The Māori All Stars will be looking to make amends against their Indigenous counterparts in the fifth instalment of the women's Harvey Norman All Stars in Rotorua on Saturday afternoon.
Less than three months since the World Cup finished for many of these athletes, rugby league is back on the calendar with several stars set to take the field at Rotorua International Stadium.
The Indigenous All Stars beat the Maori All Stars 18-8 at CommBank Stadium last year and in the other fixtures previously it's been the story of bounce backs with the head-to-head battle reading W-L-W-L between the teams since 2019.
With plenty of NRLW talent on show and a strong cultural presence in the lead-up and during the match, there's no better way to kick off a busy 2023 calendar for the women's game.
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The Rundown
Team news
Maori All Stars: Back-rower Tiana Raftstrand-Smith rolled her ankle at training on Wednesday morning but will play. Raftsrand-Smith has been shifted to the bench on game day with Kahu Cassidy promoted to the starting side. Raftstrand-Smith is one of only four players named to return to the side following last year's defeat, although some of those selections were forced with stars Botille Vette-Welsh (knee), Corban Baxter (pregnancy) and Raecene McGregor (knee) all unavailable. Kennedy Cherrington was named in the squad originally but suffered a broken hand playing in the Harvey Norman NSW Premiership last week and has also withdrawn. Shanice Parker, Zali Fay, Capri Paekau and Harata Butler are all back after representing the team previously, while as many as nine could debut including NRLW stars Gayle Broughton and Destiny Brill.
Indigenous All Stars: The Indigenous side will line up 1-18 with no late changes on game day. The visitors suffered a triple blow in the lead-up with prominent NRLW figures Tamika Upton, Caitlan Johnston and Tallisha Harden all withdrawing from the game. That opens the door for Shakiah Tungai to continue her return to the top level while Indigenous All Stars coach Ben Jeffries will blood six debutantes including teen sensation Jada Taylor. Jillaroos star Jaime Chapman will replace Upton at fullback while Quincy Dodd will captain the side.
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Key match-up
Shannon Mato v Keilee Joseph: There are some crucial match-ups across the park that will dictate the game, particularly with several influential players missing compared to last season. Whoever wins the forward battle should win the match. The Indigenous side stood up last year in the middle but without Caitlan Johnston it will be a tougher task. They'll turn to Keilee Joseph, who had an outstanding 2022 campaign, to lead from the front. On the opposite side is Jillaroos teammate Shannon Mato, who ran for over 200 metres in the corresponding game last year. Along with Mya Hill-Moana, the pair will set an imposing challenge up front.
Stat attack
The Māori side won in most key stat areas during the corresponding clash last year but lost the key moments and therefore the game, including an intercept try to Jaime Chapman against the run of play. They had more possession, run metres, made fewer errors and conceded fewer penalties but were beaten on desire. With unlimited interchange available, the Indigenous side also had their forwards rotating more often with 15 used compared to the Māori side's nine.