Qld announces women’s Origin squad, coach Tahnee Norris urges NSW to follow landmark move

The Queensland Maroons have unveiled their squad for the one-off women’s State of Origin match to be played in Canberra on June 24.

Queensland has won the last two women’s Origin matches. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

On the day she unveiled her squad for the women’s State of Origin match, Queensland coach Tahnee Norris urged the NSWRL to follow the QRL and increase its player match payments for the biggest game on the women’s calendar.

The one-off match in Canberra on June 24 will be the first women’s Origin fixture since the QRL confirmed in November that female Maroons would be paid the same match fee as their male counterparts from 2022.

Norris said it was in the interest of all involved in the women’s game for the pay gap to be closed.

“I think it’s something we want to see across the board,” Norris said.

“We want the NSW girls to be getting the same amount too.

“I think it’s really important for the women’s game that we do that across both states. If we can get NSW to follow suit, then we’re definitely on the right path.”

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Norris waited until after the grand final of the BMD Premiership, the women’s Queensland Cup, before unveiling a 22-person squad featuring most of the players that helped claim the Origin shield in a thriller last year.

Emily Bass and Olympic gold medallist Evania Pelite will make their Maroons debuts, having defected to rugby league from rugby sevens. The pair are set to form a new-look right edge for the Maroons.

Only three members of the 17 that defeated NSW last year – Rona Peters, Shaniah Power and Brianna Clark – have not been selected in the extended squad this time around. All three started on the bench in 2021.

Brisbane Broncos superstar Ali Brigginshaw is once again set to captain the side.

Ali Brigginshaw with the Origin shield after Queensland’s 8-6 win last year. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

“I’m really excited (for the Origin match),” Norris said.

“There’s some absolute quality with the experience that we’ve got coming out of the team, then we’ve got a couple of freshies in there.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing what they can produce for us in their first time in the Maroons colours.”

This is the last year the women’s Origin sides will play only one game – from next year, the two bitter rivals are set to meet in two.

On the back of last year’s thrilling women’s Origin clash, fans were crying out for the women’s Origin to take the form of a three-match series like the men’s and Norris admitted she was confused by the decision to add only one more match from 2023.

If each side wins one game in next year’s two-match series, the winner of the 2022 one-off Origin clash will retain the shield, which Norris said detracted from the spectacle.

“I thought if we were going to go to two, we might as well go to three to make sure we don’t have any dead rubbers in there next year,” she said.

“If we win this year and then we get the first game next year, then obviously the second game becomes a dead rubber.

“This is the best of the best, this game, and I think it deserves a three-match series like the men’s.”

Tahnee Norris wants to see the women play a three-match Origin series. Picture: David Clark

The Queensland Maroons

1. Tamika Upton

2. Emily Bass

3. Evania Pelite

4. Shenae Ciesiolka

5. Julia Robinson

6. Tarryn Aiken

7. Ali Brigginshaw

8. Chelsea Lenarduzzi

9. Brittany Breayley-Nati

10. Shannon Mato

11. Tallisha Harden

12. Tazmin Gray

13. Destiny Brill

14. Lauren Brown

15. Jessika Elliston

16. Steph Hancock

17. Tiana Raftstrand-Smith

18. Zahara Temara

19. Karina Brown

20. Romy Teitzel

21. Keilee Joseph

22. Sara Sautia

Originally published as Qld announces women’s Origin squad, coach Tahnee Norris urges NSW to follow landmark move