I've just witnessed about 55 minutes of the NRL All-Star game between an Indigenous select and an All-Star team.
It was fast, it was skilful and the winning try from Jamie Soward was top class as Jonathan Thurston pounced on a mistake by the All-Stars, attracted two defenders before rolling the ball out in a round-the-corner style to Soward who pinned his ears back and dashed a good sixty yards to the try line.
For years in Australia, the indigenous population haven't been treated well and only over recent years have concessions been made. Now I'm no expert in Australian social history but what is clear is that to the Indigenous select, this was a game that clearly meant a lot, there was feeling, there was emotion, there was pride.
The final score of 16-12 to the Indigenous All-Stars justified the validity of such a game while Skilled Park on the Gold Coast looked packed to the rafters.
I feel that we lack something of a season opener in this country - it seems to be friendlies then the season starts whereas this All-Star game gave fans plenty of interaction with there being an online voting system regarding player selection which was certainly an innovation. With master coach Wayne Bennett giving things the thumbs up I would think there will be short odds for the game to appear again on the NRL calendar next year.
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