Kezie Apps, an experienced forward for NSW, has expressed concerns about the timing of the Women's State of Origin matches, stating it is "not ideal" for athletes to jump into significant competitions after a six-month break from football.
Currently, women begin their season with the three-match Origin series before transitioning into the NRLW season that kicks off in July.
To attract larger crowds and boost interest, the NRL has scheduled the Brisbane Women's Origin match as a curtain-raiser for Magic Round every year.
Additionally, hosting these matches on Thursday nights allows them to gain visibility in prime time before the men's Origin matches and finals take precedence in the schedule.
However, this setup means that top athletes are entering the Origin arena without recent competitive play; for instance, Apps last played a competitive match on November 9 of the previous year with the Jillaroos.
"Obviously it's not ideal," Apps told AAP.
"To play Origin any time is amazing but the structure of it isn't great.
"Ideally we want NRLW to have a good pre-season with your club, play a couple of rounds and then go into an Origin campaign."
"I feel like that's really fair on the talent pool as well and it's fair on us players that we don't have to sacrifice a lot to be a part of this six-week block and get yourself as physically prepared as possible coming into an Origin series."