'Little Wombat' Brill earns new nickname
Affectionately dubbed "the little wombat", Queensland teenager Destiny Brill has earned another tag after her stunning Women's State of Origin debut on the Sunshine Coast - hooker of the future.
Brill was a standout for the Maroons, scoring a first-half try before a final minute penalty iced an 8-6 victory over NSW and back-to-back Origin titles on Friday night.
At just 18, Brill was eligible to play for Queensland in the Origin curtain raiser at Sunshine Coast Stadium - the under 19s interstate clash that was won 16-12 by NSW.
Instead, she took centre stage in the main event and didn't look out of place, living up to her good-natured nickname by burrowing through three defenders to score from dummy half in the 24th minute after being held up earlier in the first half.
It was the Maroons' only try with centre Lauren Brown's boot proving the difference, converting Brill's effort before stepping up to slot over the match-winning penalty with 20 seconds left on the clock.
Rookie Queensland coach Tahnee Norris - the most capped Jillaroo - looked like a proud mum when asked about Brill's Origin debut to remember.
"Ah, the little wombat!" a beaming Norris said. "Wow, what a player in the making. She was a standout and she is only 18 - she has a massive future in our game.
"To see her so confident on the big stage, I couldn't be more proud."
Brill impressed for Queensland Reds' Super W rugby outfit before linking with Maroons Origin captain Ali Brigginshaw at Valleys Diehards to make the 2021 grand final of the state's premier league competition, the BHP Premiership.
Her meteoric rise continued on Friday night when she capped her stellar effort with 29 tackles and four tackle busts while running for 64 metres.
"She is a hooker of the future," Brigginshaw said.
Maroons star Brigginshaw also paid tribute to another teenage debutante, back-rower Tiana Raftstrand-Smith (80 metres, 17 tackles) who helped shut down strike centre Jess Sergis.
"In the first half, everyone in the crowd would be looking at the program and saying, 'who is No.12?' " Brigginshaw said.
"Destiny and Tiana just have this confidence in themselves. I think a lot more girls will be coming over with that confidence from the 19s for us."
Queensland backed up last year's 24-18 win to square the Origin ledger at 2-2.
Queensland had dominated the women's interstate challenge when it began in 1999 - at one stage winning 16 straight - but NSW had claimed the first two clashes after it was rebranded Women's State of Origin in 2018.
