THE Newcastle Knights will have no representatives in the pre-season All Stars match after Kalyn Ponga declared himself unavailable to represent the Maori because of injury.
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Ponga tore a calf muscle at training earlier this month and was ruled out of the February 11 clash with a big-name Indigenous team, to be staged in Rotorua, New Zealand.
It will be the third consecutive year that the Newcastle skipper has missed the All Stars fixture.
Ponga has not played since July 22, after a spate of concussions forced him to stand down for the last six rounds of Newcastle's 2022 campaign.
But Knights director of football Peter Parr said earlier this month the 24-year-old had been cleared by his neurological experts and was back in full-contact training, only to then suffer his untimely calf injury.
Newcastle centre Dane Gagai was a candidate for the Indigenous team but it understood he is also recovering from an injury.
Gagai has previously represented both the Indigenous and Maori sides.
Six players who were contracted to the Knights last season will feature in the women's All Stars match, including Caitlan Johnston, Bobbi Law, Kirra Dibb, Bree Chester and Mia Middleton for the Indigenous side and Shanice Parker the Maori.
South Sydney champion Latrell Mitchell will make his return for the Indigenous All Stars, after missing last year's game through suspension.
Mitchell will form part of an impressive backline that includes his South Sydney teammate Cody Walker, Brisbane's Selwyn Cobbo, Canterbury winger Josh Addo-Carr and Canberra five-eighth Jack Wighton.
Newcastle-raised Wests Tigers utility Will Smith was also named in coach Ronald Griffiths' squad.
The Maori outfit, however, will be short of some star power, given the absence of Ponga, new Dolphins recruits Jesse and Kenny Bromwich and Warriors fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad.
Sydney Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves has been selected in the Maori side for the first time in his career and will link up with James Fisher-Harris, Nelson Asofa-Solomon, Joe Tapine and Jordan Riki in the pack.
The middle is where the Indigenous side may be found wanting, with Andrew Fifita retiring last year and Reuben Cotter, David Fifita and Wade Graham all not selected.
But the game's viability could be under threat due to the current wrangle between the NRL and the Rugby League Players Association (RLPA) over the collective bargaining agreement.
Maori forward Riki claimed on Wednesday that players would consider withdrawing from the game if there had not been sufficient progress.
"I love to represent my culture, it's always a big thing for me," he said.
"I'm hoping it goes ahead but at the end of the day if it doesn't I fully understand and back the players (union) - they've got my 100 per cent backing."
The women's game, which will form part of a double header, will be without Newcastle's Indigenous fullback Tamika Upton, who finished second in last year's Dally M awards and was player of the match in their grand final triumph.
Maori All Stars (Men): Jesse Arthars, Daejarn Asi, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Zach Dockar-Clay, James Fisher-Harris, Corey Harawira-Naera, Morgan Harper, Royce Hunt, Joseph Manu, Zane Musgrove, Briton Nikora, Hayze Perham, Adam Pompey, Jordan Rapana, Jordan Riki, Joseph Tapine, Starford Toa, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Dylan Walker, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
Indigenous All Stars (Men): Josh Addo-Carr, Bailey Butler, Selwyn Cobbo, Tyrell Fuimaono, J'maine Hopgood, Nicho Hynes, Ryan James, Josh Kerr, Ezra Mam, Latrell Mitchell, Shaquai Mitchell, Kierran Moseley, Brent Naden, Tyrone Peachey, Tyrell Sloan, Chris Smith, Will Smith, Jamayne Taunoa-Brown, Cody Walker, Jack Wighton.
Maori All Stars (Women): Brooke Anderson, Destiny Brill, Gayle Broughton, Harata Butler, Kahu Cassidy, Kennedy Cherrington, Laikha Clarke, Zali Fay, Mya Hill-Moana, Olivia Kernick, Shannon Mato, Capri Paekau, Aaliyah Paki, Shanice Parker, Ashleigh Quinlan, Tiana Raftstrand-Smith, Jasmin Strange, Zahara Temara, Kailey Thompson, Amy Turner.
Indigenous All Stars (Women): Essay Banu, Shaylee Bent, Jaime Chapman, Bree Chester, Kirra Dibb, Quincy Dodd, Taliah Fuimaono, Tallisha Harden, Caitlan Johnston, Keilee Joseph, Bobbi Law, Mia Middleton, Sareka Mooka, Jasmine Peters, Kaitlyn Phillips, Shaniah Power, Jada Taylor, Tahlulah Tillett.
