Blues star says Women's Origin timing 'not ideal' after six-month lay-off

Lead

The Women's State of Origin series gets underway on Thursday night in Newcastle, but both New South Wales and Queensland enter the opener without a single competitive match in 2026. With the Origin campaign serving as the unofficial start to the women's rugby league season, players are having to find ways to bridge the gap between a six-month lay-off and the intensity of interstate rivalry.

NSW veteran Kezie Apps has voiced what many players are thinking, telling AAP that the timing of the series "not ideal" given the lack of preparation matches. "Obviously it's not ideal," Apps said. "To play Origin any time is amazing but the structure of it isn't great. Ideally we want NRLW to have a good pre-season with your club, play a couple of rounds and then go into an Origin campaign."

The series is scheduled before the NRLW season begins in July, a format that has been in place for several years. Apps's last competitive game before the opener was with the Jillaroos on November 9 last year, according to multiple reports.

Coverage Comparison

Reports from ABC Australia consistently highlight the challenges faced by both teams ahead of the opener. All coverage focuses on the absence of warm-up matches and how teams are compensating. NSW coach John Strange's six-week training block has been a central theme, with the Blues playing two internal trial matches during that period, described by players as "ridiculous" and "absolutely bashing each other," as reported by ABC.

Tiana Penitani Gray, who has been selected at second row for the first time in her senior career, told ABC that the internal trials were designed to replicate the intensity of last year's series. "They wanted to replicate, if not add layers, to the intensity we played in Origin last year," she said.

Several stories also highlight individual returns and debutants. Prop Millie Elliott returns to the Origin arena seven months after giving birth to her daughter Gigi, her first match since the 2025 NRLW season. Coach Strange praised her selection, saying she walked straight back into a winning team.

Queensland will be without their two most capped Origin players, Ali Brigginshaw and Tarryn Aiken, both absent from the squad, as reported by ABC.

Key Claims

• NSW and Queensland have not played any competitive match in 2026 before the Origin opener, per multiple reports.
• The Blues completed a six-week training block including two high-intensity internal trials, as reported by ABC.
• Millie Elliott returns to the game after a season out due to childbirth, with her daughter Gigi, born in September, expected to be in the stands.
• Queensland will be without Ali Brigginshaw and Tarryn Aiken, their two most capped Origin players.
• Kezie Apps commented that the Origin timing is "not ideal" for players given the lack of preparation matches.
• The women's season starts with the three-match Origin series, with the NRLW season beginning in July.
• Tiana Penitani Gray will start at second row, a new position for her, having previously played centre, wing, and five-eighth for NSW.
• Rima Butler is set for her State of Origin debut, joining the bench for the series opener.
• In a separate development, Penitani Gray has been ruled out of the second game due to a knee injury, according to a single report from ABC.

Perspectives

Players and coaches acknowledge the scheduling shortcomings but express gratitude for the series itself. Millie Elliott told ABC Sport Daily, "It's a shame that we don't get to play any footy before Origin, but that's just the way it is at the moment. We're lucky that we've got three games, that we've got an actual Origin series, that's been the biggest thing that we can have."

Kezie Apps echoed the sentiment, suggesting that more preparation time would be fairer on the talent pool. "I feel like that's really fair on the talent pool as well and it's fair on us players that we don't have to sacrifice a lot to be a part of this six-week block," she said.

Coach John Strange focused on the positives, describing the squad as "very well-balanced" and expressing confidence in the team's preparation.

As the series progresses, the impact of the truncated preparation will be tested. The Blues won the series 2-1 last year, and recent reports indicate they are aiming to go back-to-back, with a potential whitewash in their sights. The second game, scheduled for Brisbane, may see further changes, with Rima Butler's debut and Penitani Gray's injury already prompting adjustments.