By Wayne Heming

Centre partners Evania Pelite and Shenae Ciesiolka are Queensland’s “golden girls” of State Of Origin sharing a unique piece of sporting fame.

They both won Olympic gold medals playing rugby union.

Pelite, 27, won her gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics while Ciesiolka, 25, won a gold medal at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics staged in Nanjing, China, a week after her 17^th birthday.

Both switched from rugby to rugby league in 2020, Pelite joining the NZ Warriors and Ciesiolka signing on with the Brisbane Broncos and playing on the wing in the club’s 20-10 win over the Sydney Roosters that year.

On Thursday night they will match up on classy NSW centre pair Jessica Sergis and Isabella Kelly in a clash that will be one of the highlights of the game.

Sergis has played four Origin games and scored four tries while Kelly has crossed for four tries in her seven Origin outings.

It’s a huge assignment for the Queensland pair but one Pelite said they would relish at Sydney’s Comm Bank Stadium on Thursday night.

Pelite, a late arrival to rugby league is a fast learner who has quickly developed a real passion for the game and for playing Origin.

“I loved playing last year,” Pelite told FOGS when asked about her 2022 Origin debut.

“I didn’t really understand how passionate Queenslanders were until I was a part of last year’s Origin campaign.

“Before last year, I was an origin spectator.

“But being part of the team as a player brings out a whole new level of competitiveness because you never want to lose to the Blues.

“I’d played for my country before but I felt that the rivalry between NSW and Queensland took it to another level.

“In rugby, Australia versus New Zealand is always going to be the biggest rivalry but in rugby league, I definitely feel the rivalry is a lot more passionate.

“I love that in rugby league I can be who I am and represent myself in the game and off the field.”

Queensland coach Tahnee Norris has a number of new players in her squad this year including four debutants, Keilee Joseph, Emma Manzelmann, Romy Teitzel, and Sophie Holyman but Pelite said they were all fringe players who had been in camps previously.

“Those players have been around for a while but just haven’t had their opportunity,” she said.

Pelite has embraced the Queensland culture and said she was learning to be “more ferocious and aggressive” in her approach to the game.

“It’s about acknowledging the hard work the girls before us did to get us this far and to continue their legacy into the future which is extremely important to all of us,”

“I love that I can wear this Origin jumper twice this year.”

“It’s exciting to see the women’s game moving forward in a positive way with the end goal to have a best-of-three game series next year, if not, sooner rather than later.