'They want to win everything': Strange praises history making Blues stars

NSW coach John Strange has urged Kezie Apps to remain involved in the game beyond her playing career after the Jillaroos captain helped the Blues create history by becoming the first women’s team to win a State of Origin cleansweep.

The Blues completed the historic 3-0 series win with a gritty 12-4 defeat of Queensland at Cbus Super Stadium on Thursday night – the first NSW team to achieve the feat since 2000.

Celebrating her 20th appearance for NSW, the win held special significance for Apps as it was at the same venue where she debuted for the state in the victorious 2016 team which ended Queensland’s 17-year domination.

After signing a four-year contract extension with Wests Tigers, 35 year-old Apps has no intention of retiring and is looking forward to leading the Jillaroos at her third World Cup in October and November.

However, when she does, Strange believes it is important that Apps – along with former Maroons captain Ali Brigginshaw, who is retiring after the World Cup - is not lost to the game.

“I've only got to know Kezie the last two years coming into this space,” Strange said.

“I've obviously known her from afar and watched her play during her career, and she's obviously been a pioneer of the women's game herself, but getting to know her has been great because who she is as a person is amazing.

“She'll have a long career, she's still signed in the NRLW for quite a few years, and so she should, because I feel like last year was the best I've seen her play, and then I feel like this year, in this Origin series, she stepped it up again.

“But once she's finished, it's like Ali Briganshaw, with the work that she's done as a player, you hope that they have a heavy involvement in the women's game post their careers, because they'll be able to help the next generation, and the generation after that, to keep striving to where these girls are now.”

Blues captain Isabelle Kelly also played for NSW in the 2016 Interstate clash, along with another team-mate Corban Baxter, NSW assistant coach Ruan Sims and Channel 9 commentator Alana Ferguson.

“It's pretty crazy to think how far the game's come but, for me, I'm so honoured that I was a part of that because I think that helped shape me as a person, and I learned a lot of the older girls,” Kelly said

“Having Ru as one of our assistants is one of the best decisions Strangey has ever made because she brings so much spark to our team, and when she's out there yelling at us, everyone's listening to her.

“To be able to create the same history here, I just think that speaks for itself, to be honest.”

Kelly was named player of the match, while Apps' secondrow partner Yasmin Meakes won the Katrina Fanning Medal as player of the series.

"Yas was outstanding in every game, and she is just such a competitor," Strange said.

“For me, as a coach, I think if you want to be successful you recruit players that have a competitive nature that will do anything to win, and then you have a very good chance of being successful.

“She's certainly got that, Izzy has got that. Olivia Kernick, Keeley Nizza … the list goes on, they all compete and they want to win.

“When we have con games at training, I sort of get out of the way because they end up going at each other; no one wants the ref as staff members because they get abused, but that's who they are.

"They want to win everything, and then you take that mindset out onto the field, and obviously you come up with an Origin series win."