The NRL’s announcement that women’s State of Origin would become a two-game series next season was supposed to be a triumph, but NRLWomens heavyweights say it doesn’t shape up on a number of fronts. NRLW Origin 7NEWS
The one-game Origin playoff has shifted to a two-game series that will utilise a cricket-style rule to decide the winner.That decision means this year’s single clash in Canberra doubles as game one of next year’s series.NSW captain Kezie Apps questioned if that was the right way to decide such an important title.
“I would have preferred to jump straight to three - it can be 1-1 and then how do you decide?” Apps told AAP. “It’s just bizarre having two games and it doesn’t really make sense to me, but hopefully it only lasts for one year and maybe the year after we can push that to three Origins just like the men.”
NSW coach Kylie Hilder echoed that sentiment, adding a 1-1 tie would create a “deflating” feeling for both sides.“If you’re going to increase it, it should just go to three. “It’ll be interesting next year if it happens to be 1-1, it’s very deflating for the girls to walk away from an Origin series where there’s no winner, or the winner is going to be determined by the previous year’s winner.”Maroons coach Tahnee Norris also admitted being confused by the move to two games.“This is the best of the best, this game, I think it deserves three ... I was [confused] a little bit.“We want to go three, I think it deserves it ... people want to see the best of the best.