Each year, around this time, the NRL All Stars game is questioned. Is it worthwhile? All these players are pulling out, what's the point? And so on. Each year a number of the NRL's most high profile players, whether they are indigenous or not, voice their opinion in support of the NRL All Stars concept. 

Each year we have this back and forth, trying to convince ourselves that the All Stars concept is valid or that it isn't. It's tiresome, instead of celebrating a cool concept and all the peripheral good vibes that if offers, the All Stars game and the build up to it is consistently overshadowed by discussions of it's mere existence. 

Why this is the case is a complex matter? Could it be an anti-indigenous agenda? Well there's an idea huh? Or do we (the NRL community) have this need to have things constantly changed?

Think of all the rule-changes and tinkering that goes on, with a lot of it resulting in a hindrance, not an enhancement. Most of anti-All Stars narrative could be put down to an incredibly hectic pre-season schedule in which the NRL Nines, All Stars, trials and World Club Series are packed into a few weeks, rather unnecessarily. This pisses off coaches the most and when coaches aren't happy, they push for change.

Trials and the World Club Series are here to stay, leaving us with essentially a battle between the NRL Nines and All Stars game. Obviously this isn't a battle to the death as these two pre-season events can coexist, it's just that this option isn't really being explored in any great depth with NRL head of football Todd Greenberg unable to guarantee that the All Stars game will take place next year.

Cameron Smith said that the NRL Nines should be first to go instead of the All Stars game and it's hard to disagree. Personally I believe that the NRL needs to look after it's own backyard first and foremost, which means the indigenous players and communities of Australia have to get the first look in. 

In saying that, both events engage communities that need to be shown love by the NRL. The All Stars game is preceded by a week of community work, mainly involving indigenous communities, while the NRL Nines does a great job in enabling Aucklanders (and other kiwis) the opportunity to see their favourite players and/or former clubmates around Auckland; the Thursday evening before the Nines weekend where each NRL club is assigned to visit an Auckland club is a master-stroke.

The NRL Nines must make the NRL a fair amount of dosh, as well as the clubs who apparently can't run their balances efficiently as it is. If you're Greenberg or the NRL, you will be looking at the Nines with $$ in your eyes, while the All Stars game is more of a goodwill gesture in which you sacrifice money to spread a message of pride and inclusiveness.

So what? I've walked this tightrope of not going too far in support of the All Stars or Nines concept, so how is this annual whinge-fest fixed? 

There's no reason why the Nines or the All Stars game has to be played before the NRL season. Yet it doesn't make sense for either of them to be held after the season either because we want international rugby league to get as much love as possible. The Nines suits the pre-season window for me, it's a festival atmosphere and which doubles as an opportunity to give fringe NRL squad players some limelight. The All Stars game could be moved to a mid-season window before or after State Of Origin to break up the long stretch of games in those phases of the season. Meh, that doesn't really work.

A bright idea would be to just leave it as is, I like that idea. The Nines and All Stars games don't involve every squad member and clubs/players who are likely to be in contention for both can simply pick one or the other, as is already the case. Cameron Smith and Greg Inglis weren't at the Nines because they have put their eggs in the All Stars basket, which is great, either option is great.

Perhaps the best idea of all is to just have an Indigenous All Stars vs Maori All Stars game each year. Now I like that idea, so much so that I'll explore it in greater depth at a later date.

Both the Nines and All Stars events should be here to stay because they are great for rugby league. They both have a purpose in spreading the rugby league gospel and both events put similar events of rival codes in the shade, hence we should celebrate them and enjoy this time of year. As for NRL players, coaches and officials, well they simply need to be more efficient in how they manage their pre-season schedules.