NRL legend Tony Kemp slams Indigenous All-Stars as a ‘reserve-grade’ game after mass withdrawals

Footy legend Tony Kemp has called the Indigenous All-Stars match a ‘reserve grade game’ as a wave of players withdraw from the contest.

The former Knights star and Warriors manager is now one of New Zealand’s top commentators, and the 55-year-old has targeted the NRL for protracted Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) discussions.

Kemp is skeptical of some of the reasons given for withdrawing from the game, believing that the ongoing (and sometimes acrimonious) negotiations are a big reason both teams don’t have a large number of their best players.

The Kiwi Test legend loves the concept of the game but is “sad” by the state of the 2023 edition, which takes place in Rotorua at 15:45 (AEST) on Saturday.

Indigenous players ahead of a rallying cry leading up to the 2020 All-Stars clash. The team has been decimated by withdrawals before this Saturday’s game, but will still have a number of talented players available.

Maori dancers perform a traditional war cry and dance at the 2020 All-Stars game. This year, the game heads to New Zealand, though soccer legend Tony Kemp has complained the country won’t have the top two lineups due to massive withdrawals.

“I don’t think it’s legit (the Indigenous All-Stars game),” Kemp said. SENZ breakfast.

“It’s really sad…you’re finally bringing this game to New Zealand, so they’re like, ‘Okay, because of what the Warriors have done in the last three years, we’re going to bring a game to New Zealand. We’re going to bring the All Stars game (to New Zealand)’.

“(It’s) a great concept, they got it right… and they’ll bring it to New Zealand and then they won’t go in and figure out the CBA,” Kemp said.

Both sides have taken some brutal hits on availability, for a variety of reasons.

The Maori will be without Roosters stars Joseph Manu and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves after both were ruled out by the club with a facial fracture and a ‘back/hamstring flare’ respectively.

Adam Blair puts every ounce of passion he has into the Maori team’s haka ahead of the 2020 All-Stars game

Frontline players Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Daejarn Asi and Starford Toa are unavailable while, bizarrely, Nelson Asofa-Solomona will miss the game due to a dog bite which required surgery and stitches.

“It was an honor to be selected again to wear the Maori jersey, but unfortunately I am not physically fit to be able to play in such an intense game so early in my pre-season preparations,” the Storm Enforcer said in a statement issued on Sunday.

The indigenous side has not been immune either.

Jack Wighton and Latrell Mitchell also cost themselves a spot after being arrested outside a Canberra nightclub at 3:45am, when all good things happen to billionaire athletes.

Latrell Mitchell leads the rallying cry for the indigenous side ahead of the 2021 match. Mitchell was in doubt after a brawl at 3:45am outside a Canberra nightclub, but flew to New Zealand to play in the match.

Josh Addo-Carr, pictured mimicking AFL indigenous icon Nicky Winmar’s famous skin-pointing photo, withdrew from this year’s All-Stars meet to “adjust his mind and body.”

However, superstar midfielder Josh Addo-Carr WILL MISS IT, after vaguely referring to the “need to have a good mind and body” as to why he needed to retire from the game.

“I sat down with the (Bulldogs) coaches and they went over a few things I needed to get right and that was it. It was a disappointing decision, but at the same time I thought about the team before me,” said the winger.

‘I’m not as fit as I should be and I’m just trying to do everything right. I’m devastated, but it’s just one of those things.

Ezra Mam, Chris Smith and Will Smith have been others to withdraw from the indigenous team.

Kemp said he was certainly not blaming the players in this case, believing clubs are putting pressure on players with less than a month to go until the NRL season.

He dealt a brutal blow to all the factors in play, saying the match was now a ‘reserve grade match’, rather than the prized representative game it should be.

New Zealand soccer legend Tony Kemp has been scathing about the long list of withdrawals for the All-Stars game, admitting he is “sad” the country won’t be able to experience the two best line-ups out there.

“I don’t think it’s just because the players don’t want to come here,” Kemp said.

“I think the clubs are saying, ‘Well, you don’t come here because there are insurance issues, there are CBA issues, we’re not going to risk you, we need you for the start of the season, you haven’t been training since after Christmas and you’re not ready to come out and play.’

“The sad thing about that is we have this wonderful game and we’re not going to have the best players to watch.

“We’re not going to have the best indigenous stars and we already know we have about 10 of our first-choice Maori kids not playing, so now it’s becoming a reserve-grade matchup,” fumed Kemp, who remains a big fan of the concept.

Panthers icon Scott Sattler agreed with Kemp on the impact that the CBA negotiations, or lack thereof, is having on game availability.

The Maori side perform a moving haka ahead of the 2021 All-Stars game in Townsville

The prime minister’s hero, even a few days ago, was still worried that the match would not even take place, such was his fear over the stalled talks, which included threats of a players’ strike.

“I’d be surprised if the All Stars game goes ahead to be honest,” Sattler told SEN.

“The NRL has probably sat on their hands for too long and didn’t think the players were that strong.”

“V’landys and Abdo didn’t think (RLPA executive director) Clint Newton had the support they thought he would (but) the support is gaining much more strength,” Sattler said.

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo has come under fire from the gaming group over the CBA’s protracted negotiations.

Knights forward Adam Elliott has been one of the NRL’s most vocal critics of the collective bargaining agreement negotiations along with his partner and chief minister Millie Boyle.

The second line warned that if there was no progress soon, the players would take action.

“If we don’t get the results in the next 24 to 48 hours in the boardroom between our chairman, Clint Newton, Andrew Abdo and Peter V’Landys, then we’ll be talking about different actions that we’re going to take,” he told the station. Radio Newcastle 106.9.

“If it gets to the point where we have to do something extreme, I’m really sure all the players will accept it and work together to achieve that common goal.”