Another record beckons for Maroons' No.1 gun

Tamika Upton certainly has a knack for records. 

The superstar fullback has won four NRLW premierships and more NRLW games than any other player, has never lost at her home stadium of McDonald Jones Stadium, is the only player to win back-to-back Karyn Murphy medals, and the only player to win the grand final player of the match and Dally M Medal in the same season.

Now she's hunting the first-ever women's three-game State of Origin series.

"It's a team sport so I don't like to think too much about the records and things like that too much but it would be incredible to take out the first series," Upton told pan66.com.

"I knew I hadn't lost at McDonald Jones but I didn't think about it before the game, I didn't want to jinx it. I was just thinking about how it was do or die for us and we were lucky to get away with the field goal in the end. 

"We're excited to go back home and Townsville is always an incredible atmosphere.

"They broke the crowd record up there last year and now that it's a decider I think they'll step it up again and they're a great support and great footy area as well so we can't wait to get back in front of a home crowd and show them what we can do." 

The Maroons dug deep to keep the series alive in Newcastle with a field goal finish setting up a historic three-game series decider in Townsville on June 27.

With squads assembled and preparations officially kicking off for Game Three, Upton is confident the Maroons know what it'll take to ice the victory at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.

"We felt comfortable within our game plan in Game Two, we didn't execute it in Game One but we really had a focus on staying patient and getting through that. 

"There was a lot of moments in that second game that we did for no reward early but came off in the second half so that's how I think we can win it if we just stick to our game plan and hold our nerve.

"The fact that we could execute our game plan in the wet with a big crowd is a credit to the halves but more important to our middles who have been incredible for us.

"It's been a good contest between the two sides and has made for a great series but our biggest focus is just going to be on staying patient." 

Newcastle's wet and wild conditions were a fullback's worst nightmare in Game Two but Upton is confident her side will relish in the opportunity to play at home in the Sunshine State.

"A dry track will be nice, it's pretty hard out the back in the rain, you're trying to look up for that high ball and you've got no vision," she said.

"We've got the players that can pull off the flashy plays but after that game we also saw what our forwards could do and they were incredible for us defensively. 

"Obviously the way last year ended wasn't the best but I'm so glad the NRL saw our product and thought it was deserving of three games.

"New South Wales are a juggernaut team, they're big bodies and are fast and I think we will see the quality go up another gear in Game Three. The qualities been outstanding and I think it'll keep getting stronger and faster."