'Big moment for me': How Māori clash became Duncan's coming of age

Rabbitohs playmaker Cody Walker believes the rise of backrower Tallis Duncan after representing his Indigenous heritage in last year’s All Stars demonstrates why the annual clash is so important.

Duncan stamped himself as a future star against a Māori forward pack led by James Fisher-Harris, Joseph Tapine and Briton Nikora before going on to play all 24 matches for the Rabbitohs last season. 

“If you know Tallis, he is a quite a reserved and quite kid, but I think these games give players who don’t have the profile or the experience an opportunity to showcase their skills,” Walker said.

“We saw how much first grade Tallis played last year after debuting in All Stars. He came a long way last year and he is now one of the go-to backrowers at the club.

“This is why All Stars is so important. It gives players like Tallis and other up-and-comers an opportunity to face some decent opposition, and we have seen how much it has benefited Tallis.

"I’m sure it gives coaches the confidence and trust to pick them in the NRL.”

Walker, who played just 11 matches last season due to a series of calf injuries, joined the Indigenous team camp in Sydney on Monday night but will not play.

“Unfortunately, with my age I just can’t take the risk (of injury),” the 36-year-old told NRL.com.

“I love these camps, they are really special and they make you feel really proud to be an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander man. It is one of those really special weeks that I love to be a part of.

“But it not a trial match, it is a rep game and neither side wants to lose out of passion. The game is fast, and the first 10 minutes are really, really fast, so the risk of injury is quite high at my age.

"Fingers crossed I get the chance to put on the jersey again before I retire.”

While Walker’s time in All Stars may be over, Duncan is set to become a regular feature of the Indigenous team for many years to come.

A Wonnarua man from the Hunter Valley, 23-year-old Duncan is proud to represent his Aboriginal heritage through father Kaine, who named him after Gorden Tallis, and grandfather Bob.

“It is something I am very passionate about. Playing in this game not only makes me proud but it makes my dad proud and my pop proud,” Duncan said.

“For my pop, things haven’t always been easy, but it is something that he wanted us to be proud of - maybe because he sort of couldn’t when he was a young man.

"I know that it makes him proud and it makes him happy to celebrate his culture as well.”

Duncan said he had grown up watching All Stars games and dreaming of representing his Indigenous culture alongside the likes of Jack Wighton, Josh Add-Carr and Nicho Hynes.

“A lot of people I idolised growing up played in this game. Now I get to play in it, and it is something I don’t take for granted,” he said.

“This is not just about the game, it is about the week, and ever since last year I have been looking forward to this game and I am so happy I got picked again.

“I think it has helped me a lot, just being around the calibre of players that are in this squad and learning from them but also coming up against a really good forward pack.

“It was a big moment for me last year, one of my first times playing at a representative level and it gave me a lot of confidence going into the year. I really enjoyed it and I am looking forward to versing them again.”

Rabbitohs captain Cameron Murray said he had taken notice of Duncan’s progress while sidelined with an Achilles injury last season and was impressed by the way he had matured.

Murray, who is set to return in the last round of the Pre-season Challenge against Manly after playing just one match last season, said he was looking forward to playing alongside Duncan in the backrow.

“Ever since he came to the club he has been one of the most committed young fellas I have seen come through and I guess one of the guys to show the most gratitude for the opportunity he got gifted, which he grabbed with both hands,” Murray said.

“There is nothing he won’t do for you out there on the field, you know he has always got your back, so it has been really nice to see him develop as a first grader and build some more confidence with some really good performances.”