We're one week out from the opening game of the Women's Ampol State of Origin series in a history-making first that will see two games played in Sydney and Townsville in 2023.
With seven days to go, here are seven reasons to attend and things to watch out for ahead of Game One at CommBank Stadium.
1. Feel the energy of an Origin crowd
Whether you’re in the stands cheering your favourite player on or in the precinct meeting NRLW stars, there’s something for everyone at women’s Origin.
The game has seen healthy crowds gather since standalone matches began at North Sydney Oval began in 2018 before shifting to the Sunshine Coast.
Canberra set a new record last year for the biggest crowd women's Origin has seen with 11,321 fans streaming through the gates.
It's now turn for Sydney and Townsville to experience the same thrill with all children under the age of kids under 15 free to attend.
Match Highlights: Sky Blues v Maroons
2. The Sky Blues are back in town
NSW will host their first women’s Origin game in Sydney since 2019 and have never lost on home turf in a big omen ahead of Game One at CommBank Stadium.
The Sky Blues reclaimed the shield in Canberra last year but haven't played in NSW since their last win at North Sydney Oval which saw over 10,000 fans pack the venue out.
Both NSW and Queensland are yet to give up a game on home turf since 2018 and neither team will want to be the first this year, proving home ground advantage means everything in the women's game.
3. Nail-biting finish awaits
Women’s State of Origin matches have been decided by an average of only six points or less since 2018, paving the way for the same to happen again this year.
The biggest margin in the past five years has only been by 10 points - a 10-point win to the Sky Blues in 2019.
Every other time it's been margins of six on three occasions and two points following a controversial finish in 2021.
4. World Cup winners on show
A total of 18 players will take the field who were part of Australia’s successful World Cup-winning Jillaroos squad in November.
The Sky Blues will have 11 representatives while Queensland will field seven. Five others have withdrawn from injury while former NSW representative Sam Bremner has retired.
The champion Jillaroos side pummelled New Zealand 54-4 in the World Cup final at Old Trafford, highlighting the quality and strength of Australian women's rugby league on the global stage.
Match: Sky Blues v Maroons
Game 1 -
home Team
Sky Blues
away Team
Maroons
Venue: CommBank Stadium, Sydney
5. Southwell set for NSW Origin history
NSW will blood four debutants including teenage sensation Jesse Southwell, who will become the youngest-ever Origin debutant (man or woman) surpassing Brad Fittler and her older sister Hannah in state history.
Southwell, who turned 18 in February, will edge Fittler by five days after he made his Origin debut as a teenager in 1990.
The Knights premiership-winning halfback will also take the claim of becoming the youngest NSW debutant in the women's game, passing Hannah who was 19 and 110 days old in 2018.
Former Maroons winger Rhiannon Revell-Blair holds the overall record after she played women's Origin at the tender age of 17 and 90 days in 2018.
Southwell ready to step onto Origin stage
6. Coaches resume rivalry
Former Jillaroos teammates Kylie Hilder (NSW) and Tahnee Norris (Queensland) are locked in a 1-1 head-to-head battle after both took on head coaching roles in 2021.
The pair were ultra-competitive as players and that has flowed on to their coaching after making the transition each in recent years.
Norris, the most-capped Jillaroo in rugby league history, will be desperate to get her Maroons side back on track and avoid a second-straight series defeat while Hilder won't want last year's win to be a one-off experience.
7. Household names keep streak alive
Four players have played in every Origin game since 2018 with two from each state - Maroons pair Ali Brigginshaw and Tazmin Gray, and NSW co-captains Isabelle Kelly and Kezie Apps.
The turnover of players in the last five years of women's Origin footy is a testament to the youth coming through in the game while also adding in factors like form, injuries and retirements.
Brigginshaw and Apps, arguably two of the most recognised faces in women's rugby league, are both on the other side of 30 now and may be closing in on the final years of their representative careers after captaining the Jillaroos in last year's World Cup.
Gray and Kelly have made their marks in the Origin arena with 27-year-old Gray receiving the Nelly Doherty medal in 2021 while Kelly has been awarded the player of the match award twice including last year's win where she starred.
Ticket are still available for the women's State of Origin series opener at CommBank Stadium on June 1. Secure yours now at NRL.com/tickets.
