Newcastle is on track to host a sell-out crowd for Game II of the women's State of Origin series at McDonald Jones Stadium with over 25,500 tickets already snapped up.
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NSW can wrap up the women's first-ever three-match series with a win in Newcastle on June 6 after the Sky Blues downed Queensland 22-12 in the opening exchange at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium last Thursday night.
A record crowd for a stand-alone women's match of 25,492 turned out but that figure looks set to be eclipsed when the Maroons attempt to salvage the series in Newcastle in two weeks' time.
McDonald Jones Stadium venue manager Dean Mantle told the Newcastle Herald on Wednesday tickets were "selling incredibly well".
"We're well and truly on track to have a sell-out event," Mantle said.
"It has been really positively received. A couple more days perhaps and I would suggest it will be completely sold out and expect to see a crowd of size and generate an atmosphere similar to what we had for the Knights-Raiders final last year."
A thunderous home crowd of 29,548 willed the Knights to an elimination final victory over Canberra on September 10 last year.
The figure was the largest for a sporting event at the venue in its current format.
But Mantle said capacity was 30,000 and a new top mark could be achieved for the women's Origin showdown.
Newcastle was awarded an Origin after strong support for the Knights' NRLW side last year, including a then record for a stand-alone women's match of 12,689 when they hosted Brisbane in a semi-final on September 24.
"The NRLW has been massively supported, and for good reason," Mantle said
"The crowds we were seeing for the double-headers and the stand-alone events last year played a big factor to us being able to secure the game. That support has really delivered us the event, and now for Newcastle and the Hunter region to support it like this is massive.
"What we're hoping we'll see is we can make Newcastle a regular fixture on the State of Origin [series] each year for the women."
Four Knights NRLW players featured in Origin I with Caitlan Johnston, Yasmin Clydsdale and Olivia Higgins in the Sky Blues' starting side and Tamika Upton running out for Queensland. Clydsdale produced a player-of-the-match performance in Brisbane.
Kerrie Mather, chief executive McDonald Jones Stadium and Venues NSW, said the state was "proud to be at the forefront of the transformation of the Australian sporting landscape and the rise of elite women's team sport and entertainment".
The Matildas are also set to play in front of another sell-out crowd at Sydney's Accor Stadium on June 3 when they host China.
