The Indigenous All Stars were too strong for the Maori side, managing to win 22-14 in a thrilling match in front of 15,369 fans at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville.
Slippery conditions have continued to wreak havoc in North Queensland as Tropical Cyclone Lincoln dumps large amounts of rain across the top end of Australia.
Josh Addo-Carr was lethal in his fourth match for the All Stars, scoring twice in the first half and paving the way for the decisive victory.
Tensions were high after the haka and the indigenous war cry and it didn't take long for both teams to get on the board.
Dane Gagai committed the first foul of the game when he rocketed a shot towards Latrell Mitchell, giving the Maori All Stars a chance to start a set from inside 20 meters and Joseph Tappin made them pay by carrying four defenders over the goal line to score.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow's magic trick allowed the indigenous men to take a 16-8 lead into the first half and proved enough to win the match.
The game stalled slightly in the second half as turnovers and fatigue disrupted the flow of the game, but the crowd's joy soared when Tabuai-Fido tiptoed from the dead ball line to somehow clear the ball out of the danger zone from an impossible position.
Allofiana Khan Pereira hammered the final nail in the team's coffin when he collected Nicho Hines' harbor bridge pass to give his team an unassailable lead.
Fox is on fire
Addo-Carr has been impressive after missing the 2023 All Stars game, scoring two impressive tries in a way that will give Bulldogs fans plenty of hope for the season.
After scoring into the left corner to earn his side's first points, the speedy winger pounced on a loose ball 10 minutes later to make it two goals – a feat he also achieved in 2019 – when Braydon Trindall scored a late goal that Arthur fumbled.
'The Foxx' covered 89 meters with 11 carries, making three tackles and breaking the line once.
Watch the injury
In great news for NRL clubs, the majority of players made it through the match unscathed.
Roosters fans held their collective breath as Brandon Smith remained on the ground after a drop-like tackle from Grant but the hooker got up and played until he was hit by a stray knee to the head with 15 minutes to play.
Khan Pereira and Adam Pompey both took a minute to assess themselves after their mid-air collision with the Indigenous goal before being cleared of any serious injury.
Original All-Star forward Jordan Grant left the field for HIA after suffering a minor hit to the head – but his concussion was recovered and he returned to the field after halftime.
Indigenous All-Stars 22 (J. Adu-Carr (2), H. Tabuai-Fidu, A. Khan-Pereira, N. Haynes 3 goals)
Maori All Stars 14 (J. Tabin, X. Willison, K. Nikorima 2 goals, D. Gagai 1 goal)
Originally published as NRL 2024: Indigenous All Stars hold their nerve against Maori All Stars to win 22-14
