‘They deserve it’: Huge pay rise eases strain on women’s Origin players

After years of paying their own way to represent Queensland and NSW, the NRL has handed female players a bumper pay rise for their hard work, writes PAMELA WHALEY.

Pamela Whaley

@pamelawhaley

3 min read

May 30, 2023 - 4:02PM

The NRL has announced a bump in pay for women’s State of Origin players. Picture: Mark Nolan/Getty Images

NRLW

Don't miss out on the headlines from NRLW. Followed categories will be added to My News.

Finally, the pay cheque will match the physical output for women’s State of Origin players.

There was a time when the state’s best would pay their own way to represent either NSW or Queensland.

But this year, women’s Origin players will stand to make $30,000 across a two-game series, or $15,000 per game after the NRL agreed to bump up the wages from last year’s $6,000.

That’s an increase of $9000 per game, and a potential rise of $24,000 in total after going from a stand alone match to a two-game series this year.

The Women’s State of Origin series moves from a standalone game to a two-match series this year. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

It marks a huge moment for the players who have, even recently, struggled to secure home loans and car loans while working part-time jobs and inconsistent football contracts.

Those days might not be over yet considering the semi-professional nature of the women’s game, but they’re fading.

NSW coach Kylie Hilder, who has represented the Blues but retired from playing back in 2020, has been through them.

“When we just got paid at all for the first time for playing Origin we were so excited, and that was literally $2,000,” she tells CODE Sports.

“We bumped into the boys who were at the NSWRL Centre of Excellence with us on Sunday, and just seeing that we can now rub shoulders with them, we’re being treated like the boys.

“There’s still a couple of areas that we still need to be better in, but we’re getting there and the girls are starting to feel that they are being treated exactly how they should be.”

New South Wales coach Kylie Hilder is chaired off by Jess Sergis and Isabelle Kelly after last year’s Origin win. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

The contract figures were released late last week, while players are in camp for game one of the series at Commbank Stadium on Thursday night.

The second game of the series is in Townsville on June 22.

The pay rise comes as the men’s players also received a top up from the NRL for this year’s series, with wages returning to the pre-Covid rate of $30,000 per game, up from the $15,000 payment of the past three years.

It’s not quite pay parity, but it’s a step forward.

“I don’t like using the word grateful, because we always say we should be grateful in the women’s game because we’re getting things, but we need to stop saying that,” Hilder says.

“The girls have worked really hard to get themselves into this team and it’s a just reward of getting paid for the amount of work they’ve done to be one of the best players in NSW.

“They absolutely deserve it.

“It’s about time we rewarded these girls. It’s a State of Origin game, it’s a tough match and we’re starting to get the crowds and it’s starting to get its own supporter base now.

The best players in the game will now be paid $15,000 per Origin match. Picture: Mark Nolan/Getty Images

“You’re one of the best players in NSW and now you should feel that you are being rewarded for that.

“It shouldn’t just be an honour and a privilege to put on the jersey as well, you should be rewarded financially for being that player. I think the girls are starting to realise it now and that’s a really special thing to be able to play for NSW.”