Indigenous All Stars vs NZ Maori and NRL trials: What you might have missed
Backflips, terrific tries heartwarming moments, young guns, injuries and more - there was action from Port Moresby to Palmerston North as rugby league kicked up a gear. Here's everything you need to know!
Rugby league is back and after another big weekend of action there's plenty to digest.
The Indigenous All Stars-New Zealand Maori clash headlined a huge Saturday that also included five NRL pre-season trials.
There were backflips, terrific tries, young guns, shock positional switches, injuries and more - read on for a snapshot of all the action.
ALL STARS' MAGIC MOMENT FOR QUADEN
It was the magic moment that launched the All Stars clash as Quaden Bayles led the Indigenous team out on to the field.
A victim of bullying that shocked Australia and the world, nine-year-old Quaden was filmed by his distraught mother tearfully warning he wanted to commit suicide.
All Stars players saw the heartbreaking vision on Facebook and immediately invited Quaden – a South Sydney supporter - to lead their side out against the Maori All Stars.
Read the full story and watch the video
FULL-TIME: Storm 18 Warriors 16
Cooper Johns is starting to make a name for himself. The son of former playmaker and Fox League commentator Matthew Johns, Cooper, was on show in Melbourne’s No.7 jumper.
The 20-year old was respectable without being outstanding, scoring a try and landing one conversion. He took the line on a number of occasions and displayed acumen both with his long and short kicking games.
FULL-TIME: Dragons 38 Knights 12
New St George Illawarra fullback and Supercoach favourite Zac Lomax stole the show in his side's big win against the Newcastle Knights in Maitland.
Lomax had his fingerprints all over the Dragons’ 38-12 triumph. The former centre will be given first crack at the Red V fullback spot in 2020 and while he took some time to warm into the game but he eventually found his groove.
FULL-TIME: Bulldogs 30 d Sharks 18
Cronulla have suffered a double whammy, losing a new recruit to a serious knee injury in their trial loss to the Canterbury.
A late surge from the Bulldogs helped secure a 30-18 win in the historic clash in Papua New Guinea, and the Sharks' defeat has been compounded by a potentially serious knee injury to luckless hooker Cameron King.
FULL-TIME: Panthers 32 d Tigers 4
Wests Tigers utility Josh Reynolds is back in the game.
Reynolds led his Wests Tigers out on to the park in the absence of co-captains Benji Marshall and Moses Mbye, putting aside an ugly personal saga that led to him being charged in December with a domestic violence offence.
He played 60 minutes in the Tigers’ ordinary 32-4 trial loss to Penrith at Panthers Stadium.
FULL-TIME: Cowboys 18 d Broncos 16
Cowboys fullback Valentine Holmes enjoyed a winning return to rugby league as two late tries from Reuben Cotter snatched victory from the Broncos in an 18-16 trial thriller in Cairns.
It’s been 490 long days since Holmes last appeared in the NRL after his NFL stint with the New York Jets but the Queensland Origin ace looked comfortable from the outset at Barlow Park.
Full-time: NZ Maori 30 d Indigenous All Stars 16
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 to celebrate the 10-year history of the event as the New Zealand Maori team triumphed 30-16 against the Indigenous All Stars.
INJURY REPORT
Warriors:
Jackson Frei (Knee, TBC)
Phillip Makatoa (Ankle, TBC)
Knights
Sione Mata'utia (Knee, TBC)
Sharks
Cameron King (Knee, TBC)
NZ Maori
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (Back, TBC)
Indigenous All Stars
Chris Smith (Knee, TBC)
Josh Kerr (Ankle, TBC)
Wade Graham (Ankle, TBC)
Originally published as Indigenous All Stars vs NZ Maori and NRL trials: What you might have missed
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