Indigenous All-Stars vs Maori Kiwis 2020: Brandon Smith leads kiwis to 30-16 win

Storm hooker may be stuck behind Cameron Smith at Melbourne, but he was the standout performer for the Maori Kiwis, helping them to a big win over the Indigenous All Stars + five things we learned.

Brandon Smith was man of the match, with two tries for the Maori Kiwis in their strong win Picture: AAP.

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Josh Addo-Carr delivered a stirring tribute to indigenous AFL icon Nicky Winmar but it was Maori All Stars dynamo Brandon Smith that led his team to victory in a spirited clash at the Gold Coast.

A packed Cbus Super Stadium witnessed one of the great All Stars encounters last night to celebrate the 10-year history of the event as the New Zealand Maori team triumphed 30-16 against the Indigenous All Stars.

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Brandon Smith was man of the match, with two tries for the Maori Kiwis in their strong win Picture: AAP.

The future of the All Stars is hotly debated every year but last night’s exhibition showcased the power and passion it possesses.

This is a game that crosses not only countries and cultures but also football codes.

Winmar was the face of one of Australia’s most iconic sporting moments in 1993 when he raised his St Kilda guernsey and pointed to his skin following years of racist taunts.

The image has been immortalised in Australian history and Addo-Carr chose the perfect stage to honour one of the country’s bravest indigenous athletes.

With 23,599 in the stands watching on, Addo-Carr broke from the indigenous team’s huddle during the pre-game war cry, strode away and lifted his shirt.

It was a silent, harmless, stand from a person empowered by the game.

Indigenous coach Laurie Daley admitted he did not know Addo-Carr was planning to mimic Winmar.

“I didn’t know he was going to do that,” he said.

“To be honest, I thought the guys were going to rip their jerseys off

“I think it’s great, it gets everyone ready to go.”

Emotions were already high after nine-year-old Quaden Bayles, the face of an anti-bullying campaign, led the Indigenous side on to the field.

What followed was one of the concept’s great battles, an entertaining spectacle which proved after a decade of searching, the right format to honour indigenous cultures has finally been found.

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Bulldogs forward Chris Smith suffered a nasty looking injury playing for the Indigenous All Stars. Picture: AAP.

Maori co-captain Dallin Watene-Zelezniak set the pace for a cracking encounter when he soared to score in the corner before Josh Curran levelled scores at 6-a-piece.

The Maori team hit the lead when Kodi Nikorima pounced on a deflected kick, but Indigenous winger Blake Ferguson hit back on the stroke of halftime and launched into what he described as a “10 out of 10” backflip to celebrate.

There was little that outstanding Maori fullback Kalyn Ponga could do when Indigenous back-rower David Fifita burst through the line and found James “The Jet” Roberts to open up a 16-12 lead.

With time ticking away, Maori co-captain Adam Blair became the first player to call a Captain’s Challenge, challenging a knock-on call against Maori forward Kenny Bromwich which The Bunker quickly dismissed.

The Maori team had no challenges left after that but it mattered little when Smith, the best player on the paddock, barged over to give his side the lead with nine minutes to play.

Smith nearly had the game iced when he went over again two minutes later, only for the try to be disallowed due to a double movement, but he made no mistake when he crossed again five minutes from full-time.

Tempers flared when a scuffle broke out in the dying minutes, proving how much this game means to so many and why it should remain part of the NRL’s pre-season calendar when possible.

Maori coach David Kidwell said the win was a result of the players being so passionate.

“I’ve been proud of the boys from the start of the week,” he said.

“They’ve really embraced the community, the way they’ve handled themselves and engaged.

“We’re privileged to be in the position we are and if we can inspire some youth that is what the week’s about.

“The game is about all the passion and culture. We’re very proud of being indigenous Maori and the boys represented their people.”

5 THINGS WE LEARNED

1) The Melbourne Storm must find a way to give Brandon Smith more game time this year following his sensational performance for the Maori team. Starting at hooker, Smith was the best player on the ground, running for 151m, busting eight tackles and scoring two late tries to give his side victory. Storm star Cameron Smith has a mortgage on Melbourne’s No. 9 jersey but his namesake has plenty to offer in 2020.

Brandon Smith would be a starter at most other NRL clubs but is stuck behind future immortal Cameron Smith at the Melbourne Storm. Picture: AAP.

2) Latrell Mitchell made an encouraging start to his career at fullback. The Maori team appeared to deliberately kick to the Indigenous wingers to keep Mitchell out of the game. But when the South Sydney recruit got the ball he was dangerous, brushing off defenders and showing he wasn’t afraid to make audacious plays from anywhere on the field. Mitchell played 60 minutes for 71m and four tackle busts before having a short break then returning at left centre.

3) The All Stars is here to stay. After 10 years of hosting the event, the Maori vs Indigenous format is the best concept yet. Both teams showcased incredible passion and the game means so much to so many. It won’t always fit into the packed footy schedule, but when it does it should be embraced.

4) Josh Addo-Carr etched his name in Australian sporting history when he invoked the famous stance of indigenous AFL player Nicky Winmar. Addo-Carr broke from the indigenous team huddle during the pre-game war cry, strode away and lifted his shirt to point at his skin. Former St Kilda player Winmar famously took a stand against racism in 1993 in what is one of Australian sport’s most iconic images.

The Fox Josh Addo-Carr channels Nicky Winmar at the NRL All Stars clash. Picture: Getty Images.)

5) Maori co-captain Adam Blair made history by becoming the first player to use a Captain’s Challenge. It took until the 65th minute for Blair to challenge a referee’s decision when he took a punt on a Kenny Bromwich knock-on. The decision went to The Bunker to be reviewed and was quickly dismissed, meaning the Maori team had no challenges left for the remainder of the game.