It was a mixed bag for the two Canberra Raiders players in the All Stars clash with Joe Tapine starring in a best on ground performance while teammate Jordan Rapana was reported twice for shoulder charges during the Maori 16-10 win over the Indigenous side.
Tapine stepped up as co-captain for the Maori side and was clearly the best player on the field all night, scoring a try and setting one up to go along with 125 run metres.
Rapana made a game-high 156 metres but showed poor discipline, giving away two penalties and spending 10 minutes in the bin.
After conceding the opening try, the Maori ran in three unanswered four-pointers before hanging tough amid a last-ditch Indigenous surge at CommBank Stadium on a wet Saturday night.
Warriors forward Josh Curran (head knock) was the only obvious injury concern, the Indigenous lock walking off under his own steam after incidentally copping the hip of Rapana while chasing a grubber.
Having initially found trouble with a bracing hit on David Fifita, Maori fullback Rapana was sin-binned later in the first quarter for a shot on Jessie Ramien that almost caused tensions to boil over, although replays suggested the second hit wasn’t so bad.
Rapana could face a lengthy suspension considering there are two previous non-similar grade-one offences on his record, meaning 40 per cent loading (20 per cent for each prior) would be applied to a potential ban.
The base penalty for a grade-one shoulder charge is 200 demerit points (two matches) while a grade-two warrants 350 demerit points. An early guilty plea affords players a 25 per cent discount.
If sidelined, Rapana could be replaced on the wing for the Raiders by exciting teenager Xavier Savage, who made an impression in two NRL appearances last season.
Indigenous prop Andrew Fifita, who completed a remarkable comeback from a life-threatening throat injury suffered last season, was also sent to cool off for 10 minutes for sparking the mass push-and-shove.
Gold Coast forward David Fifita wowed as the 21-year-old bulldozed three defenders during a 50-metre burst to assist a Ramien try in the 12th minute before being cleaned up by Rapana.
The Maori side struck back when halfback Kodi Nikorima strolled over the line thanks to a couple of smart offloads from Tapine and prop James Fisher-Harris.
Esan Marsters then put the Maori in the lead early in the second half after benefiting from a backline shift.
With Ramien sin-binned for a professional foul late in the third quarter, the Maori took advantage and extended the margin when Tapine powered his way to the in-goal.
Nineteen-year-old St George Illawarra flyer Tyrell Sloan pulled a try back for the Indigenous All Stars in the final term as he zoomed onto a lovely kick from five-eighth Nicho Hynes.
Indigenous captain Josh Addo-Carr went close to pouncing on a grubber to potentially salvage a draw in the dying moments but Reimis Smith beat him to the ball.
With AAP
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