They were diplomatic about their State of Origin omissions, but sisters Jesse and Hannah Southwell will no doubt have a point to prove this NRLW season.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Jesse has steered the Newcastle Knights to back-to-back NRLW premierships and was the incumbent NSW halfback. But the teenage playmaker was a shock exclusion when coach Kylie Hilder unveiled her squad for this year's historic three-match Origin series.
Hannah, the Knights' co-captain and lock, has represented NSW and Australia on multiple occasions but missed last year's two-game Origin series due to injury.
Both were part of a 36-player NSW squad which trained for several weeks in the lead-up to Origin I.
"I haven't received any feedback as to why I wasn't picked so I don't have too much to comment about it," Jesse said.
"But it's a great brand of footy that they are playing. It's one-game-all in the first three-game series, so it's been great to see and great to watch."
The 19-year-old earned a Sky Blues debut last year after being named rookie of the year in a stand-out 2022 NRLW campaign.
But she watched on as NSW took a 22-12 win in Brisbane in Origin I then succumbed 11-10 to Queensland in a thrilling game-two exchange at McDonald Jones Stadium in front of a record crowd last Thursday night.
It was an arena she hoped to be part of again in the future.
"Origin is a great spectacle and it has been for years, and now that we've got a three-game series it is something that you definitely want to be a part of," Jesse said.
"But it's not the be-all and end-all. I'm just focusing on the Knights this year and just looking forward to that."
Hannah ran out for the Sky Blues in 2018 when State of Origin replaced a long-running women's interstate challenge between NSW and Queensland. A crowd of 6824 fans turned out at North Sydney Oval for the one-off match.
To see 25,782 pour into McDonald Jones Stadium on a rain-soaked evening to watch Origin II last week was "bloody unreal".
"It was a good spectacle here in Newcastle and a great turnout in the rain, so it's good for the game and it's only going to grow from here and hopefully NRL give us a game in Newy every year," Hannah said.
The series is set to be decided in Townsville on June 27, but for now the Southwell sisters are focused on the Knights' NRLW season-opener against the Sydney Roosters at McDonald Jones Stadium on July 25 and securing a third straight premiership.
"We know everyone is going to come out and hunt us," Hannah, 25, said.
"That's just what footy and this game is about and we just want to hunt everyone back and we know we have to take it to the next level.
"We've got a really good S&C [strength and conditioning coach] in Erin Wilson from UBF and she knows what we need to do as well as BJ [coach Ben Jeffries].
"They've pushed us a little bit and made sure we're the top of the bar and everyone is going to be chasing us, so we've got to be even better than them."
Four Knights are playing Origin with fullback Tamika Upton in the Maroons side and Caitlan Johnston, Yasmin Clydsdale and Olivia Higgins in the Sky Blues.
