Indigenous All Stars take on Territory All Stars in thrilling 2023 Deadly Cup Carnival
The men and women of the NRL NT stood out in a day full of rugby league action in celebration of Indigenous culture. Check out all the photos and action from the Deadly Cup Carnival here.
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The Indigenous All Stars have withstood a potentially dangerous comeback from their Territory opposition to claim the win in another special edition of the Deadly Cup Carnival.
The Deadly Cup has been a fixture of the NRL NT for the past four seasons and this year was no different with thousands of people attending the event, held to coincide with the start of NAIDOC week.
More than 3000 footy fans crowded into the TRL Stadium on Sunday, eager to catch the action or get involved in the activities taking place throughout the day.
Deadly Vision Centre director Shaun Tatipata has organised the event since its inception and was proud to see the event get “bigger and deadlier” every year.
“It was really, really good, community showed up and there were a lot more cultural activities than in previous years,” he said.
“And the talent on display in those games was just amazing, it was great to see all the players get amongst the opening ceremony and really embrace the theme of NAIDOC week.
“We saw people supporting their elders down there and plenty of supporters came down to watch their family play, which was really heartwarming.
“It’s proper deadly how everyone gets around the event, it was born out of the desire to bring community together to celebrate NAIDOC and it’s building every year.
“And, of course, none of this is possible without the support of our volunteers, we had 80 this year.”
The Deadly Cup is expected to grow further in 2024 as it looks to find ways to engage more with younger players and even bring in teams from different communities.
“We’re looking at ways we can engage the younger generation and get more junior representation,” Tatipata said.
“We also want to bring in teams from different communities so they represent their communities, family and culture as well.
“We’ll be looking to do that and we have the support of the health and community services sector, just need more support from government to help drive that.”
CHECK OUT ALL THE PHOTOS BELOW
The Indigenous All Stars were out for revenge on the special day after losing to a last-gasp try in 2022.
This year they got the chocolates with a 30-24 victory over the Territory All Stars.
The Territory All Stars asked the questions early on, with big Joel Turaga bulldozing his way through the opposition to show his side meant business.
The solid Indigenous defence managed to bring the big man down and then reply with some momentum of their own through a big carry from Elijah Coombes.
Captain Blake Fletcher put boot to ball, catching out a Territory defender and giving young fullback Dallas Caulton an easy run in for a try.
However, the Territory weren’t out of the contest, putting the pressure back on the opposition, with an attack from 10m out putting Turaga under the posts.
Soon after Caleb Epiha came charging through, barging past defenders from a long way out to put the Territory All Stars in front.
The Indigenous side came back showing their flair, with Fletcher and Brothers’ captain Isaac Seden-Kurnoth directing play.
Anthony Bush scored off a daring show-and-go, while a Fletcher line break was finished off by PJ Costello to put the Indigenous side ahead heading into the break.
As it did in the first half, a Fletcher kick opened the scoring in the second as his ball found the hands of South Darwin skipper Dustin Briscoe who slid over the white line.
They kept the pressure on and were right on it from the restart with Briscoe strong on the carry before passing to the pacy Josh Johnson who darted down the wing for a try.
From there on the Indigenous side were made to protect their lead as the Territory side came at them hard, carry after carry.
A massive run from Joel Pavy caught the Indigenous off-side but they were fortunate enough to hold him up over the line.
But that fortune didn’t last with Tyson Thew finding his way over the line, while moments later Phillip Mati-Leifi went crashing over to put the margin within a score.
However, the Indigenous side were saved from having to defend any further with the siren sounding just as the sides gathered for restart.
Indigenous captain Blake Fletcher said it was a great relief to get the victory, as he felt the opposition would have stolen the win had the game gone on any longer.
“I think we got lucky in the end to be honest, we kind of gifted them a couple of tries and I think they probably would have got us if I kicked off at the end there,” Fletcher said.
“It’s a great feeling to win. Everyone who’s playing is playing for a reason whether that’s family, friends, lost ones and for the elders,” he said.
“It’s a massive event to be a part of, I was in the first one and the hype around it has grown over the years and it’s getting bigger and better each time.
“And when you throw the jersey on with other blokes from across the comp it builds something special within the league and that just shows when we play.”
Territory women triumph over Indigenous rivals
The Territory All Stars triumphed on the back of some massive carries from their forwards to win the 2023 Deadly Cup women’s match against their Indigenous rivals.
After being held scoreless last year, the Territory All Stars were dominant this time, with solid runs from their forwards setting the tone on their way to a 42-6 win.
The Indigenous All Stars were under pressure from kick off, with Shari Togo quick to win the ball back, however a knock-on soon had the ball in Territory hands.
Their forwards were quick to make their presence felt with Tusiaga Salei and Lucy Aigea both making barnstorming runs to break through their opposition defence.
Captain Shae Muhleisen was the benefactor of these charges down field, scoring two tries in quick succession to put her side in a strong position.
Despite the defensive efforts of their opposition it was almost impossible to hold out the big carriers, with Salei charging through for her side’s third try.
The Indigenous side weren’t without their moments on top in the first half, with Cassiela Wapau and Bianca Stokes big contributors.
While there were massive tackles from both sides, the Indigenous outfit finally found the line through a Yasmin Isaac burst.
However, they were forced back in defence during the second half, and were largely under siege during that period taking on attack after attack.
The Indigenous side showed plenty of heart for the occasion, but their defensive wall was finally broken as 2022 Gaynor Maggs medallist Kiyanah Toy wove her way through to score.
Tamara Madzika played a crucial role in the next score, offloading in a tackle to set up a chain of passes for a Victoria Alley try, a reward following many successful conversions.
But the Territory side weren’t done yet, with Meg Clohsey charging down field with a minute left on the clock to deliver her Litchfield teammate, Toy, the final try of the match.
Captain Muhlesen was awarded the Spirit of the Game award, while Briannan Ross was the recipient from the Indigenous side.
“It’s always great going out there, giving it your all and coming away with the win,” Muhleisen said.
“This match is massive for everyone especially the Indigenous girls, they come out there and absolutely rip in for this one.
“Half of them are my sisters who I’ve met since moving up here, playing against them or with them and it’s unreal to get their names out there.
“This match came down to just completing things, playing real simple footy and that’s completing your sets and giving it your all.
“Everyone was out there giving it 100 per cent for the occasion and that’s all you can ask, it was a good game to play and it would have been a pretty good one to watch, too.”
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