MAORI ALL STARS 16  INDIGENOUS ALL STARS 16
TOM SMITH, FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton, Sunday 

THE MAORI All Stars have retained the Arthur Beetson Trophy thanks to a thrilling draw in Hamilton. 

A slice of Jayden Campbell magic nearly broke the deadlock late, before the final siren sealed these sides’ second draw in their last six meetings. 

The match was played in four quarters, and neither team troubled the scorers in the final term to leave things locked at 16-all. 

Warriors enforcer James Fisher-Harris led the way for Adam Blair’s men, supported by Storm rookie Joe Chan in the middle and exciting Titans youngster Keano Kini at the back. 

Sharks halves Braydon Trindall and Nicho Hynes and Roosters hooker Connor Watson were at the heart of everything the Indigenous team created, although Trindall went off for a late head-injury assessment. 

Each side had a prop withdraw late — Josh Kerr for the visitors and Leo Thompson for the hosts — while Maori playmaker Te Maire Martin limped off with an ankle complaint in the first half. 

But the most bizarre injury came in the second half, when referee Adam Gee hurt his hamstring, forcing Belinda Sharpe to officiate the last 20 minutes. 

After a passionate pre-game exchange of the Indigenous war cry and the Maori haka, the local team seized the ascendency early. 

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad — one of six New Zealand Warriors in the Maori line-up — sent club team-mate Jacob Laban crashing over from close range to get the healthy Hamilton crowd on their feet. 

Some quick-thinking work by Watson from dummy-half set up the opening Indigenous try to Roosters team-mate Blake Steep. 

And the Australian team hit the lead before the end of the first quarter. 

This time Watson was the beneficiary of some brilliant lead-up work by Trindall, who fooled the Maori defence with a dummy then sent his hooker away. 

They could have had another if the Bunker didn’t chalk off Josh Addo-Carr’s try claim for a Tallis Duncan obstruction. 

Martin limped off after getting his leg caught in an Addo-Carr tackle, although his team-mates found their way back into the contest. 

Fisher-Harris lobbed a pass to Briton Nikora, who kicked wide for Dallin Watene-Zelezniak to score. 

Jesse Arthars then had a try denied for an error in the build-up, leaving the men from Aotearoa adrift by two points at the main break. 

Trindall set up another four-pointer soon after the restart, stabbing a kick for Addo-Carr to turn into his fifth All Stars try. 

But the Maori levelled things before three-quarter time, when Trent Toelau burrowed over from dummy-half and Mawene Hiroti added the conversion.

With both outfits hunting the go-ahead score, a Jesse Ramien hand on Trindall’s cross-field kick denied Alofiana Khan-Pereira. 

Then Campbell nearly nabbed a winner for the ages, appearing to snaffle another Trindall kick mid-air, although the Bunker ruled he knocked the ball into the Maori defender. 

Neither side could then find a field-goal to clinch victory, leaving last year’s victors with the trophy for another 12 months. 

These players now return to their clubs ahead of the NRL’s opening round, which kicks off with the Knights, Cowboys, Bulldogs and Dragons in Las Vegas on Saturday 28 February. 

GAMESTAR: James Fisher-Harris put in a monster shift in the middle, with a game-high 165 running metres. 

GAMEBREAKER: The draw was settled when the Indigenous All Stars charged down Zach Dockar-Clay’s late field-goal attempt. 

MATCHFACTS

MAORI
1 Keano Kini (Gold Coast Titans)
2 Jojo Fifita (Gold Coast Titans)
3 Casey McLean (Penrith Panthers)
4 Mawene Hiroti (Cronulla Sharks)
5 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (New Zealand Warriors)
6 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (New Zealand Warriors)
7 Te Maire Martin (New Zealand Warriors)
8 Trey Mooney (Newcastle Knights)
9 Zach Dockar-Clay (Manly Sea Eagles)
15 Royce Hunt (Wests Tigers)
11 Briton Nikora (Cronulla Sharks)
12 Jacob Laban (New Zealand Warriors)
13 James Fisher-Harris (New Zealand Warriors)
Subs (all used)
14 Trent Toelau (Melbourne Storm)
16 Preston Riki (Brisbane Broncos)
17 Joe Chan (Melbourne Storm)
18 Manaia Waitere (Melbourne Storm)
19 Adam Pompey (New Zealand Warriors)
20 Jesse Arthars (Brisbane Broncos)

Tries: Laban (4), Watene-Zelezniak (30), Toelau (54)
Goals: Hiroti 2/2, Pompey 0/1

INDIGENOUS
1 Trai Fuller (Dolphins)
2 Josh Addo-Carr (Parramatta Eels)
3 Jack Wighton (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
4 Jesse Ramien (Cronulla Sharks)
5 Alofiana Khan-Pereira (New Zealand Warriors)
6 Braydon Trindall (Cronulla Sharks)
7 Nicho Hynes (Cronulla Sharks)
10 Shaquai Mitchell (Tweed Heads Seagulls)
9 Connor Watson (Sydney Roosters)
16 Kaiden Lahrs (North Queensland Cowboys)
11 Tallis Duncan (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
12 Josh Patston (Gold Coast Titans)
13 Hohepa Puru (Cronulla Sharks)
Subs (all used)
14 Jamal Fogarty (Manly Sea Eagles)
15 Jayden Campbell (Gold Coast Titans)
17 Blake Steep (Sydney Roosters)
18 Oliver Pascoe (Ipswich Jets)
19 Caleb Tohi (North Sydney Bears)
20 Brent Woolf (Dolphins)

Tries: Steep (9), Watson (15), Addo-Carr (45)
Goals: Hynes 2/3

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-6, 6-12; 10-12; 10-16, 16-16; 16-16

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Maori: James Fisher-Harris; Indigenous: Connor Watson

Penalty count: 4-8
Half-time: 10-12
Referee: Adam Gee
Attendance: 18,169