Southwell sets sights on Blues three-peat

Hannah Southwell wasn't able to stop one three-peat, but she's on course to make another happen.

The newly-minted RLPA Women's Player of the Year for 2020 is still absorbing the 20-10 loss to the Broncos, which made it a three-peat of NRLW premierships for Ali Brigginshaw's team.

Once Southwell tends to a few knocks and bruises she will join the NSW Women's State of Origin team trying to make it three Origin shields in a row.

The task has a little more endeavour attached to it this year since the venue is Queensland's Sunshine Coast Stadium on November 13, after the 2018 and 2019 wins over the Maroons at North Sydney Oval.

"It will be tough this year as I think Queensland have got a fairly new-look side but so do we," Southwell said, with NSW losing a few to retirement and injury.

"We hope to give it to them again this year – only a couple of weeks away now."

Among the bright spots will be getting to play next to Broncos prop Millie Boyle, who hammered out 146 metres from 15 hit-ups, including 83 post-contact metres, and topped the tackle count with 28.

"It will be so good to have Millie back alongside me. She played so well [in the grand final] and is part of the reason the Broncos got on top of us," Southwell said.

The ferocity in most of Southwell's 20 tackles in Sunday's grand final was typical of her NRLW season and why peers voted her the RLPA's best player award. She also played the full 60 minutes like Boyle.

"So it came from Dad in the backyard when I started rugby league. He just wanted to make sure I made every single tackle and did it right," she said.

"I really enjoyed those times with him as well. It's a great feeling – sort of like hitting the sweet spot – when you know you've got someone."

Southwell said refinement and more education on her technique came this year through Roosters NRL coach Trent Robinson plus a couple of senior players including co-captains Jake Friend and Boyd Cordner.

"I did have a couple of sessions with the Roosters boys this year and I just learned so much about controlling the ruck, timing, technique," she said.

"It was just fantastic to train with them, the full team. Simaima and I did it and it has helped our games immensely."

Robinson contacted women's coach Jamie Feeney to see if there could be a bit of cross-training at the Chooks grounds in Driver Avenue, Moore Park.

So after November 15 Southwell can finally have a break. But she's already set her sights on 2021 based on the Roosters making this year's grand final after not winning a game in 2019.

"We are building towards something big. There was a lot of belief this year and that only accelerated when we beat the Dragons first up," she said.

"We just made sure we had each other's backs all year round. We just wanted to work hard for each other.

"I want to win a premiership with these Roosters girls and I'm not going anywhere until I do."