2018 Women's State of Origin
# 2018 Women's State of Origin

The 2018 Women's State of Origin was the first State of Origin rugby league match between the New South Wales and Queensland women's teams played at North Sydney Oval on 22 June 2018.

The game was the first played under the State of Origin banner. Prior to 2018, the teams played each other annually in the Women's Interstate Challenge before being rebranded as State of Origin. New South Wales defeated Queensland 16–10 to record their third straight win over the Maroons. New South Wales centre Isabelle Kelly was awarded the Nellie Doherty Medal for Player of the Match.

## Background

On 6 December 2017, the National Rugby League announced that the Women's Interstate Challenge, which ran from 1999 to 2017, would be rebranded as the Women's State of Origin. The game which, was previously played as a curtain-raiser, would now be a standalone fixture broadcast on the Nine Network and Fox Sports.

## Teams

| New South Wales | Position | Queensland |
| - | - | - |
| Sam Bremner | Fullback | Chelsea Baker |
| Taleena Simon | Wing | Karina Brown (c) |
| Corban McGregor | Centre | Amelia Kuk |
| Isabelle Kelly | Centre | Meg Ward |
| Nakia Davis-Welsh | Wing | Rhiannon Revell-Blair |
| Lavina O'Mealey | Five-Eighth | Zahara Temara |
| Maddie Studdon (c) | Halfback | Ali Brigginshaw |
| Simaima Taufa | Prop | Rona Peters |
| Rebecca Riley | Hooker | Brittany Breayley |
| Elianna Walton | Prop | Heather Ballinger |
| Talesha Quinn | 2nd Row | Tazmin Gray |
| Kezie Apps | 2nd Row | Maitua Feterika |
| Vanessa Foliaki | Lock | Annette Brander |
| Nita Maynard | Interchange | Mariah Storch |
| Rebecca Young | Interchange | Steph Hancock |
| Holli Wheeler | Interchange | Kody House |
| Hannah Southwell | Interchange | Tallisha Harden |
| Ben Cross | Coach | Jason Hetherington |

## Match summary

* Friday, 22 June 7:40 pm (AEDT)

| New South Wales | 16 – 10 | Queensland |
| - | - | - |
| Tries: Isabelle Kelly (7', 54') 2 Nakia Davis-Welsh (36') 1 Goals: Maddie Studdon 2/3 (9', 55') | Report 1st: 6 – 6 2nd: 10 – 4 | Tries: 2 (12', 45') Karina Brown Goals: 1/2 Chelsea Baker (13') |

* North Sydney Oval Attendance: 6,824
* Nellie Doherty Medal: Isabelle Kelly Referee: Jon Stone, Peter Gough
