A 69th-minute field goal to Lauren Brown has delivered Queensland one of their finest wins in Women's State of Origin history with the Maroons downing New South Wales 11-10 in Newcastle.
In atrocious conditions, Brown's strike was true from 25 metres out in the dying stages as the Queenslanders upset the Newcastle crowd of 25,872, a new record for a women's rugby league game.
Despite the persistent driving rain, the locals had plenty to cheer for early, with the Sky Blues dominating the first half, but only coming away with one Keeley Davis try to take a 6-0 lead into the break.
Queensland did not get on the board until Shenae Ciesiolka crashed over with 16 minutes left and Brown shanked the potentially game-tying conversion from the sideline.
NSW answered back when Tiana Penitani scored what looked like a series winner in th 59th minute, but the Maroons regathered off the kick-off as Romy Teitzel skidded a ball into touch, and five-eighth Tarryn Aiken crossed for a brilliant solo effort, crucially right next to the posts.
Brown made no mistake with that conversion to levels scores at 10, then booted the game-winner with just under two minutes left in the match to take the lead for the first time across the two games so far.
She also snatched the short kick-off as the Maroons ran down the clock to tie things up at one game apiece.
"She's just a clutch player," Maroons captain Ali Brigginshaw told ABC Sport.
"She's a utility, she can play any position and, oh god, I love her."
Brown's game-winner means the first three-game women's series will go to a decider, a far cry from the awkward scenes after last year's two-game series was decided on points differential.
"This is why we need that three-game series. It just proves that," NSW captain Kezie Apps told ABC Sport.
"Very exciting for us and the women's game in general."
The third game will be played in Townsville on June 27, and while NSW coach Kylie Hilder was devastated to watch her team miss a chance to win the series in Newcastle, she could not deny her excitement at the prospect of a decider.
"It's great for the game," she said in her post-match press conference.
"It's 1-1 and we get to get up to Townsville and try to get the shield up in Queensland.
"We seem to play better up in Queensland anyway; don't go so great in our own state."
Look back at all the action from Game II in Newcastle as it happened in our live blog below and check out all the stats in our ScoreCentre.
Key events
- 'This is why we need that three-game series'
- Queensland has levelled the series with a miraculous 11-10 win!
- QUEENSLAND HITS THE FRONT WITH A LAUREN BROWN FIELD GOAL!
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Live updates
Pinned
Women's State of Origin II at Hunter Stadium
By Jon Healy
We'll sign off there
By Jon Healy
It was messy, it was tight, it was unpredictable and it was thrilling.
Tahnee Norris probably summed it up best as "insane" and "true Origin football".
Congratulations to Lauren Brown and Queensland, and it just feels right that this historic series goes to a decider.
I can't wait, and we'll see you in Townsville!
Player of the match: Shannon Mato
By Jon Healy
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In a game like that, it was always going to go to a forward and the Gold Coast Titans prop was so powerful through the middle of the field for Queensland.
Maroons coach beaming with pride after gutsy win
Queensland coach Tahnee Norris can finally breathe again.
"That was insane. That's true Origin football.
"It's so good for our game to play a game of footy like that. I'm so proud of them."
And on the superstar Lauren Brown...
"Gotta love the fact she can kick a footy, ey. To win a game like that through a field goal, it's insane."
Maroons skipper Ali Brigginshaw, like so many other people who've spoken tonight, is clearly excited with that's ahead of them in Townsville.
"I just love women's rugby league. ... It's for all those girls that have worn that jersey before.
"After the game Queensland and NSW come together, there's no animosity. We're here to make women's rugby league better."
NSW coach gutted but it's 'great for the game' to go to a decider
By Jon Healy
NSW coach Kylie Hilder says it's a tough loss to swallow after her Sky Blues were on top for so much of the game.
"We were so dominant for the majority of that game."
But she acknowledges "it's great for the first [three-game] series to go to a decider".
"Great for the game, it's 1-1 and we get to get up to Townsville and try to get the shield up in Queensland. We seem to play better up in Queensland anyway; don't go so great in our own state."
Hilder is keen to see her team up in Townsville. She says the Sky Blues are much more suited to a dry, fast track than the quagmire we saw tonight.
"I think the conditions really brought Queensland back into the game."
The magic moments
By Jon Healy
Key Event
'This is why we need that three-game series'
By Jon Healy
NSW co-captain Kezie Apps raises the obvious point: Imagine if this was the finale like it was last year.
Yuck. Thank the old gods and the new that we're heading to Townsville for a decider.
"This is why we need that three-game series. It just proves that," Apps tells ABC Sport.
"Very exciting for us and the women's game in general."
The woman of the moment
By Jon Healy
Game-winning Maroons superstar Lauren Brown is speaking to former Queensland captain Karina Brown on ABC Sport.
"Yeah, look, I was like 'we've got one chance at this, we probably won't get the ball back'.
"I'm just lucky it went over. It was just high enough and snuck over the bar."
Key Event
Queensland has levelled the series with a miraculous 11-10 win!
By Jon Healy
What an absolutely stunning result with just so many heroes standing up for this Queensland Maroons team, but Lauren Brown will remember that game-winning, series-levelling field goal for a long time.
"She's just a clutch player," Maroons captain Ali Brigginshaw tells ABC Sport.
"She's a utility, she can play any position and, oh god, I love her.
"I'm so proud to be a Queenslander."
Key Event
QUEENSLAND HITS THE FRONT WITH A LAUREN BROWN FIELD GOAL!
By Jon Healy
The Maroons' utility gets the ball off the ruck with no momentum, it's down low in horrid conditions and she just stands up and belts a potentially game-winning field goal!!
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3 minutes left: The Maroons aim up in defence
By Jon Healy
The kick chase is brilliant from Queensland, presenting Emma Tonegato with a maroon wall and caging her in.
And Caitlan Johnston knocks on on halfway! The Maroons get the all 55 metres out as we head into the final three minutes.
5 minutes left
By Jon Healy
Field goals in these conditions are near enough to impossible. This will almost certainly need to be a try to break this deadlock, otherwise we're off to extra time.
Key Event
LAUREN BROWN EQUALISES!
By Jon Healy
She converts and we're tied at 10 with seven minutes to go!
TARRYN AIKEN HAS SPIDERS ON HER! Queensland is in again!!
By Jon Healy
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The Maroons five-eighth skips across the field, shows twice and goes, beating Game I player of the match Yasmin Clydsdale one on one and diving over next to the posts.
61' Clutch kick-off from Queensland
By Jon Healy
Romy Teitzel belts the kick-off low and off the outside of her boot andit skids across this ice rink of a surface and into touch.
Maroons are back in possession.
Key Event
Another missed conversion and the Maroons are still in the fight
By Jon Healy
Rachael Pearson slips over while place kicking for the second time tonight and it remains 10-4.
The Sky Blues go over and that might be the series!
By Jon Healy
Jess Sergis comes up with a brilliant steal on Julia Robinson 20 metres away from the tryline and NSW spins it left, with Corban Baxter looping a cut-out pass to the left wing, where Tiana Penitani makes a great grab and dives over in the left corner.
"Origin is won on big moments and that was a huge moment from Sergis, stealing that ball," Karina Brown says on the sideline for ABC Sport.
Key Event
Lauren Brown can't equalise
By Jon Healy
Horrible kicking conditions and the Queensland utility badly hooks her attempt from out on the right wing.
The Maroons trail 6-4 with 15 minutes left.
QUEENSLAND HITS THE SCOREBOARD!
By Jon Healy
A powerful charge from Tazmin Rapana bends the defence back and Ali Brigginshaw takes it on the short right side and hits Shenae Ciesiolka with a brilliant cut-out pass to crash over.
54' Maroons get some help out of their end in 'horrendous' conditions
By Jon Healy
You know how I said the rain stopped earlier in the half? That is very much no longer true.
"Conditions are horrendous. It's making it very hard for the girls to hold the ball," former Maroons captain Karina Brown says on the sideline for ABC Sport.
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