Meet the Qld schoolgirls team making history at Suncorp

Meet all members of the first ever Queensland schoolgirls rugby league team making history on State of Origin night.

Meet the 19 Queensland schoolgirls who will make history tomorrow at Suncorp Stadium when they play in the curtain-raiser to the State of Origin decider.

It is the first ever state secondary schools 18 years team and they will play a combined NSW-ACT side on Wednesday. An Australian team to play Fiji will be named from the match.

Members of the Queensland Secondary Schools team.

The schoolgirls come from places as varied as Yorke Island in Torres Strait, the Atherton Tablelands, Rockhampton, Darling Downs, Ipswich, Logan City and the Gold Coast, yet all are united wearing the Queensland jersey for themselves and for their family.

For some, like Aerielle Hobbler, it will be a particularly meaningful occasion as she remembers her late mother, Cindy, who passed away in February.

For others, like the Sunshine Coast’s Nancy Sullivan, playing in the Queensland Secondary Schools team will send a positive message to her peers in Cherbourg that dreams can come true.

So who are these brave and talented young women?

Here we give you an insight into our latest Queensland Secondary School rugby league representatives.

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Tiresa Elika (Met West)

First club and current club: Brothers Ipswich and Redbank Bears

First rugby league memory: I started 11 years old at Ipswich playing wing.

Favourite club growing up: Brothers. I grew up there and everyone is so nice.

Favourite player growing up: Ali Brigginshaw

What does playing for the Queensland 16-18 years schoolgirls mean to you: It means a lot to me. It means that I am not just doing myself proud, but I am doing my family proud.

Members of the Queensland Secondary Schools team, including aces Abony Raftstrand-Smith, back left, and Malaela Su'a, front middle.

Relna Hosea (Met West)

First club and current club: Ipswich Brothers and Goodna Eagles

First rugby league memory: Making Met West for the first time as a 15-year-old

Favourite club growing up: Cowboys

Favourite player growing up: Ali Briggenshaw or Stef Hancock

What does playing for the Queensland 16-18 years schoolgirls mean to you: It means a lot. It is a big thing and it makes my family and community proud.

The Queensland girls listen during a team talk.

Sienna Lofipo (Met East)

First club and current club: Redland RLJ

First rugby league memory: Under 12s. I started as a halfback

Favourite club growing up: Melbourne Storm

Favourite player growing up: Julie Robinson and Brianna Clark

What does playing for the Queensland 16-18 years schoolgirls mean to you: I am very proud to be representing Queensland in one of the first schoolgirls under 18s.

Nancy Sullivan (Sunshine Coast)

First club and current club: Palmwoods

First rugby league memory: Watching my dad and uncles in my mission town (Cherbourg)

Favourite club growing up: Broncos and Roosters

Favourite player growing up: My dad Kenny Sullivan and my pops

What does playing for the Queensland 16-18 years schoolgirls mean to you: It means a lot because it shows my community that you can go out and do whatever you want. It shows my siblings a pathway and my community back home in Cherbourg a pathway as well.

Marsden SHS's Montaya Hudson and Aerielle Hobbler from Mareeba.

Aerielle Hobbler (Peninsula)

First club and current club: Kuranda and Mareeba Gladiators

First rugby league memory: Watching my dad (Alvin) playing and he broke his leg. I just wanted to play after that.

Favourite club growing up: Cowboys

Favourite player growing up: Johnathan Thurston

What does playing for the Queensland 16-18 years schoolgirls mean to you: This is a very big opportunity. At first it was just about me loving footy and just wanting to make it higher but my mum (Cindy) passed in February and I do everything for her now.

Luca Howarth (Capriconia)

First club and current club: Rockhampton Tigers

First rugby league memory: Running at the biggest boy on the field and being cleaned up

Favourite club growing up: Storm

Favourite player growing up: Billy Slater

What does playing for the Queensland 16-18 years schoolgirls mean to you: It is very special and means a lot to me because I get to do my family proud.

The Queensland Secondary School teams wth Ali Briggenshaw.

Lillian Yarrow (Capriconia)

First club and current club: Rockhampton Tigers

First rugby league memory: In the under 6s I got my hair pulled and I cried

Favourite club growing up Brisbane Broncos:

Favourite player growing up: Millie Boyle

What does playing for the Queensland 16-18 years schoolgirls mean to you: It means so much to me as a player because after playing footy since I was six, it is a big achievement. But also I get to represent my family and my community and make them proud as well.

Shaylee Joseph from Mabel Park, back left, and team mates.

Mariah Brown (Darling Downs)

First club and current club: Kingaroy Red Ants, Highfield Eagles

First rugby league memory: Making this Queensland team

Favourite club growing up: Highfield Eagles

Favourite player growing up: Jess Sergis. She plays centre and I like to watch what she does and follow her

What does playing for the Queensland 16-18 years schoolgirls mean to you: Playing for Queensland is really exciting, a first step where you show what you have got. It is great playing for your state.

Queensland Schoolgirls with Ali Briggenshaw.

Theophelia Mosby-Nona

First club and current club: Brothers Townsville, Western Lions Townsville

First rugby league memory: Watching the uncles and family playing

Favourite club growing up: Warriors

Favourite player growing up: Jason Taumalolo

What does playing for the Queensland 16-18 years schoolgirls mean to you: It means I represent my family and where I have come from, while also showing the younger generation in my community that anything is possible.

The Queensland Secondary School teams wth Ali Briggenshaw.

Montaya Hudson (Met East)

First club: Brothers Townsville

Current club: Waterford/ Logan Brothers

First rugby league memory: Making a break down the field

Favourite club growing up: The Cowboys

Favourite player growing up: Jonathan Thurston- my biggest mentor. He’s always been doubted, when coming through. He proved himself.

What does playing for the Queensland 16-18 years Schoolgirls mean to you?

To get to this point and to be the first group to do it is amazing.

Shaylee Joseph. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

Shaylee Joseph (Met East)

First club: Waterford

Current club: Waterford/ Logan Brothers

First rugby league memory: Making a big hit.

Favourite club growing up: Panthers. I was born in Penrith.

Favourite player growing up: It’s now my sister Keilee- Roosters signed rookie.

What does playing for the Queensland 16-18 years Schoolgirls mean to you?

It’s a massive achievement. I know on game-day the nerves are going to hit, But I am keen to make some tackles and strong runs.

Fleur Ginn (South Coast)

First club: Ipswich Brothers

Current club: Logan Brothers

First rugby league memory: SEQ under 14’s it was my favourite tournament ever.

Favourite club growing up: Brisbane Broncos

Favourite player growing up: Kotoni Staggs because I am a centre too.

What does playing for the Queensland 16-18 years Schoolgirls mean to you?

It’s a huge privilege. I am only 15 so I am very grateful to be a part of the team.

Mabel Park SHS student Malaela Su'a - Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

Malaela Su’a (Met East)

First club: Waterford

Current club: Waterford/ Logan Brothers

First rugby league memory: Playing with the boys and scoring my first try for Harris Fields State School.

Favourite club growing up: Parramatta Eels. I look up to the halves there in Mitch Moses and Dylan Brown. Also Isiah papalii.

Favourite player growing up: Isaiah Papalii. We both play second row.

What does playing for the Queensland 16-18 years Schoolgirls mean to you?

It’s a great experience. I played for the Queensland Reds Women team and that gave me great confidence to come here and play.

Keebra Park High student Skyla Adams Picture: Jerad Williams

Eliza Lopamaua (Met East)

First club: Waterford

Current club: Redland Bay

First rugby league memory: my first try at Suncorp under the posts for the Under 12 Districts grand final.

Favourite club growing up: The Sydney Roosters

Favourite player growing up: James Maloney because up the Cronulla Sharks.

What does playing for the Queensland 16-18 years Schoolgirls mean to you?

It means a lot. It’s the highest representative footy I have played. Knowing this is how far I have gotten during school really motivates me. There’s more to come with club footy.

Skyla Adams (South Coast)

First club: Nerang Roosters

Current club: Tweed Heads, I travel to Tweed for rugby league.

First rugby league memory: When I scored my first try in Under 8’s against all the boys. That was my favourite memory ever.

Favourite club growing up: The Warriors

Favourite player growing up: Jonathan Thurston

What does playing for the Queensland 16-18 years Schoolgirls mean to you?

It means a lot to me. I am representing my family. I love rugby league so much. I am scared to play in front of so many people but I am looking forward to it.

Members of the Queensland schoolgirls.

Tavarna Papalii (South Coast)

First club: Nerang Roosters.

Current club: Burleigh Bears.

First rugby league memory: Playing with the boys in Under 12’s. It was very daunting but it toughened me up.

Favourite club growing up: the South Sydney Rabbitohs- my whole family is from Sydney watching them was like the heart of the family.

Favourite player growing up: Kevin Gordon from the Gold Coast Titans

What does playing for the Queensland 16-18 years Schoolgirls mean to you?

It’s very exciting. I am proud of myself, and it’s the first thing for the girls that is up there with the boys so I am keen to get out there and get the win.

India Seeto (Met East)

First club: Beenleigh Lions

Current club: Waterford/ Logan Brothers. We all play together and have won the GF three years in a row now.

First rugby league memory: Running the ball against Eliza Lopamaua and breaking my ankle. A good tackle it was.

Favourite club growing up: The South Sydney Rabbitohs. I was born there.

Favourite player growing up: My current favourite player is Evania Pelite. She works at Marsden SHS and she’s really nice. We are very close.

What does playing for the Queensland 16-18 years Schoolgirls mean to you?

It’s crazy. It’s such a privilege to play. I am nervous but I am so keen to play and try to win.

Ebony Raftstrand-Smith (South Coast)

First club: I first played in New Zealand for the Richmond Rovers with the boys.

Current club: Burleigh Bears

First rugby league memory: Definitely getting squashed by the boys in junior rugby. I was playing Under 12’s as a 10 year old so I was getting smashed all the time. I was so small playing on the wing with my twin sister on the other side.

Favourite club growing up: I want to play with my sister at the Titans

Favourite player growing up: Myself!

What does playing for the Queensland 16-18 years Schoolgirls mean to you?

It’s very exciting. Playing in front of a lot of people is a bit nerve racking but I want to do my best to make the Australian team by playing well on Wednesday.

Marissa Nicholson (Sunshine Coast)

First club: Gympie Devils

Current club: Kawana Dolphins

First rugby league memory: When I was playing for Gympie someone yanked my hair because I didn’t tie it up.

Favourite club growing up: The Warriors. They were the first team I ever watched and I still barrack for them.

Favourite player growing up: Billy Slater because it’s Billy Slater.

What does playing for the Queensland 16-18 years Schoolgirls mean to you?

It means everything. It’s big, it’s awesome. I can’t wait. I’ll try to get as many tackles as I can and be vocal the whole game.

The team will be coached by Ipswich SHS’s Veronica White.

It includes multi code young guns like Skyla Adams (Keebra Park SHS) and Malaela Su’a (Mabel Park SHS), both Super W Reds squad members, young gun Ebony Raftstrand-Smith (Keebra Park).

That trio are fabulous young players who have been identified by both league and union talent scouts.

Shaylee Joseph (Mabel Park), the sister of Roosters NRLW premiership winner Keilee, is in the side, while the Ipswich SHS program has produced Relna Hosea and Tiresa Elika.

But most eyet-catching is the number of regional youngster in the side, including Montaya Hudson (Marsden SHS) who moved south from Townsville looking to create this very opportunity.

Marsden SHS student Taya Hudson. Pic: Kimberley Chadburn

Hudson is a halves-fullback in league, and in rugby plays No.10.

“I started playing league when I was 12 and union when I was 15 which only was a year ago growing up,’’ Hudson said.

“I didn’t really play much contact sport, but always watched with my four big brothers and with my dad playing I got to be around the sport a lot growing up.’’

Hudson said she has got her speed from her mum and dad, because all her older six siblings can motor as well.

Hudson said the Marsden SHS league program had “helped me a lot with developing me physically and supporting us with some of the financial side too’’.

The Cowboys supporter said she aspired to play in the NRLW. “It’s been a massive dream of mine to do my family proud,’’ she said.