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World All Stars holding back the contest

10th February, 2017
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Indigenous All Stars perform their War Cry. (AAP Image/Darren Pateman)
Roar Guru
10th February, 2017
29
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Each year the All Stars concept comes under fire. There is one clear way to resurrect the contest – scrapping the World All Stars.

The idea of having a team filled with the best of the best to take on a team filled with Indigenous talent is a mouthwatering concept, however it just doesn’t work.

Each year an NRL or World All Stars team is named to take on the Indigenous All Stars, and each year we see half of the team pulling out because of injury concerns that are usually just thrown around to keep players wrapped in cotton wool.

This not only shows disrespect to their opposition, many of which call this event one of the proudest moments of their careers, but also to the fans.

I travelled three arduous hours by train to get to Newcastle from Sydney to see the best of the best, but I ended up seeing the best of the rest.

I don’t want to name names, but some of the players named in the World All Stars side struggled to make the NRL last season.

Because of this embarrassment of a team, I believe the Indigenous opposition should be rotated between national sides.

I really like the idea of the Indigenous team playing against Samoa, Tonga, Fiji or Papua New Guinea.

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Not only would we see two teams come together to celebrate the great cultures of our game, but we’d also see two competitive teams with cohesion and understanding of one another.

This would also allow said nations to get more practice with each other.

I have no doubt the games would sell out also.

I’m sure coaches and fans would be more willing to see their players play for their nation than for an ugly amalgamation of a team.

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