Millie Boyle and Emma Tonegato, winners of the Dally M Medal together, will lead the NSW home team that will face Queensland next month with most of the Sky Blues team of 22 players from the first Sydney Roosters of NRLW and the great finalists St George Illawarra. .
Seven Roosters and eight Dragons have been chosen by head coach Kylie Hilder to represent NSW, with Illawarra’s second rower, Kezie Apps, leading the team for the fourth year in a row.
Emma Tonegato (right) and Corban Baxter of the Roosters will join forces for the Sky Blues in the Origin clash next month. (Getty Images: Cameron Spencer)
Hilder said there was little doubt that the top two NRLW players would be selected for the team.
“They won these awards for reasons,” he said Friday.
“Emma had a great year back in the rugby league and is an x factor player as a winger.
“Millie has just done what Millie does every year, to be honest. She’s been very good since she switched from rugby union.
“I’m very excited for both players to be part of this advancement.”
The team will meet for their first training session on Tuesday as they aim to regain the Queensland shield after their 8-6 defeat in last year’s decisive decision, which was held at the Sunshine Coast.
One of the unexpected inclusions is Sam Bremner, who missed the NRLW season to give birth to her second child, but has since impressed Cronulla in the NSW Women’s Premiership.
Sam Bremner has earned an unexpected call-up to the team after returning to the footy after maternity leave. (ABC Illawarra: Justin Huntsdale)
“We put her in the City-Country game a couple of weeks ago and she was great,” Hilder said of Bremner.
“It’s not just what he brings to the field, it’s what he brings out.
“She’s very close to the team and, as you can imagine at Origin, you have limited time to get a group of players together to go play.”
Hilder will reduce the team to 18 players after the pre-crunch match at Canberra’s GIO Stadium on June 24.
NSW team (in alphabetical order):
Kezie Apps (c) (St George Illawarra Dragons) Corban Baxter (Sydney Roosters) Shaylee Bent (St George Illawarra Dragons) Teagan Berry (St George Illawarra Dragons) Millie Boyle (Brisbane Broncos) Sam Bremner (Cronulla-Sutherland Davis Sharks) Ke St George Illawarra Dragons) Kirra Dibb (Newcastle Knights) Quincy Dodd (St George Illawarra Dragons) Filomina Hanisi (Parramatta Eels) Talei Holmes (St George Illawarra Dragons) Caitlan Johnston (Newcastle Knights) Isabelle Kelly (Sydney Roosters) Olivia Kernickoster (Syd) Yasmin Meakes (Sydney Roosters) Rachael Pearson (St George Illawarra Dragons) Tiana Penitani (Parramatta Eels) Jessica Sergis (Sydney Roosters) Hannah Southwell (Sydney Roosters) Simama Taufa (Parramatta Eels) Sarah Togatuki Tonegatos (Sydney) Dracs Illawarra)
Posted 2 hours ago 2 hours ago Friday, May 27, 2022 at 1:15 AM, updated 2 hours ago Friday, May 27, 2022 at 1:31 AM