NSW are determined to wrap up an historic women's State of Origin series victory in Newcastle and Yasmin Clydsdale believes her home town can deliver on another front by also taking the crowd record title off Queensland.
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An unmatched women's Origin attendance of 25,492 turned out in Brisbane last week as the Sky Blues beat Queensland 22-12 for a series-opening win.
But that figure, which was almost double the previous mark of 12,972 set last year, is expected to be eclipsed for Origin II at McDonald Jones Stadium on June 6 with over 26,000 tickets already sold.
"I'm hoping we can sell out and get bigger numbers than them," Clydsdale, who produced a player-of the-match performance in Origin I, told the Newcastle Herald on Thursday.
"I'm so looking forward to Newcastle. I just really wanted to get through that first game to get excited about this game. To play in front of my family and friends and my community is going to be amazing."
The 30-year-old second-rower, who grew up in Cardiff South and now lives in Scone, was one of three home-grown Knights players in the NSW side for Origin I along with prop Caitlan Johnston and hooker Olivia Higgins. All three should also be named for Origin II.
"It's huge, we all grew up here," Clydsdale said.
"It's pretty cool to be able to represent your home town and then take that representation and represent the state."
Clydsdale, who juggles her NRLW commitments with work as a high school PE teacher, is playing in her fifth Origin campaign.
The first three were one-off matches. The series grew to two games last year with Queensland taking victory on points aggregate before expanding to three matches for 2024.
"This year we're creating a legacy," Clydsdale said.
"We're not going to go back to two. It's always going to be three and that's something that when we all retire that we're going to remember. That we were a part of that three-game series that started it all.
"The one game never felt right because it felt like it was over and done with, and Origin is bigger than that.
"Then last year when they gave us the two games, we all felt off about it. The three games is what the game deserves and is where we're at in the game as well."
Origin II was awarded to Newcastle and McDonald Jones Stadium after the Knights continually pulled strong home crowds last year.
"I'm super stoked that the NRL has brought it here because Newcastle love league," Clydsdale said.
"It's almost like a reward because they show up and they want to watch it. It's a reward that we get to play this in front of our fans as well. But it is surreal."
Knights fullback Tamika Upton will be in the Maroons' team trying to square the ledger in Newcastle and ensure the series is decided in Townsville on June 27.
Capacity is 30,000 at McDonald Jones Stadium for the event.
