'I gave her a little bit of a face rub in the ground': Don't mess with the hair

And, there were no exceptions as women's rugby league was showcased in Newcastle on Thursday night in front of a record crowd.

A deafening 'Boo!' reverberated around McDonald Jones Stadium from the 25,782 in attendance, mostly Sky Blues fans, at numerous points of the wet and cold evening.

But none were louder than when Queensland prop Shannon Mato grabbed a hold of home-town heroine and crowd favourite Yasmin Clydsdale's ponytail to stop the evasive NSW back-rower in her tracks early in Origin II.

The born-and-bred Novocastrian buckled backwards with Mato hanging on for dear life and had to take preventative action at half-time to stop a repeat offence, returning to the field with her long, dark ponytail instead wrapped into a bun.

"I knew someone pulled my hair but I didn't know what was going on, so I gave her a little bit of a face rub in the ground," Clydsdale said post-match.

"It doesn't happen as much as what you might think but when it does happen it is pretty dramatic."

Queensland came from 10-4 down to seal a thrilling 11-10 victory in the dying stages and ensure the first-ever three-match series for the women is decided in Townsville on June 27 after NSW took first blood in Brisbane on May 16, winning 22-12.

Maroons captain and halfback Ali Brigginshaw felt the exchange was a great advertisement for the increasingly popular women's game.

"I just love women's rugby league,"" Brigginshaw said post-match.

"I guess you just never know what you're going to see. You never know how it's going to pan out.

"But we always seem to get the result and everyone wants to come and see the footy that we're playing.

"For both teams, we always put our bodies on the line and you saw that tonight and you're going to see that again in Townsville."

Mato went on report for the hair pull.

"It's unfortunate; girls have got long hair," Queensland coach Tahnee Norris said post-match on Thursday night.

"That's what happens, so we'll just have to wait and see what happens with that one."

AAP Reports: Queensland prop Shannon Mato is set to pay a $400 fine to play in the women's State of Origin decider after being charged for pulling Yasmin Clydsdale's hair in game two.

Mato went on report for tugging Clydsdale's ponytail as she attempted to tackle the NSW second-rower in the first half of the Maroons' 11-10 win in Newcastle on Thursday night.

The match review committee consequently charged Mato with grade-one contrary conduct, which as a second offence, carries a one-match ban with an early guilty plea.

But the Australian Rugby League Commission amended its women's judiciary code in 2022 to allow players to accept a monetary penalty instead of receiving a one-match ban for grade-one offences.

Per those changes, Mato can accept a $400 fine and be available for the decider of the inaugural three-match women's series, to be played in Townsville on June 27.

Mato risks missing two games, which would include the first round of the NRLW season, if she chooses to plead her case at the judiciary.