Gareth Ellis an All Star?

In just one season in the NRL, Wests Tigers forward Gareth Ellis captured the imagination of the Rugby League public and he is now riding a wave of fan support to be on the verge of NRL All Stars selection.<br><br>The popular Englishman had a stellar first year at the Wests Tigers in 2009 and after a strong showing against Australia in the Four Nations Tournament, Ellis is within touching distance of joining the game’s elite in the NRL All Stars side to take on the Indigenous All Stars on February 13.<br><br>Ellis is fighting off competition from his own captain, Robbie Farah, and flyer Chris Lawrence to be the Wests Tigers representative in the highly anticipated game.<br><br>“Twelve months ago I was in fear of the unknown,” Ellis told NRL.com.<br><br>“Playing in the NRL was a big test for me last year, one which I thoroughly enjoyed and things have happened pretty quickly for me.<br><br>“The fans have been great, they have made me feel really welcome from day one, and that is a big thing, when you move from one side of the world to the other, is to feel wanted and that is exactly how I’ve felt since I’ve been at the Wests Tigers.”<br><br>The public must select 16 players – one from each of the NRL clubs – to join automatically selected internationals Darren Lockyer, Benji Marshall, Cameron Smith and Adam Blair.<br><br>The first player selected in the NRL All Stars team public vote will be the representative who receives the highest overall number votes for a single position. His selection will mean that no other player from that representative’s club will be eligible to make the side.<br><br>More than 12,000 fans have selected their NRL All Stars team but the final line-up is still undecided, making it more important than ever for fans to cast their votes.<br><br>Voting in this final stage has been moved forward a day to allow the NRL All Stars team a longer preparation and will now finish at midnight (AEDT) on January 28, 2010.<br>