Maori locks battle it out in All Stars voting

Author: Tanisha Stanton NRL.com Reporter
Timestamp: Tue 29 Jan 2019, 12:09 PM

With less than 24 hours of fan voting remaining for the 2019 NRL Harvey Norman All Stars teams, the tightest race is for the Maori All Stars lock position with three players in the running.

Adam Blair is ranked as the number one contender sitting on 24.9% of votes, with James Fisher-Harris a close second on 22.7% and Elijah Taylor trailing on 20.2%.

Each team has suffered a player withdraw, with Greg Inglis ruling himself out and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak still recovering from knee surgery.

Depite Watene-Zeleznaik's absence, after 16,489 votes, Kalyn Ponga continues to lead the fan vote for the fullback position, cranking up 63.6% of votes. There is now a significant margin between himself Jahrome Hughes who second to Ponga with just 3% of votes.

Dane Gagai still holds down the right wing spot with 61.6% of votes and is second to Esan Marsters (44.2%) for the right centre option.

At left wing, Jordan Kahu is the front-runner with more than half of the votes with Dean Whare getting similar support from the fans to be left centre.

Ponga keen to tap into Maori heritage

Te Maire Martin (45.3%) is ahead of Ponga (31.1%) for the five-eighth position, while Wests Tigers veteran Benji Marshall (58.7%) is outpolling Kodi Nikorima (27.7%) at halfback.

Fans were clear as to who they wanted to make up the Maori pack with Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Jesse Bromwich and Jordan McLean taking the lead for the prop spots and Tohu Harris and Joseph Tapine in line for second row.

After 16,303 votes for the Indigenous side, Barba remains in the lead for the No.1 jersey, collecting 44% of votes and with Inglis ruled out, Alex Johnston is now second to Barba on just 7.1%.

James Roberts is well in front for the right centre spot, sitting on 43.1% of votes, while Latrell Mitchell has a mortgage on the left centre position with 78.9% of the votes.

Josh Addo-Carr is comfortably in front to be Mitchell's left wing, cranking up 79.7% of votes, while on the other side the right wing position is the closest poll in the Indigenous side, with Blake Ferguson (28.9%) and Roberts (24.5%) still battling it out.

Cody Walker and Ash Taylor look set to win the fans' vote for the five-eighth and halfback positions while Nathan Peats is well in front for the hooker spot.

Up front for the Indigenous side fans are favouring Andrew Fifita and Ryan James as their props, David Fifita and Joel Thompson as the second-rowers and Titans recruit Tyrone Peachey as the lock.

You have 24 hours to have your say before coaches take that advice on board and select the two teams that will play for the Arthur Beetson Trophy at AAMI Park on February 15.