Makenzie Weale: 'This is definitely a pinch-me moment'

It'd be hard, as a Queensland rugby league player, to top debuting for the Harvey Norman Queensland Maroons in Women's State of Origin at Suncorp Stadium.

For Makenzie Weale, that is the reality and one she is very excited about.

Maroons coach Tahnee Norris has called the 21-year-old, who started playing rugby league at Wests Mitchelton Panthers, into the 17 after Keilee Joseph was ruled out through injury.

"I'm pretty excited.. was called into the squad last year as 19... obviously it was good to be there, but you always want to be playing," Weale said.

"Unfortunately Kiels went down and that's bad circumstances for one of my mates, but I'm very excited and especially excited to debut at Suncorp Stadium.

"I love wearing maroon. I had a little pinch-me moment when we were doing the media. This is definitely a pinch me moment."

Weale, who plays in Meg Ward's Norths Devils in the BMD Premiership and for North Queensland Cowboys in NRLW, said her parents were just as thrilled - if not more - about their daughter donning maroon for the first time.

"I was at home when I got told... mum squealed with happiness and dad cried an exceptional amount of tears," Weale said.

"Tahnee called me out of the blue and said 'I've got some good news' and I was like 'oh okay, what's going on?' and she said to me that I was getting pulled into the 17. My parents were both very excited."

It has been a meteoric rise for Weale, who only started played rugby league at 16.

"I started when I was 16... I started playing sevens and rugby league and then there wasn't really a rugby league team so I stuck with sevens but have always preferred rugby league," Weale said.

"I went to Wests Mitchelton Panthers and it's gone from there.

"I love it. I was hanging around that club since I was a young girl. My brother played for them so that's where the connection started.

"As a kid, I remember in primary school at Our Lady of Dolours in Mitchelton, one of my school teachers, every Origin, would come in dressed in all maroon... it has always been a staple growing up, so to be playing now is pretty special.

"I love Queensland."

When it comes to who she has looked up to, Weale was quick to answer.

"I do love watching the males play but Shannon Mato, how she plays... she's so tough and hard and that's my style of footy... I'm not really a playmaker or anything... it's good to watch her and see what she does," Weale said.

Weale said her job come Thursday was pretty simple.

"The coaches said to me I'm here to do what I do on a footy field... not to overthink it and try to do too much just because it's an Origin game... just play my footy," Weale said.