In the past plenty of em arent maori, they are imports from pacific islands ... not sure of the current ones
NRL: Players available for NZ Māori squad for All-Stars game
Kalyn Ponga and Valentine Holmes are eligible to play for the NZ Māori as a part of the revamped All-Star game next year.
The two stars headline a star-studded list of players who could feature in the match, which includes the retiring Johnathan Thurston, should he wish to take part.
The team will square off against the
Australian Indigenous All-Stars in a men's and women's doubleheader at Melbourne next February to open the 2019 NRL season.
The match will be played AAMI Park on Friday, February 15, after last year’s Rugby League World Cup forced a one-year break.
The Māori will replace the World All-Stars side, with a two-week voting window open to fans in January to pick their favourite players.
NRL head of football Brian Canavan said the new concept had been canvassed among fans and players alike, with strong support for the matches across both fan bases.
"The All-Stars concept has been popular with crowds across the country and abroad since it first commenced back in 2010," said Canavan.
"In 2019, we're taking the All-Stars to another level, paying homage to Australian and New Zealand First Nations cultures, and celebrating the unique bond between both countries."
Dane Gagai is one of four players eligible for both teams (along with Reimis Smith, Javid Bowen and Josh Hoffman), and will have to pledge his allegiance to one or the other in the coming months before the January voting window.
The NZ Māori team was chosen over a Pacific All-Stars team combining players from Tonga, Samoa, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.
The pre-game Māori haka and indigenous war cry are expected to be a feature of the event.
Potential starting side
1-Kalyn Ponga, 2-Valentine Holmes, 3-Shaun Kenny-Dowall, 4-Gerard Beale, 5-Jordan Rapana, 6-Kodi Nikorima, 7-Benji Marshall, 8-Jesse Bromwich, 9-Issac Luke, 10-Jordan McLean, 11-Tohu Harris, 12-Joseph Tapine, 13-Elijah Taylor.
Reserves: 14-James Fisher-Harris, 15-James Tamou, 16-Corey Harawira-Naera 17-Danny Levi
Other eligible players: Dean Whare, Peta Hiku, Jordan Kahu, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Corey Norman, Te Maire Martin, Dylan Walker, Jahrome Hughes, Jeremy Marshall-King, Corey Norman, Adam Blair, Russell Packer, Kevin Proctor, Leivaha Pulu, Greg Eastwood, Kenneath Bromwich, Brandon Smith
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/spor...le-for-nz-maori-squad-for-all-stars-game.html
