From a sports shop to Origin: Meet Emmanita Paki, the off-contract Maroon

Maroons winger Emmanita Paki will not only be fighting for the Women's State of Origin Series on Thursday but is also fighting to keep her rugby league dream alive.

The only off-contract player to line up in the decider, Paki was a late call-up on the wing in Game Two after Queensland coach Tahnee Norris pulled the 21-year-old out of her day job in Rockhampton to make her Origin debut.

Retaining her spot on the left edge for Game Three in Townsville, Paki is hoping to catch the eye of an NRLW club with a spot to spare in their roster ahead of the 2024 season.

“I’m not signed to anyone at the moment, I’m kind of just trying to put that to the side and then hopefully get through the Origin period,” Paki told NRL.com.

“Since I got the call from Tahnee, I’ve tried not to think about the contract stuff too much and focus on this opportunity.

“I played for the Capras in the BMD premiership earlier this year and I played a new position there in the halves. So especially all the tackling I had to do in that position helped prepare me for the big step into Origin.”

Paki was on track to a stellar career before she suffered an ACL injury in the Newcastle Knights 2022 grand final win.

Moving home to Queensland to recover from her injury, Paki returned to rugby league for the Capras in the BMD Premiership earlier this year.

Working full time at a sports shop in Rockhampton, it was just an ordinary day at work until the versatile back picked up a call from Norris.

“I can’t really believe it, I was working full time at a sports shop and now I’m playing Origin,” she said.

“I was just there ordering some stock and Tahnee rang me to say there was a spot open and if I work hard enough, I will get the debut and I did and I'm pretty proud of it.

“I was very lucky to have experienced players like Vani (Pelite) and Tarryn (Aiken) inside me for my debut and they really helped me through the whole process.

“I played Under 19s Origin in 2021 and 2022, but this is my first representative opportunity since my injury.

“Getting my first win against NSW has made me really excited and being the first three game series, I can’t wait.”

When Paki runs out in front of a packed-out stadium in Townsville on Thursday, she will be thinking about where it all began in the Central Queensland town of Emerald and her family who have stuck by her through what's been a challenging 18-months.

“I grew up in a little small town in Central Queensland, not many people know where it is, but I love that town and it will always be home," she said.

“Most of my immediate family is there, but I have family spread all across Queensland.

“I’ve never had a break from sport since I was six years old, so it’s been a bit of a different time, but I’ve enjoyed spending time with family and being back home.”