Overview of NRL All Stars voting:Preston Campbell (c), Nathan Merritt, Willie Tonga, Greg Inglis, Jharal Yow Yeh, Scott Prince, Johnathan Thurston, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs, Travis Waddell, George Rose, Sam Thaiday, Jamal Idris, Greg Bird, Ben Barba, Jamie Soward, Carl Webb, Cory Paterson, Joel Thompson, Ryan James, Matt Bowen.
NRL All Stars coach Wayne Bennett has called on fans to make their votes count with less than 24 hours remaining before Stage One voting for the 2011 NRL All Stars team closes.
In the only Australian representative match where the public selects the team, more than 20,000 Rugby League fans have already taken on the challenge with Manly’s Anthony Watmough, the Eels’ Nathan Hindmarsh, Canberra Raiders fullback Josh Dugan and Sydney Roosters and Dally M Player of the Year Todd Carney topping the voting, which closes at 11:59pm AEDT tonight.
Fans can vote for their favourite NRL players through www.nrl.com.au/allstars or click here, choosing their top two forwards and two backs from each of the 16 NRL clubs to make the shortlist of 64 players for the team.
“The public has a very hard choice to make in helping me deliver a winning team for the 2011 match,” NRL All Stars coach, Wayne Bennett, said.
“Consider the Roosters for example – there’s the likes of Nate Myles, who was in the side last year, alongside Braith Anasta, Todd Carney and Shaun Kenny-Dowall – it’s certainly a hard choice.
“I’m looking forward to sitting down later this week with the shortlist of 64 decided by the public and placing those players into my preferred positions before Stage Two voting starts on January 3.”
Stage One voting for the NRL All Stars team closes at 11:59pm AEDT tonight, December 28, 2010.
Stage Two voting commences at Midday AEDT (11:00am Queensland time) on Monday, January 3, 2011 and will see the public select one player from each of the 16 NRL Clubs to join Kangaroos captain Darren Lockyer and New Zealand captain Benji Marshall in the final make up of the NRL All Stars team for the February 12 match at the Gold Coast.
- The first player to be chosen in the NRL All Stars team will be the player who scores the highest number of overall votes in a position.
- Once a player from one club is placed in the team, no other player from that club can be chosen.
- If a player withdraws from the team due to injury, he will be replaced by someone from the bench.
- The open bench spot will then be replaced by someone from the injured player’s club, with the new player having recorded the second highest number of votes from that club, either as a forward, back or utility, depending on the position needed for the bench.
Rugby League fans are also being reminded to secure their tickets for the 2011 Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars, with less than 2000 tickets remaining.
Tickets are available through Ticketek outlets, on 132 849 or click here.
New Zealand customers can call 0800 842 538 or +61 132 849.
The 2011 Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars will see the NRL All Stars play the Indigenous All Stars, announced in November by coach Laurie Daley and featuring:
