NRL All Stars coach Wayne Bennett has unveiled his 2012 All Stars team, voted by more than 30,000 fans.
Bennett has used his two picks for the side to include Dragons captain Ben Hornby, and newly appointed Panthers skipper Luke Lewis.
The Rugby League All Stars game takes place on February 4 at Skilled Park on the Gold Coast, with the Indigenous All Stars team still to be finalised.
NSW and Sharks captain Paul Gallen was again the most popular player, gaining over 8000 votes to be the public favourite for the second successive year, finishing 333 votes ahead of debutant Cooper Cronk.
The full NRL All Stars team is:
1. Josh Dugan (Canberra Raiders)
2. Jason Nightingale (St George Illawarra Dragons)
3. Jack Reed (Brisbane Broncos)
4. Michael Jennings (Penrith Panthers)
5. Manu Vatuvei (New Zealand Warriors)
6. Benji Marshall (c) (Wests Tigers)* (Automatic Selection)
7. Cooper Cronk (Melbourne Storm)
8. Kade Snowden (Newcastle Knights)
9. Cameron Smith (Melbourne Storm)* (Automatic Selection)
10. Luke Bailey (Gold Coast Titans)
11. Nathan Hindmarsh (Parramatta Eels)
12. David Taylor (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
13. Paul Gallen (Cronulla Sharks)
Interchange
14. Adam Blair (Wests Tigers)
15. Frank Pritchard (Canterbury Bulldogs)
16. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Sydney Roosters)
17. Tony Williams (Manly Sea Eagles)
18. Brent Tate (North Queensland Cowboys)
Coach’s Selections
19. Luke Lewis (Penrith Panthers)
20. Ben Hornby (St George Illawarra Dragons)
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January 19th 2012 @ 10:59pm
Gaz said | January 19th 2012 @ 10:59pm | Report comment
It’s a non event like the city country and should be scraped. Potential for partially fit players to get hurt before the start of the season. Not fair on club supporters. Just hope none of your stars get picked and I’m sure the various club coaches watch with bated breath and can’t wait for the bs to finish.
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January 20th 2012 @ 9:48am
Gareth said | January 20th 2012 @ 9:48am | Report comment
How did Frank Pritchard get a run? Are Bulldogs fans hoping he’ll get a season ending injury and make way for someone who is actually committed? Likewise Jennings and Blair. It’s a good team, but there’s that small handful of players who can admittedly break a game open on their day, but they’re far more likely to cost a game out of sheer laziness.
January 20th 2012 @ 11:05am
oikee said | January 20th 2012 @ 11:05am | Report comment
Glad your not my dad, your a bit hard on him Gareth, if you dont want him , send him to the Broncos. We’ll have him.
January 21st 2012 @ 10:27am
Patrick Angel said | January 21st 2012 @ 10:27am | Report comment
Wish people voted for James Graham, he was my Doggies pick. Also Luke Lewis, would be in my top 10 players in the game easily, one of the few players who I’d pick as first into any team, but off the bench.
January 23rd 2012 @ 8:00am
BT said | January 23rd 2012 @ 8:00am | Report comment
Hornby has played for his State his Country and Captained his club side to a GF. Plus he is an excellent role model and been a good servant to the game. He is the type of person the game should be promoting. I don’t know if there is there anyone more deserving??
People have to remember that this game is purely a showpiece that is used to promote the game, and it is a great promotion at that.
It all sounds good to take these games to the country, unfortunately it would be the same as the City vs Country games, or NRL Trials that were taken to the county, and it would end up costing whoever hosted it a lot of money. Unless, the NRL were prepared to fund it, then I don’t know whether too many regions would want to take it on.
February 4th 2012 @ 5:02pm
Otahuhu RugbyLeage ALLSTAR said | February 4th 2012 @ 5:02pm | Report comment
Im not hating on Indigenous All Stars but this should be a ALL STARS1 Vs ALL STARS2 GAME. Mixing it up with all team playersL. This would be taking a concept from STATE OF ORIGIN to INTERNATIONAL LEVEL.
Something like ALL STARS NRL Vs ALL STARS SUPER LEAGUE.
Anyway GO NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!! …you need a good prop im available lol