—it's something I'll carry with me.
What do you need to improve before Game Two?
Everything, really. We were sloppy in patches. As the half, I need to be sharper with my decision-making, cleaner with my execution. But we've got the belief now. We know we can beat them.