Something has to give.
It shouldn’t take an unseemly public slanging match to confirm that the NRL All Stars game has reached its use-by date as a pre-season fixture.
The All Stars deserves to be an annual highlight and an embodiment of everything that is good about rugby league, yet it has become increasingly problematic – even before this week’s verbal fisticuffs between Canberra coach Ricky Stuart and his two counterparts at the helm of the All Stars teams, Adam Blair (Maori) and Ron Griffiths (Indigenous).
For those who missed it, Blair accused the Raiders of pressuring players into making themselves unavailable for the Maori last week.
An incensed Stuart rejected the allegation, labelling Blair’s comments “childish” and adding: “He’s obviously coaching the way he used to play: very selfishly.”
Griffiths then stepped forward to “stand with Adam Blair on this issue”, declaring: “There’s no doubt that clubs are holding players back. I’ve got examples of text messages from players where they have been told they can’t play.
Shaquai Mitchell during the Indigenous All Stars pre-match war dance.Credit: Getty Images
“I’ve also got examples where the club hasn’t informed the player that they are going to be selected; the club has just said to us, ‘No, they are not playing’. That’s just the reality of the situation.”
All of which highlights the ongoing “club versus culture” friction that seemingly heats up exponentially with each All Stars instalment.
The crux of the matter is, as Stuart noted: “We all agree the All Stars concept is wonderful, but it is played at the wrong time of the year.”
That should be no great revelation for head office, especially given the additional complications caused by having to send four teams each year to Las Vegas for the season opener.
The Maori celebrate victory over the Indigenous All Stars last weekend.Credit: Getty Images
NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo even acknowledged earlier this month: “We’ll continue to look at when the best time to play it is, because in the last couple of years, it has been difficult. We want to make sure that everyone who wants to play is able to and that there isn’t too much pressure on the players.”
Yet finding a new window will be easier said than done, especially post-season, given that international rugby league becomes the priority as soon as full-time sounds on every NRL campaign.
It’s a conundrum, but perhaps there is a left-field solution that could lock the All Stars in on the calendar and help the concept regain its lost lustre.
Why not incorporate the All Stars with the Koori Knockout?
For the uninitiated, the Koori Knockout is an annual tournament that kicked off in 1971 and last year featured more than 140 men’s and women’s teams, across various age groups, and attracted an estimated 30,000 people to Bathurst, the host venue.
It is usually played over three days across the same weekend as the NRL grand final, and invariably features big-name professional players lining up alongside amateurs. Among those who have taken part in recent years are superstars like Latrell Mitchell, Josh Addo-Carr, Cody Walker and Nicho Hynes.
The Koori Knockout is a massive event for the Indigenous community, and it surely wouldn’t be too complicated to incorporate it with the All Stars. Just play the men’s and women’s finals of the Koori Knockout as the curtain-raisers to the All Stars. Preferably at a different regional venue each year.
If it was scheduled for NRL grand final weekend, potentially on the public-holiday Monday, that should mean the only clubs with conflicting commitments are the two contesting the premiership decider.
Play the Koori Knockout preliminaries over the Friday, Saturday and Sunday, then the finals of those events could be staged on the Monday, creating a Magic Round-style extravaganza that would culminate in the All Stars.
There would be no clash with end-of-season Test series. No concerns about elite players getting injured in the pre-season, leaving clubs crippled before a ball is kicked in their campaign.
Meanwhile, it would provide the Koori Knockout with a whole new level of spotlight, allowing those players to showcase their talents on a far grander stage.
And for rugby league tragics suffering from withdrawal symptoms, there would suddenly be an All Stars game after the grand final, to sate their cravings – if only for 24 hours.
No doubt there will be logistical issues, but where there’s a will, there’s a way. And hopefully the NRL’s powers that be are open to suggestions, because the status quo simply cannot continue.
