Jason Hetherington speaks highly of Jessika Elliston ahead of her Queensland State of Origin debut

When Queensland women’s Origin coach Jason Hetherington saw Jessika Elliston in action at the recent National Championships, he spotted an athletic, willing, raw talent.

WHEN Queensland women’s Origin coach Jason Hetherington saw Jessika Elliston in action at the recent National Championships, he spotted an athletic, willing, raw talent.

The Tweed second-rower showed enough to convince him she could be part of the Maroons’ next generation of success.

So when it came time to select his side for Friday night’s blockbuster at North Sydney Oval, Hetherington could not go past the hairdresser.

“She has got the attributes that we can work on for her to become a very good player,” he said.

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Joining an Origin camp and testing herself against NSW’s finest, he felt, was the ideal way to unlock Elliston’s sky-high potential.

Queensland women's State of Origin player Jessika Elliston. Picture: Jerad Williams

“I think it’s important that we do identify players that we need to fast-track,” Hetherington added.

“We have got a couple that may retire at the end of this year – there’s a lot of experience that we’ll probably lose – so in the process we need to start fast-tracking a couple.

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“But yeah in the nationals I thought she was outstanding. She caught our attention and I thought she deserved an opportunity to come in and see what it’s like at this level.”

Elliston’s rawness derives from her background in rugby sevens – she openly admitted it took a while to get her head around the 13-a-side rules this season.

Queensland women's State of Origin player Jessika Elliston (with ball). Picture: Jerad Williams

The bubbly 21-year-old recalls first watching an Origin match in high school: “I didn’t know exactly what was happening when I was watching it, I was just yelling go Queensland.”

Elliston has lapped up the chance to hear from legends such as Mal Meninga and Karen Shaw during camp and is relishing rooming with veteran Karina Brown: “She has really, really helped me.”

She expects to fill an impact role off the bench on Friday night.

The Maroons women took their training on Monday morning down to Elliston’s old stomping ground Palm Beach Currumbin State High for an opposed session.