RUGBY LEAGUE: Killarney footballer Stephanie Hancock made history when she came on after 13 minutes at North Sydney Oval on Friday night to play her first State of Origin in the women's game.

Stephanie joined her father Rohan as the only father-and-daughter to play in inaugural men's and women's origin games.

In true origin style, the game was close throughout with each team kicking conversions from near touch.

New South Wales scored a converted try early in the first half before Queensland levelled.

Former Scots PGC student Heather Ballinger started in jersey 10 at prop for Queensland before having some time on the bench each side of halftime.

Stephanie Hancock made an impact after coming on especially with her strong defence.

In one set of six tackles, she defended three times.

Then when Queensland had the ball, Stephanie ran the ball for two of the tackles in one set of six to show a great workrate.

New South Wales led 10-6 before Queensland levelled with captain Karina Brown's second try.

The conversion from wide out hit an upright and didn't go over which meant it was 10-all with 10 minutes to go in the second half.

Ballinger ran hard and straight like a good front rower when she returned to the field and had a high workrate in defence.

New South Wales was strong in the outside backs with player of the match Isabelle Kelly scoring with six minutes to go. Soon after five defenders from the Blues side pushed a Maroons player into touch after a kick to show there was plenty of spirit in both sides.

Hancock went off with 13 minutes to go but every good coach makes sure the best players are on the field late in a game and she was back on with three minutes to go.

She made two tackles in succession but Queensland couldn't score one last converted try and New South Wales won the match 16-10.

There were plenty of big hits in the game in front of a crowd of 6824 which proved women's matches don't have to be a curtain-raiser to the men to attract a crowd.