WA Women outshine NT in Origin curtain-raiser

A four-try burst in the first half has helped WA Women's Under-23s to a 42-10 win over NT Women's Under-23s at Optus Stadium in the Origin II curtain-raiser.

The visitors got on the board early via a nice show-and-go from halfback Sophie Blake but from there it was all WA as they cashed in on some disorganised defence from the NT's left side.

Centre Huia Swannell went over untouched off a nice short ball before winger Elle Warren profited from Swannell marking a cross-field bomb.

A pair of crash-over tries in the space of four minutes from prop Lyric Ngapera made it 18-6 at the break.

WA invited the visitors back in by dropping the kick off and NT hooker Sarah O'Connor burrowed over from dummy-half soon after.

However Warren righted the ship with her double in the 40th minute before WA's sixth try – and their first not to come through NT's left edge – came after some nice ball movement out to back-rower Caitlin Burt-Poloai.

A nice run from WA halfback Dallys Tini set up back-rower Mariah Bell eight minutes from time then winger Kirstin Thomson showed great pace to add two late tries and blowout the score.