Fresh off a triumphant start to the year at the Brisbane Tens, Queensland women's XV coach Michael Hayes has named his squad for the inaugural Super W.
Hayes has nine Wallaroos in his 30-woman squad but it's the inclusion of boom rookie Alysia Fakaosilea that will excite Queensland fans.
Fakaosilea was the star of Queensland's remarkable golden point win against NSW in the Tens final, delivering a shot on Olivia Brooks that had to be seen to be believed before scoring the match winner in the next 60 seconds.
The 17-year-old is one of 13 players that took part in the Aon Uni 7s in Hayes' squad, which features a balanced mix of youth and experience.
"We’ve assembled a really strong squad ahead of the inaugural Super W competition with a range of experience and youthful energy," Hayes said.
"We’re lucky to have some seasoned Women’s XV campaigners who have already represented their country, who can act as role models for some of our younger players emerging from various pathways such as Sevens.
"We’re fortunate that Queensland has some quality club competitions with healthy rivalries, which has helped lift the standard of the game in the state.
"We’ve worked hard so far this year to challenge the girls and their traditional ways of playing the game, and we began to see the results of that in our performances over the weekend.
"The XVs game is obviously a different beast to the Tens, but we’ve laid some solid building blocks for the season ahead. It’s an exciting time to be involved in Women’s Rugby."
SQUAD
Queensland squad for Super W
HOOKERS
Cheyenne Campbell*
Ivy Kaleta
PROPS
Bree-anna Cheatham
Hana Ngaha*
Liz Patu*
Toa Filimoehala
Vuanumasei Rasolea
Wynona Baice
LOCKS
Ashlee Knight
Phoebe Thomas
Shannon Mato
BACKROWERS
Jasmine Kemp
Kirby Sefo*
Kiri Lingman*
Lucy Lockhart
HALVES
Ana Afuie
Asako Ono
Tallisha Harden
Zahara Temara
CENTRES
Eseta Aho-Fangaloka
Sarah Riordan*
OUTSIDE BACKS
Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea
Alana Elisaia
Ivania Wong
Lori Cramer
Marioulla Belessis
Nareta Marsters*
Samantha Treherne*
Sasha Hallet-Mahuika
*Denotes capped Wallaroos