Women's sport is having a moment right now.
It's a sentiment which I hear expressed frequently, but which I think completely underplays where women's sport is in Australia right now.
In a week where two of the hottest tickets in town were to cheer on the Matildas before they head to the Paris Olympics and to watch Game II of the Women's State of Origin, if women's sport is having a moment, it's not a moment that is going away any time soon.
Last night, in front of a record-breaking crowd for Women's State of Origin of 25,782, we were treated to a physical match played in wet conditions which was ultimately decided by a Lauren Brown field goal in the last four minutes.
With that 11-10 victory, the Queensland Maroons now level the series and Game III at Queensland Country Bank Stadium becomes a decider.
It was a fate almost written in the stars; for so long the players have been calling for a three-game series. After the disappointment of deciding last year's series on points aggregate, it seems fitting that the first three-game series in Women's State of Origin history has gone to a decider.
Again, we were treated to an incredible fixture full of bone-rattling tackles from Caitlan Johnston, strong runs from Shannon Mato and tackle busts by Isabelle Kelly. It speaks to the professionalism and commitment of the athletes that the game was of that calibre, considering that the NRLW season hasn't even started yet.
Leading into this game, Tahnee Norris made several changes to her Queensland team. None more important than introducing Sienna Lofipo to the starting side at lock to bolster her team's defensive efforts and moving Ali Brigginshaw back to the halves. Some questioned whether Brigginshaw still had the pace to play in the halves; she proved the doubters wrong with a beautiful pass that led to Shenae Ciesiolka's first try for Queensland.
Her halves partner Tarryn Aitken was back to her best, scoring Queensland's second try when she decided to take the line on the last.
But the heroics of the night were left to Brown, who kicked a field goal to snatch the game for Queensland. Brown is no stranger to field goals, having kicked two for the Titans in the NRLW in season 2023. Brown's story is a remarkable one though; she opted to miss the series last year to focus on her firefighting training. But with her training complete, Brown declared herself available for the Maroons and made all the difference tonight.
In the first half NSW dominated possession, but points were hard to come by in slippery conditions. In fact, NSW looked the most dangerous when they were attacking from outside their 20 metre zone, with players finding space on the left and the right.
Leading into Game III, it would be surprising to see Norris make any further changes to her team.
Hilder may have to. Jaime Chapman looked to be hampered by a leg injury which limited her involvement and Jess Sergis bravely played on injured too after returning from an HIA. Because the NRLW hasn't started yet, Hilder is unable to use form to decide whether she will make any changes to her team. If she is forced to make changes, the pool of players she has to choose from are those who have been part of the Blues training camp.
There were certainly heroics on the field, but the real heroes of the night were the crowd in Newcastle who were the extra player for NSW. In wet conditions, the people of Newcastle turned up to welcome home local heroes like Caitlan Johnston, Yasmin Clydesdale, Mille Elliot, Olivia Kernick, Tamika Upton (who remains undefeated at McDonald Jones Stadium and retains her crown as the 'Princess of Newcastle').
With 25,782 in attendance, that means for the third fixture in a row, the attendance record has been broken.
Can we do it a fourth time? The Wikipedia page for Queensland Country Bank Stadium says that capacity is 25,000. Surely, we can squeeze another 5,000 in there and make this final match of the 2023 series a game to remember.
North Queensland, we hand the baton to you now. Let's make it four fixtures in a row.