NRL 2024: Indigenous All Stars hold nerve against Maori All Stars for 22-14 win
Despite a late fightback, the Indigenous All Stars held off the Maori All Stars in a high-octane affair.
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The Indigenous All Stars were too strong for the Maori side, holding on to claim 22-14 victory in a high-octane affair in front of 15,369 fans at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville.
Slippery conditions continued to play havoc in North Queensland as Tropical Cyclone Lincoln brought swathes of rainfall across the top end of Australia.
Josh Addo-Carr was deadly in his fourth All Stars game, scoring twice in the first half and laying the platform for the decisive triumph.
Tensions were high following the haka and Indigenous war cry and it didn’t take long for both teams to get on the board.
Dane Gagai forced the first error of the game when he rocketed into Latrell Mitchell, giving the Maori All Stars an opportunity to start a set from inside the 20m and Joseph Tapine made them pay by carrying four defenders over the line to score.
A Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow magic trick allowed the Indigenous men to carry a 16-8 lead into the major break and it proved enough of a buffer to win the match.
A bit of the sting left the game in the second half as rotations and fatigue disrupted the flow, but the crowd rose in delight when Tabuai-Fidow tiptoed the dead ball line to somehow carry the ball out of danger from an impossible position.
Alofiana Khan-Pereira put the final nail in the coffin when he collected a Nicho Hynes harbour bridge pass to give his team an unassailable lead.
FOXX ON FIRE
Addo-Carr was outstanding after missing the 2023 All Stars game, scoring two great tries in a fashion that will give Bulldogs fans plenty of hope for this season.
After scoring in the left corner to tally his side’s first points, the lightning fast winger pounced on a loose ball 10 minutes later to make it a try-scoring double – a feat he also achieved in 2019 – when Braydon Trindall put in a late grubber which Arthars fumbled.
‘The Foxx’ made 89 metres on his 11 carries, busting three tackles and breaking the line once.
INJURY WATCH
In great news for NRL clubs, the majority of players got through the match unscathed.
Roosters fans held their collective breath when Brandon Smith stayed on the ground following a hip-drop like tackle from Grant but the nuggety hooker got up and played on until he took a stray knee to the head with 15 minutes to play.
Khan-Pereira and Adam Pompey each took a minute to assess themselves after a mid-air collision in the Indigenous in-goal before being cleared of any serious injury.
Indigenous All Stars forward Jordan Grant who left the field for an HIA following a minor head knock – but he was cleared of a concussion and returned to the field after half time.
INDIGENOUS ALL STARS 22 (J. Addo-Carr (2), H. Tabuai-Fidow, A. Khan-Pereira; N. Hynes 3 goals)
MAORI ALL STARS 14 (J. Tapine, X. Willison; K. Nikorima 2 goals, D Gagai 1 goal)
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