Match Centre

FULL-TIME - Indigenous 26 def Māori 4

Donovan reaching out and she's SHORT! Just metres short

Destiny Brill losing the ball in the play the ball.

PEN IND: High shot by Mato.

Bobbi fought the Law and the Law (technically!) won! Challenge unsuccessful

Bobbi Law puts that one down... hang on - we're off to the Bunker for the first time tonight with Indigenous challenging the ruling.

The Indigenous side go back on the attack.

PEN IND: Kennedy Cherrington guilty of the second effort.

Māori fail to complete their set post points. Kerehitina Matua charged hard but couldn't hold the ball.

Hand-Over AGAIN! The Māori side can't crack this Indigenous line.

PEN Māori: Dangerous tackle

Three Quarter time and it's the Indigenous side with a commanding 22-0 lead.

PENALTY IND: Shannon Mato guilty there of a high shot.

Shanice Parker puts it down.

Kemp puts it down in the strong contact here. Conditions on top of it being the first game of 2024 for many of these girls making things very difficult.

Chante Temara's pass is forward - good work from the officials here.

Shanice Parker taken just short.

Grace Kemp puts the ball down this time. The rain continuing to come down.

Numbers brewing for the Māori girls but the pass to Strange was put down by the winger.

Dodd pushed the pass to Upton and she loses this one.

The Māori side had some red hot cracks at the Indigenous side but the defence met with every challenge.

Keilee Joseph knocked it on coming out of her own end. The Māori side have a chance to post their opening points of the contest.

Rima Butler was a runaway train that struggled to be stopped. Taken down metres short of the line. The best that the Māori side have looked tonight in that passage of play.

KICKOFF: Underway for the third quarter of play. The Indigenous side will get first use of the ball here in the third term.

Two tries in the second quarter for the Indigenous side gives them a 16-0 lead at the half. The Māori have been brave but unfortunately made errors in attacking field position.

Mistake a thon here in the back end. Didn't look like a mistake on the replay but the Māori didn't do much with their shift out wide.

Pass was forward from Shanice Parker as it was intended for Jasmine Strange out on that right hand side of the field.

From the scrum, Chapman puts it down. Just over 2 minutes to play in the second quarter before a longer half-time break.

Botille Vette-Welsh trying a little too hard. Pass was just behind her from Zahara Temara.

PEN IND: Second effort against Kennedy Cherrington. Dodd takes a quick tap but she knocks on.

PENALTY IND: Shanice Parker pushed Kirra Dibb after the play and Rochelle Tamarua says that ain't on.

PENALTY Māori: Kick chasers inside 10m.

Back underway in the second quarter. Māori with first use in this quarter of play.

PENALTY IND: Slow ruck

Rima Butler puts the ball down. Both sides struggling with the footy in the rain at times.

PENALTY Māori: High tackle against Shaylee Bent.

Chapman taken in a crash ball scenario. Great edge defence from Shanice Parker and the Indigenous side turn the ball over.

Great short ball to Parker from McGregor but she is cut down 10 metres out from the line. The Māori quickly shifted left but the Indigenous side scrambled well to shut down the play and force a change over of possession.

Both teams seem eager to play footy - but some fundamentals of footy just missing in the first quarter. Field position seems to slightly favour the Māori side.

Rain is falling steadily in the opening stages. Just like it was when we were here in Townsville in 2021.

PENALTY INDIGENOUS: Second effort on the tackle there.

Pass called forward by Tori Wilkie. Botille Vette-Welsh couldn't find Zali Fay as the winger just overran things slightly.

PEN Māori: Second effort in the tackle against the Māori side.

Shannon Mato tries the offload late in the count and it's recovered by Keilee Joseph. The future Bronco is working hard in defence for her team in these early exchanges.

Big crunching tackle sees the ball come loose. Māori on the attack as they shift it left.

Māori make their way through the first set of the evening. Upton fields it and works it up to 40m out from her own team's goal-line.

KICKOFF! We're underway for the 2024 All Stars. 4 x 15 minute quarters tonight.

Rochelle Tamarua is in charge tonight as she was in Rotorua last year. Mitch Currie and Tori Wilkie are on the sidelines with Liam Kennedy manning the controls of the Bunker.

Rugby league returns in Townsville with the All-Stars match between the Indigenous and Māori All-Stars. The Māori are looking to retain the title they won last season while the Indigenous side are looking at winning the crown back they won in 2022. Both sides have no changes to the sides announced this week. Kickoff is at 5:50 and we'll also have the pre-match ceremony before tonight's first match of the All-Stars double header.