KNIGHTS legend Ashley Gordon says the annual NRL All Stars clash – which next year will be staged at Hunter Stadium – is far more than a game of football.
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The NRL announced on Wednesday that the seventh instalment of the pre-season exhibition blockbuster, and the first to played outside of Queensland, will be held in Newcastle on February 10.
Gordon, one of many aboriginal players to have represented Newcastle in the top grade, said nobody should underestimate what rugby league means to indigenous people.
“I’ve been to all the games, and they’re all emotional, and they’re all great games,’’ he said.
“It’s a great concept, and the non-aboriginal players and supporters endorse the event.
“So if you’re looking to close the gap, and working together and reconciliation, you can use rugby league as a vehicle.
“That’s what I’ve seen it do at these games.
“There’s no racism or friction and divide. The game brings people together.’’
The game brings people together.
- Ashley Gordon
Gordon said he had previously put a proposal to the Newcastle RL to stage its own indigenous match, between players from the local area.
He was hopeful the NRL might consider such a match as a curtain-raiser before the main game.
“If you look at the Newcastle comp, some of the best players are indigenous,’’ Gordon said.
“I’m sure they’d jump at the chance to play together, and you could use it as a trial for the Newcastle rep team.
“I took that concept to the Newcastle Rugby League board but they’ve never got back to me.’’
At this stage the All Stars match will be played at Hunter Stadium as a one-off.
Because of the World Cup at the end of next season, the All Stars are likely to have a year in recess in 2018 before returning in 2019.
While Gordon was delighted that Newcastle had been chosen as host city, and urged fans to “fill up the stadium”, he said the All Stars should be played at a different venue each year.
“I definitely think it should be shared,’’ he said.
“There’s no point hogging it.’’
Knights centre Dane Gagai will be hoping to play in the indigenous dream team for the third consecutive season.
"That's where it started for me," Gagai told the Herald earlier in the season.
"That was the first time I got to play alongside Johnathan Thurston and Greg Inglis and those types of players, who are superstars of our game. Just getting to spend a week with them, watching how they train, playing alongside them, gave me a lot of confidence.’’
The NRL released “earlybird’’ club-member tickets on Wednesday, starting at $10. Tickets for the general public will go on sale from Monday 29 August.
