Queensland have made one change to the side that beat NSW in the opening game of the women’s State of Origin series with powerhouse winger China Polata to make her Maroons debut.
The Maroons won the opening clash of the two-game series 18-10 in Sydney and will play the final match in Townsville on June 22.
Queensland hold an eight-point advantage over NSW.
If the series is drawn 1-1, the winner will be decided on points aggregate.
Blockbusting winger Julia Robinson was rubbed out of game two after she was charged for dangerous contact while in possession after she accidentally caught star NSW centre Isabelle Kelly in the throat in the series opener.
Kelly went to hospital but has made a full recovery.
Robinson was one of the stars in Sydney where she scored two tries.
Norris said it was "bittersweet" to not have the Brisbane winger in the lineup.
"It just goes to show the discrepancies and the differences in the men's and the women's game," she said.
"If she was a male player she would have been able to pay a fine or play out a one-game suspension (in the NRLW if it had started).
“Unfortunately that hasn’t happened for us so China Polata comes into her spot.”
Polata, 21, was 18th woman in the clash in Sydney and has impressed the coach with her form in the BMD Premiership for Souths-Logan where she scored four tries and made seven line breaks in the 2023 season in eight games.
“I am really excited for China and what she can bring to the team,” Norris said.
“She is a powerful player and played the majority of her BMD competition at wing or fullback.
"She knows exactly what she needs to do and is a similar type of build to Julia Robinson.”
The Maroons can narrowly lose and still win the series but that is not the mindset the team is taking to Townsville.
“I know everyone is talking about the points aggregate but I still go back to the fact that if we win the game points are irrelevant,” Norris said.
“That’s what the girls have been told the whole way through, that we want to go two from two.”
QUEENSLAND WOMEN'S ORIGIN TEAM
1. Tamika Upton, 2. China Polata, 3. Shenae Ciesiolka, 4. Evania Pelite, 5. Emily Bass, 6. Tarryn Aiken, 7. Zahara Temara, 8. Shannon Mato, 9. Destiny Brill, 10. Keilee Joseph, 11. Tazmin Gray, 12. Romy Teitzel, 13. Ali Brigginshaw (c), 14. Emma Manzelmann , 15. Jessika Elliston, 16. Sophie Holyman, 17. Shaniah Power, 18. Tallisha Harden, 19. Sienna Lofipo. Coach: Tahnee Norris.
