Final word from Brigginshaw: 'Don’t get complacent'

Harvey Norman Queensland Maroons captain Ali Brigginshaw does not want to settle for anything less than a win in tonight’s State of Origin series decider.

Brigginshaw and the Queensland team go into Game II at Queensland Country Bank Stadium with the upper hand over New South Wales, having won the opener of the two-match series by eight points.

If Queensland get the win tonight in Townsville – or lose by less than eight points - the 2023 shield will be theirs.

If they lose by more than nine points, NSW will be crowned series winners.

And if they lose by exactly eight points, more factors will be taken into account from a points aggregate system to find this year’s State of Origin champions.

But for Brigginshaw, none of that matters.

She is adamant Queensland will not depend on the points aggregate system. She wants 2-0.

“That’s always been our focus, is getting two wins,” Brigginshaw said.

“We’ve never thought about a points aggregate and what that looks like. We want to win both games.

“We still left a lot out there in Game I. We had a great week training-wise but we didn’t do everything we wanted to do.

“Whenever you play against NSW, you want to win and want to win well.

“I believe we can still play a lot better than we did.”

With one win already under their belt and Game II on home soil in Townsville – with a record crowd expected – Brigginshaw’s biggest message to her teammates tonight will be around not getting too comfortable.

While the odds are in Queensland’s favour at the moment, she knows NSW will come up ready to fight.

“Just don’t get complacent,” Brigginshaw said.

“We have a very big job to do. NSW are going to be better than Game I so we need to go to another level again.

“Game I may as well be forgotten about.

“This is a first for the women’s game and we want to be the first series winner.”

Queensland will have one change from their Game I line-up, with debutant China Polata starting on the wing in place of a suspended Julia Robinson.

NSW however will welcome back winger Tiana Penitani from injury while Taliah Fuimaono will join Jesse Southwell in the halves in place of Rachael Pearson.

They will also welcome Simaima Taufa into the starting side after she missed Game I through injury, with Queensland well aware of the danger factor the star lock brings.

Brigginshaw, who will wear No.13 for the Maroons tonight, knows the challenge that lies ahead with Taufa.

“I’ve played against her in lock before so I’ll know she’ll be coming for me, to tire me out, and I take it as challenge,” she said.

“I never go into the game with fear. I’m going to up against the best lock in the game.”

But the biggest thing Brigginshaw wants out of tonight’s game is to see the Queensland spirit.

She said she felt it stronger than even before in Game I and knows that it will be key again tonight when they return to the Origin arena.

“The way the team dug deep and didn’t give up in Game I, it was the biggest thing I took out of it,” Brigginshaw said.

“We really showed that Queensland spirit... You could see everyone really wanted it.”