To get you in the mood for tonight’s NRLW State of Origin opener, I suggest re-watching the final two minutes of the second game in last year’s series. In some dramatic scenes, NSW scored a penalty try in the dying moments to win the game. Will Queensland get their revenge tonight?

“Around 12 per cent of the 179 AFL players who experienced a diagnosed or potential sport-related concussion (SRC) in the past 12 months did not report their symptoms.” A report from the AFL Players’ Association (AFLPA), the peak body representing players in the AFL. According to the report, the primary reason cited by players who did not report a head injury was the fear of missing games.

$3 million
The amount the South Sydney Rabbitohs will pay veteran NRL coach Wayne Bennett to return to the club to coach for three years, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The struggling Rabbitohs sacked coach Jason Demetriou two weeks ago after a slow start to the season for the team, who currently sit last on the NRL ladder with one win from nine games in 2024.  

The longest suspension given to a coach in the NFL was a 12-month ban given to New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton in 2012, after he was found to have introduced “bounties” (payment) for players who injured their opponents during a game.

Australia has been announced as the host nation of the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup.

Australia was the only country to submit a bid to host the tournament, with the head of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) saying “the Asian football family joins me in reinforcing our confidence in Football Australia to elevate the ever-evolving stature and growth of women’s football in Asia”.

Football Australia CEO James Johnson said Australia was “profoundly honoured” to host the tournament, which the body reports will generate up to $260 million for the local economy.

It comes after the Matildas' success in 2023 at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, where they placed fourth.

Matches will take place across NSW, Queensland, and WA. The 12 teams will be split into three groups of four. At the 2022 Asian Cup, hosted by India, Australia was knocked out by South Korea in the quarter-finals, with China the eventual winner.

According to the latest FIFA rankings, Japan is the highest-ranked Asian team at world number seven. Australia is ranked 12th but was the highest-ranked Asian team at last year’s World Cup.

The next men's Asian Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia in 2027.

Tonight is the start of the 2024 NRL Women’s State of Origin series - one of the highlights of the NRLW calendar. It’s the first time a three-game series has been held, with Game One taking place tonight in Brisbane. Game Two will be in Newcastle, and Game Three will be held in Townsville. More than 20,000 tickets have already been sold for tonight’s game. 

State of Origin is the name given to the three-game NRL series between a team of players from either NSW or Queensland (there’s a pretty complex eligibility system that includes where you went to school, if a parent played in a State of Origin, and where you lived before you turned 13…).

Regardless of which club you play for in the NRL, every player has the opportunity to be selected for their side in this representative series. For example, someone may play for the Brisbane Broncos but was born and grew up in Sydney, so would represent NSW in the State of Origin series should they be selected. 

In its current form, Origin has existed in the men’s game since 1982.  

The first official women’s Origin series began in 2018. In that year, it was a one-off game won by NSW. 

In 2023, it expanded to be a two-game series, and this year will be the first series with the same number of games as the men.

QLD: Tamika Upton, who has been part of four premiership-winning NRLW teams and won last year’s Dally M Medal (the award given to the best player in the NRLW across a season), will be Queensland’s biggest attacking threat. In the regular NRLW season, Upton plays for the Newcastle Knights. Ali Brigginshaw, who plays for the Brisbane Broncos in the regular NRLW season, will captain the side in her eighth State of Origin match. Speaking before the match, Brigginshaw said State of Origin is the “pinnacle” of her sport. 

NSW: Tiana Penitani was the leading try-scorer in last year’s series, and is one of NSW’s best attacking players. In the regular season, she plays for the Cronulla Sharks, and has also represented her country in Rugby Union as well as League. NSW will be co-captained by Kezie Apps and Isabelle Kelly, who are both veterans of the NRLW.

The game will start at 7:45pm at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, and will be broadcast on Channel 9.

How to master the art of sport storytelling...

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