Matters of State: Blues and Maroons spine contenders

For the first time in a decade, a Queensland State of Origin team will be named for the April 30 series opener in Newcastle without Ali Brigginshaw.

With a new coach, new captain and new halves pairing, the Maroons are set to begin a new Origin era. 

Highly regarded Dragons coach Nathan Cross has taken charge and he will be aiming to reverse last year's series loss with a new playmaking combination following Brigginshaw's Origin retirement and the loss of Tarryn Aiken through injury. 

Brigginshaw has been a feature of every Maroons team since 2016, when the fixture was still known as the Interstate Challenge before becoming State of Origin in 2018, and has been captain since 2019.

Aiken had assumed the chief playmaking role for the Maroons in recent seasons, with Brigginshaw playing five-eighth or lock, but the 2024 IRL Golden Boot winner ruptured her ACL a week before last season's NRLW finals series.

As a result, Cross will be relying on a new halves combination, whereas Blues coach John Strange now has settled combinations to draw on after winning last year's series 2-1.  

The challenge for the NSW players will be repeating the effort to give themselves another shot at a cleansweep after blowing the opportunity to create Origin history in Newcastle last year, but Strange has options if he feels change is needed.

Fullback contenders

Blues

Parramatta's Abbi Church is the incumbent, and she has never put a foot wrong in the representative arena - for the Blues, Jillaroos or Prime Minister's XIII. But even without dual international Emma Verran, who will miss the 2026 season due to pregnancy, NSW coach John Strange has come exciting back-ups in Teagan Berry and Jaime Chapman.

Berry is the Dragons fullback and has been waiting for her chance since scoring a stunning length of the field try for NSW U18s in 2019 that went viral and repeating the feat for the Blues U19s in 2021. She scored both tries playing on the wing, and could also be considered by Strange as a winger.

Chapman has made eight appearances for the Blues since 2023, all on the wing, and she scored one of the great Origin tries in the opening game of the 2024 series. The Titans star is expected to be in the NSW side on the wing but Strange would have no concerns playing her at fullback if needed. 

Maroons

Hayley Maddick deputised for the injured Tamika Upton in the final game of last year's series and she has already surrendered the No.1 jersey to her Broncos team-mate after withdrawing from selection for this year's series. Upton, who is arguably the NRLW's best player, will play fullback for the Maroons if she is fit. If not, Cross is likely to turn to Destiny Mino-Sinapati - the Titans and Tonga fullback

Upton is also set to take over the captaincy, a role she shares at Brisbane and shared in last year's Origin series with Brigginshaw. The Blackwater product was a touch football star before transitioning to tackle and played for the Cowboys in the 2017 NRL touch competition. Since her 2019 NRLW debut for the Broncos, Upton has won five premierships and is the only female player to win the Dally M Medal twice.

Mino-Sinapati, 21, has proven herself to be a star of the future after overcoming a season-ending knee injury in 2024 and has already played Queensland U19s. Possessing speed, Mino-Sinapati scored a try in the 2023 U19s Origin and ma 2023 win over NSW.  

Halves contenders

Blues

John Strange switched Tiana Penitani Gray to five-eighth in last year's series and the move worked so well that the Sharks captain is expected to retain the role this year. Penitani Gray was partnered in the halves by emerging superstar Jesse Southwell, who possesses one of the best kicking games in the NRLW.

It's hard to see Strange going outside that combination but if he did there are potential replacements with big game experience in Roosters utility Corban Baxter and new Knights halfback Kirra Dibb. Both have played Origin previously and were members of last year's extended squad.

Coincidentally, Dibb has moved to Newcastle from North Queensland to replace Southwell, who has joined the Broncos and will play alongside many of the players she'll be lining up opposite in Origin.

Roosters playmaker Jocelyn Kelleher is another option after playing in last year's series as an interchange utility. Kelleher can cover both positions. The Blues squad also includes boom Dragons halfback Kasey Reh, who is ready to step up representing NSW U19s for the past two seasons. The 20-year-old can also play hooker so she may be a bench option.

Maroons

With Brigginshaw retiring from Origin and Aiken sidelined by injury, there will be a changing of the guard in the halves for Queensland. Lauren Brown puts out fires for a living and has proven to be an ice lady on the field, having kicked a match-winning field goal for the Maroons in Newcastle in 2024. Brown is expected to play either halfback or five-eighth, with the other playmaking role up for grabs. 

Among the contenders are Sharks pair Georgia Hannaway and Chantay Kiria-Ratu, and Broncos recruit Tavarna Papalii.

Hannaway made her Origin debut in last year's series but she finished the season at hooker for the Sharks and may earn a bench spot if she isn't in the starting position.

Kiria-Ratu steered Cook Islands to victory over Papua New Guinea and Tonga to win last year's Pacific Bowl, while she also stepped up to help the Titans to the 2023 grand final before missing the 2024 season due to a ruptured ACL.

Papalii played off the interchange in all three Origins last season but broke her jaw in the final match and didn't make an NRLW appearance for Sydney Roosters. The 20-year-old returned to play for Samoa at the Pacific Championships at the end of the season.        

Hooking contenders

NSW

Keeley Davis was the Blues starting hooker in last year's Origin series and played for Australia in the Pacific Cup but the Sydney Roosters star missed the final after dislocating her shoulder in Auckland against the Kiwi Ferns.  

Newcastle's Olivia Higgins took over the dummy half duties for the Jillaroos in the Pacific Cup final and she is in the NSW squad, along with Cronulla's Quincy Dodd. 

The trio all have Test and Origin experience, leaving Strange with probably his toughest selection call.

Maroons

Cross also has an embarrassment of riches at hooker, with Gold Coast and Samoa star Destiny Brill, North Queensland's Emma Manzelmann and Brisbane's Jada Ferguson vying for the role.

Brill, who can also play lock, was the Maroons starting hooker in last year's Origin series and she is expected to be in the squad - either in the No.9 jersey or on the interchange.

Ferguson was 18th player for Queensland in Origin III and will be aiming to play this year but the competition is tough, with Manzelmann being one of the Cowboys best players last season.

There is also the possibility of Hannaway being named on the interchange to cover hooker as well as the halves.