'Shop front window': Kerr paves way for emerging Indigenous talent

Representative forward Josh Kerr credits All Stars for kickstarting his NRL career and the 2025 Indigenous captain has urged rookies in the February 15 fixture to use the opportunity to showcase their talent.

Kerr, who was called up for the 2019 All Stars clash in Melbourne by Indigenous coach Laurie Daley without having played an NRL match, went on to debut for the Dragons in the same season and has now made more than 100 NRL appearances.

The 29-year-old prop captained the Indigenous team in last year’s match against the Maori All Stars and earned selection in the Queensland State of Origin squad.

With the Dragons playing in Las Vegas on February 28, Kerr is unsure whether he will be available for an eighth consecutive All Stars match but if not, he said it could be an opportunity for a rookie to follow in his footsteps. 

“All Stars has done so much for me in my career, it probably gave my coach the first opportunity to see that I did have what it takes to play NRL,” Kerr said.

“That’s a big part of what it’s about. There’s a lot of kids who can play NRL, but they don’t ever get the opportunity. All Stars gives a lot of kids an opportunity, and they discover more about their cultural identity as well as their football identity.”

While the 2026 All Stars match at Hamilton’s FMG Stadium Waikato is set to feature some of the biggest names in the game, there is also likely to be more players like Kerr (2019), Jamayne Taunoa-Brown (2020) and Shaquai Mitchell (2022), who pulled on an Indigenous jersey before they played NRL.

Indigenous coach Ron Griffiths confirmed that rookie hooker Oliver Pascoe, the 2025 Queensland Cup Player-of-the-Year, is among the Titans players under consideration, along with star playmaker Jayden Campbell.

“I could see opportunities again for guys who may not have played NRL,” Griffiths said. “It puts them in the shop front window, and they get the chance to show that they can compete at that level and perform at that level.

“I still think that we will have a really strong team. It doesn’t matter who is in, you are playing in a representative team and at the end of the day you are a custodian of the jersey.

“You get to go in and actually represent those who have gone before you and leave the jersey in a better place than you found it.

“The reality is that some of the players who play could be at the back end of their careers where it is their last game, some players might be getting their first go and some may never get an opportunity again so you have got to leave it all out there and be proud of what you have done in the jersey.”

Kerr, who has returned to St George Illawarra after three seasons at the Dolphins, said being called into the All Stars team as a rookie had given him the confidence that he was ready to play NRL.

“Rubbing shoulders with the likes of Andrew Fifita, Latrell Mitchell and guys like that was a dream come true. I never thought I would get to play NRL and I didn’t think I would ever get the opportunity to play All Stars, which is something I used to sit and watch with my family every year,” he said.

“I have played every game since and I was captain last year, so it means so much to me, and I think being a part of these young kids coming through - like Josh Curran and Reuben Cotter, who started their journey there - that’s what makes it so special too.”

Griffiths, who also coaches the Warriors NRLW and Cook Islands Moana teams, said playing the All Stars Men’s and Women’s double-header in Hamilton would provide a unique cultural experience for the Indigenous players.

Since it began in 2010, All Stars has only been played once previously in New Zealand, when Rotorua hosted the event in 2023.

In Australia, the All Stars match focuses heavily on Indigenous culture but the players will also learn about Māori culture.

“To go and experience a different country and their culture is really good for them. They get to immerse themselves not only in our culture but in Māori culture too, for the week,” Griffiths said. “It is humbling to go and support another First Nations culture.

“For us it is about inspiring the next generation, whether it be as footballers, anthropologists, doctors, nurses or whatever they are. Now there is a chance to do it over here with the Māori people of New Zealand and inspire them as well. They’ll get to see some of their heroes up close and in person.”

With the Warriors smashing the previous attendance record for a standalone NRLW match in all three home matches they played at FMG Stadium Waikato last season, Griffiths expects a large crowd for the All Stars double-header.

“When the game was in Rotorua I just thought it was a great fit and Hamilton will be no different. There is a strong rugby league base in the Waikato, culturally it is good, and it is not too far from Auckland for people to travel,” he said.

“It is also a wonderful stadium to play at, you are not too far from the field and the crowds are always good. The Warriors games are always sold out, the crowds in New Zealand for the Pacific Championships last year were phenomenal and no doubt it will be the same for this game in Hamilton.”

Tickets to the Harvey Norman All Stars game are selling fast. Head to NRL.com/tickets to be part of an annual celebration of culture.