Women’s Origin LIVE: Queensland host NSW in Suncorp Stadium opener

There was a worry Rachael Pearson might not start in the halves, with the Eels halfback having struggled with a calf niggle, but she must be all good because she’s named in the final team.

Not many changes for the Sky Blues for the team coach Kylie Hilder named on Tuesday, the only difference is Olivia Kernick starting at lock and Keeley Davis moving to the bench.

Here’s how the team lines up:

1. Emma Tonegato, 2. Jaime Chapman, 3. Jessica Sergis, 4. Isabelle Kelly (c), 5. Tiana Penitani, 6. Corban Baxter, 7. Rachael Pearson, 8. Millie Elliott, 9. Olivia Higgins, 10. Caitlan Johnston, 11. Kezie Apps, 12. Yasmin Clydsdale, 15. Olivia Kernick, 13. Keeley Davis, 14. Taliah Fuimaono, 16. Grace Kemp, 17. Sarah Togatuki.

It’s been years since the Queensland and NSW team buses have travelled down Caxton Street before a State of Origin opener – but that doesn’t mean the women’s teams cannot.

The Maroons’ team bus will travel down the infamous stretch of pubs on the way to Suncorp Stadium for a last-minute sugar-hit of inspiration tonight.

Oh, how things have changed.

About a decade ago, the NSW women’s side stayed in a Penrith caravan park with the team manager given $1000 to spend on food for the week.

Even then, it was a step up from the scout halls and surf clubs in which the state team usually stayed ahead of interstate battles against Queensland.

When Apps made her debut for the Sky Blues in 2014, she spent countless hours driving to and from her home in Bega in the state’s south-east for training.

The match was played on a cold Saturday night at Leichhardt Oval before a handful of people.

“There was nobody there,” she recalls. “It wasn’t advertised, wasn’t well-known, there was limited media. The field didn’t open until right on kick-off because they didn’t want to pay people to open them earlier. That’s where our game was then. The stigma in women’s rugby league was still there.”

As Paul Kelly so beautifully told us, from little things big things grow. So it is with women’s rugby league.

Tonight, Apps and her Sky Blues teammates run onto Suncorp Stadium for the first of three State of Origin matches against Queensland. It’s the first time a three-match series is being contested and a crowd of more than 25,000 is expected.

Read the full piece her.