![Picture by Marina Neil Picture by Marina Neil](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/max.mckinney/213f4d6d-c711-42b0-b745-af25932d6f80.jpg/r0_0_6000_4000_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Knights NRLW star Jesse Southwell faces an uphill battle to be picked for the second Women's Origin game in Newcastle next month after NSW claimed the series-opener in Brisbane on Thursday night.
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Newcastle's two-time premiership-winning halfback was a shock omission for Origin I but the Sky Blues got the job done at Suncorp Stadium, with halves Rachael Pearson and Corban Baxter both solid performers in a 22-12 win over Queensland.
Asked if she felt vindicated by the team's performance in light of leaving Southwell out, NSW coach Kylie Hilder praised her playmakers.
"I don't think I should have to," Hilder said.
"I thought Rachael was outstanding.
"Both our halves, Rachael and Corban, did their jobs.
"[They] did exactly what I asked them to do, did exactly what we expect them to do and the reason why I picked them in those positions."
Given Hilder is almost certain to retain a winning side, barring injuries Southwell appears highly unlikely to feature in Origin II at McDonald Jones Stadium on June 6.
It appeared a door may have opened for the Knights half when five-eighth Baxter was placed on report on Thursday night.
![Southwell promoting the Newcastle Origin match back in Feburary. Picture by Marina Neil Southwell promoting the Newcastle Origin match back in Feburary. Picture by Marina Neil](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/max.mckinney/e4d27929-fef9-4674-9278-a0f23ce38f99.jpg/r0_0_5796_3864_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Baxter hit Zahara Temara late as the Maroons halfback was placing a kick, but it wasn't penalised at the time.
The play attracted plenty of attention on social media. Fans questioned how Baxter wasn't further penalised, comparing it to the incident Melbourne Storm NRL hooker Harry Grant was sin-binned for last weekend.
However, with an early guilty plea, she will only cop a warning.
While Southwell appears unlikely for the historic Newcastle game, the Knights' four Origin representatives in Brisbane are sure to be retained after producing quality displays.
NSW back-rower Yasmin Clydsdale won player-of-the-match honours, while barnstorming prop Caitlan Johnston scored the Sky Blues' fourth and final try to ensure the win.
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Hooker Olivia Higgins, who was on debut, performed well in separate stints across both halves.
The Knights' sole Queensland representative, Tamika Upton, scored the home side's first try in the 54th minute to give the Maroons some hope after they had fallen 16-0 behind early in the second half.
But despite two late tries, Queensland couldn't bridge the gap in front of a record crowd of 25,492.
An early blitz of two tries in the opening 10 minutes gave NSW the upper hand.
With many of Queensland's players having featured in their state competition over the past couple of months, the Maroons had been tipped to have better match-fitness.
But the NSW players - whose state competition is not yet running, having been moved to align with the NRLW which begins in July - undertook a gruelling training regime in preparation for the game.
"We put a program together that we ran for six weeks," Hilder said.
"It was a pretty intense program. There was some tough sessions and dark days that we put the girls through, but we always made sure that we got that intensity in our sessions of what a game would replicate.
"They were well and truly prepared and ready to go."
Sky Blues skipper Isabelle Kelly credited the training as the difference in Brisbane.
NSW will now have the opportunity to win the series in Newcastle.
"We've been working really hard the last seven-to-eight weeks," Kelly said.
"I think a lot of people doubted our team with having no footy.
"The best thing that we ever did was coming together and really work our ass off to make sure we could take this win at Suncorp.
"We had a lot of people doubt our team. So to prove all of those people wrong, and come away with a solid win, it's really making game two very exciting."