‘Different scenario to what the men play’: Tahnee Norris wants women’s State of Origin schedule changed next year

Queensland coach Tahnee Norris hopes next year’s women’s State of Origin series can be properly aligned with the NRLW season to ensure players are properly conditioned for the most intense few weeks of the season. The Maroons held an intra-squad match simulation in the wet earlier this month, with the respective women’s competitions in Queensland and NSW not starting until the Origin campaign is finished so they can marry up with the NRLW season. The three-game series will be played on May 1, 15 and 29 which creates its own headaches given the short turnarounds, with the NRLW season not kicking off until July 3. Norris would like to see next year’s series pushed back a little bit to allow players to have a proper NRLW pre-season and at least one game under their belt to ensure they’re primed for the toughest series on the calendar. “We’ve had to do a pre-season with these girls which is obviously a different scenario to what the men play,” she said, with game one to be played next Thursday to start Magic Round. “Ideally they’d be in an NRLW system already and had played a couple of games before we break for Origin. That’s how I’d see the ideal preparation. “We have really quick turnarounds this year which will make for an interesting series in itself. “We’ve had to make sure that the girls that haven’t made the team in game one are ready to go because of the quick turnaround. “We know it’s a contact sport and things can happen, so we’ve been smart about monitoring those girls that aren’t in this 20-player squad at the moment and making sure they’re doing the right stuff in between because of the five day turnaround before we go into camp again.” The Blues got the jump in game one last year before the Maroons fought back to clinch the series, with victory at Suncorp Stadium high on the agenda next week. Their southern rivals have made major changes in the halves, and that’s where Queensland will have a significant advantage in the spine with Tamika Upton, Tarryn Aiken, Ali Brigginshaw and Lauren Brown playing so much footy together. “I think we’ve got a really strong spine, and we’ve been fortunate and blessed in Queensland to have that,” Norris said. “It makes it easier to bring those combinations together without playing games, and I think that’s the hardest part to bring those combinations together. “To have Ali, Tarryn and ‘Meeks’ out the back is definitely a strong spine, and then you throw in Loz Brown at No.9 when she can play in lots of different roles for us. “We missed out on winning this one last year so this will be one that we want to be primed and ready to go for. “It’s at Suncorp Stadium and it’s a massive event for us so the girls will be ready for this one because we don’t want to let (the fans) down.” The Maroons have another ace up their sleeve, with Origin legend Greg Inglis part of the coaching staff as one of Norris’ assistants. He’s been great for the team’s outside backs, especially the emerging stars who are new to the system. “I’m so excited to have GI involved,” Norris said. “He’s been around the women’s game for a really long time. He’s had a vested interest in the women’s game, so to have him onboard full-time and mentoring our outside backs like Rory (Owen) who’s new to it (is going to be huge). “He’s had a really big influence on the training sessions that we’ve had with Rory down in Sydney.”