The Maroons dynasty that drives Southwell to channel Joey

Jesse Southwell was only four months old when Andrew Johns produced a comeback for the ages to help save the Blues from series defeat to Queensland in 2005.

She then grew up watching a Maroons dynasty that included 11 series wins from 12 attempts in an era that would provide all the fuel for her to immediately dislike all things Queensland.  

“It was embarrassing going to school the next morning,” Southwell says.

“That’s the biggest thing I can remember, that eight-year streak, where we just kept losing.

“You never need motivation to play against anyone, you always want to beat them and beat them well but Origin is a whole other ball game.”

It wasn’t until 2018 when Southwell, the teenage sensation set to kick off her Origin career with her first appearance for NSW on Thursday night, saw another side to interstate rivalry when the women's game kicked off. 

Her older sister Hannah, at 19, made her NSW debut at North Sydney Oval, becoming the youngest Sky Blues player to do so in women’s Origin history.

On Thursday night, Jesse will overtake Hannah and set a new record at 18 years and 109 days old.

She’ll also eclipse NSW coach Brad Fittler’s record in men’s Origin history, set in 1990, by five days for a special slice of history.

“It’s all been a pretty cool experience already,” Southwell tells NRL.com.

“I call Hannah all the time when I’m in a camp without her because she feels like home away from home.

“It’s bittersweet to be here and see all the posters on the wall with her in them but nice that she will watch me on Thursday and we can share that moment together.

“My favourite memory of all in Origin is when I ran out onto the field after Hannah’s debut at North Sydney Oval and she already had a big group of fans around her.

“I’d just broken my collarbone a couple of days before and I remembered thinking how cool that was that she had played an Origin game and had just beaten Queensland.

“That’s something I’ll never forget and from then I’ve always wanted to do the same.”

Southwell and Johns’ partnership has developed since Jesse was signed to the Knights as a 15-year-old in 2020.

He’s taken her through training sessions the same way he’s mentored Blues halfback Nathan Cleary while he was an avid watcher of Southwell and the Knights in NRLW last year as they went on and clinched their first title. 

“I watch all his clips on Youtube and even when we train together I get lost with some of the things he does even now because he’s like a magician,” Southwell said.

“The stuff he does is freakish, it’s cool to watch and I’m really thankful for the time he’s spent with me to help me with my game.”

As for any nerves for playing in her first Origin match, Southwell isn’t feeling it.

She’s more focused on striking up a combination with Rachael Pearson – the pair are more than 10 years apart in age – and have only ever played against each other.

“I have never played with any of these girls except for Yasmin [Clydsdale] and Millie [Boyle],” Southwell said.

“We’ll get there. We’re pretty similar players. We’re roomies at the moment. Rach is a top girl and someone you want to play with and play for.

“We’ll figure it out as we go and that will come with training.”

Taking down close Newcastle teammate Tamika Upton is also on her mind. The Sky Blues handled Upton well last year but Southwell knows she’s pivotal to Queensland's attack.

“I think this will be the first time I'm playing against someone I'm this close with, it'll be very interesting,” she said.

“But a team's a team. You want to beat a team no matter who they're playing for or who you're playing with.

“I have no idea what's going to happen if 'Meeks' is out there and we clash... anything could be said!.”