All Stars rocked as big-name players withdraw

1 year ago 74

The NRL All Star crippled has been rocked by much high-profile withdrawals conscionable a week retired from the game.

After Josh Addo-Carr withdrew from the Indigenous All Stars squad connected Friday, Maori players Daejarn Asi, Joseph Manu, Starford Toa, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak person each pulled retired too.

The showpiece pre-season lawsuit volition beryllium played astatine Rotorua International Stadium successful New Zealand connected Saturday.

The Storm connected Sunday announced Asofa-Solomona had pulled himself retired of the Maori side, having lone rejoined his nine connected January 4 aft an extended off-season pursuing the World Cup.

Melbourne said Asofa-Solomona was successful the mediate of a "heavy grooming block".

"It was an honour to again beryllium selected to deterioration the Maori jersey but unluckily I'm not physically successful the presumption to beryllium capable to play successful specified an intensive lucifer truthful soon successful my pre-season preparations," helium said.

"I'm looking guardant to seeing my Maori brothers successful enactment again and privation them each the champion against the Indigenous team."

Addo-Carr confirmed connected Friday helium wouldn't play for the Indigenous broadside for akin reasons.

"I conscionable consciousness similar I request to get my caput and assemblage right. I've lone been backmost the past 3 weeks, I sat down with the coaches and they went done immoderate worldly that I needed to get close and that's each it was," helium told Fox Sports.

"It was a disappointing determination but astatine the aforesaid clip I thought astir the squad earlier myself.

"I don't privation to spell determination and not beryllium arsenic acceptable arsenic I could beryllium and there's a batch of hazard successful that with injury. Everyone present is easing maine into grooming truthful I conscionable thought it was the close thing.

"I'm shattered, but it's conscionable 1 of those things".

Manu and Waerea-Hargreaves person besides been ruled retired of the Maori squad aft suffering injuries astatine the Roosters' pre-season campy successful New Zealand.

Manu reportedly suffered a facial fracture astatine the campy successful Queenstown, portion it was a backmost and hamstring ailment that saw Waerea-Hargreaves propulsion the pin.

Both are expected to beryllium acceptable for circular 1 of the play proper.

The players called into the Maori squad connected Sunday are: Tukimihia Simpkins, Leo Thompson, Paul Turner, Austin Dias, Creedence Toia, and Sheldon Pitama.

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