Hilder explains her Kernick forwards shift
Westpac NSW Sky Blues coach Kylie Hilder has remained coy if she’ll pull off the same match-winning move by starting Sydney Roosters back-rower Olivia Kernick off the bench in Game Two of the Women’s Ampol State of Origin series tonight.
Kernick has again been named at No.15 for the match at Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium although she started Game One at lock, with No.13 Keeley Davis moving to the bench.
“I remember the first time I met Liv and I thought she was a halfback stuffed into a back-rower’s body because of the skill and smarts she has,” Hilder said of Kernick ahead of today’s Captain’s Run.
“She played a couple of games for Tweed Heads Seagulls at No.13 up in the (QRL) BMD Premiership and I thought she didn’t look too bad there in the middle.
“Obviously moving Kezie (Apps) back to second row (from prop in 2023) I needed to have other options for Liv. She was outstanding in Game One.
“We made that late change but I knew many weeks before that was where she was going to be.”
Kernick topped the metres count for both NSW and Queensland making 171 off 14 runs, on top of a line-break assist, three tackle busts and 76 post-contact metres – again the most of any of her Blues teammates in the 22-14 win three weeks ago at Suncorp Stadium.
Another Olivia in the team – Newcastle Knights rake Olivia Higgins – has also caught Hilder’s eye earning her debut in Game One.
“Liv Higgins is very smart at No.9. She deserved her spot as she’s been building year-in, year-out in that position,” Hilder said.
“She’s been part of a premiership team for the past two years and I thought she had her best year last season.
“She controls the middle for us really well and she’s a great human who’s fitted in so well.”
Higgins had a line-break assist and a try assist in her 48 minutes during Game One.
Both Higgins and Kernick also starred in Monday night’s opposed session against the Knights Jersey Flegg Cup team. It has followed scrimmages against the Canterbury-Bankstown, Townsville Blackhawks, and Canberra Raiders Under 21s Men’s teams.
“I’ve had an opposed session against the guys in each of my games in the four years I’ve been coach,” Hilder said.
“It just takes the girls to that next level. I know after 10 minutes they were flustered and frustrated because it was so fast.
“But that’s what I want because Origin in that 10 minutes is like that. So to get that intensity and that speed challenged them and I wanted that.”
