Debutante shines for NSW in women's league

A hat-trick of tries from a NSW debutante led the women's rugby league side to a 22-6 win over Queensland in the Interstate Challenge in Wollongong.

Jessica Sergis (left) of NSW scores

Jessica Sergis scored a hat-trick in NSW's interstate women's rugby league win. (AAP)

A hat-trick of tries from debutante Jessica Sergis ensured the NSW women's rugby league team did what its men's side couldn't - beat Queensland when it mattered most.

The Blues downed the Maroons 22-6 at WIN Stadium on Sunday to claim the Nellie Doherty Cup for consecutive years.

Prior to that Queensland women had built a record that eclipsed even their male counterparts - going unbeaten since the challenge's inception in 1999 through until 2015.

"I grew up watching the boys play and it's really what I've always wanted to do and to play, to get the win, to score on debut, it's actually a dream come true," Sergis said after the one-off annual game.

"This is our time now. Hopefully we can switch it around and we'll be the 17 years on top."

The match was watched by a crowd of about 8000 spectators ahead of the NRL round-20 clash between St George Illawarra and Manly.

Sergis' first try came with the assistance of Jillaroos' fullback Samantha Bremner in the sixth minute and the second followed just five minutes later before a third touchdown in the 61st minute.

Corban McGregor and Vanessa Foliaki added second half tries for the dominant Blues.

A pile-up near NSW's line left Bremner screaming in pain and clutching her right ankle. Despite resuming play, she slipped over five minutes into the second half and was carried off.

"One promise I made when I was going out here was I'll give 100 per cent ... and that's why I wasn't going to come off as soon as I hurt it in the first half," Bremner said.

Sergis and McGregor were two of five Cronulla-Caringbah club players to line up for NSW, along with captain Ruan Sims, firming up a wall of blue that Queensland struggled to break.

"We've got a lot of mateship off the field which has been created from our coaching staff, which has really helped us on the field," Bremner said.

Queensland's only try came when forward Stephanie Hancock, in her final state representative game, set up Jenni-Sue Hoepper late in the first half.

Maroons captain Karina Brown was left "shattered" by the back-to-back losses.

"We had a brilliant week in camp and I don't know, honestly I had that feeling in camp that we were going to be able to do it today and we just couldn't get it together," Brown said..

"A number of us went down, we lost Renae (Kunst) before halftime.

"It's just as heartbreaking as last year to be honest."


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Source: AAP



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