“It won’t be long before you watch an Origin game and the back line for both states features players who do not make themselves available for Australia.
“I think of the likes Will Kennedy, Braydon Trindall, Nicho Hynes, and Josh Curran, guys who didn’t play Origin this year, but the kind of players who could keep themselves in the frame for Australia by playing in end-of-season games for the All Stars.
Dean Widders would love to see the Indigenous All Stars play end-of-season Tests.Credit: AGE-Contributor
“You’d never have an All Stars team play against Australia. Like I said, playing for the Kangaroos is the ultimate.
“I remember speaking to [former Roos’ coach] Mal Meninga about how he picked players from Origin, and he always said, ‘If you can prove yourself in Origin, you’re more than ready for Test football’.
“But what happens if the Origin teams become filled with Tongans, Samoans and Fijians. We need a strong All Stars team that plays at the end of the year, and not just against the Maoris at the start of the year.”
Widders said the arrival of Papua New Guinea and Perth in the NRL competition in the coming years meant a lot of Indigenous talent would be picked up from north Queensland, as well as the west, “especially those locals who might be too big to play AFL”.
Gehamat Shibasaki scoring a try for the Broncos.Credit: NRL Photos
South Sydney’s Latrell Mitchell remains one of the biggest Indigenous stars in the game, but skipped the Ashes after undergoing surgery on his neck.
Brisbane premiership winner Staggs was eligible for Tonga, but switched back to Australia, and said he wanted to inspire family and locals in his hometown in the NSW central west.
“I’m from Wellington, it’s a small community, but a lot of kids and players look up to me,” Staggs said.
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“I’ve got 11 nieces and nephews between me and my partner [Brittany], and I want to be the best version of myself, and set a good example for them; they can watch what their uncle is doing, and realise they can also achieve anything they want to achieve.”
Walters was aware that a quarter of his Ashes squad included First Nations players, and said: “As Australians, we’ve always been proud of our Indigenous players, and this squad is no different.”
Walsh has become the most marketable player in the game, especially after a blistering couple of months for the Broncos, including his stunning performance in the grand final against Melbourne.
This will be his first time playing for Australia, and he is expected to replace Dylan Edwards as the fullback.
The NRL has spent the past couple of years trying to work out how to revitalise the All Stars, with the game expected to return next February, with the Gold Coast a possible destination.
