NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg has indicated the game's leading indigenous players will have a big say on where the next All Stars match will be played.
Following the Indigenous All Stars' romp over the World All Stars in Newcastle on Friday, the annual fixture will go on a one-year hiatus due to the World Cup at the end of the year.
However Greenberg promised the All Stars game will return to what could be a vastly different-looking calendar in 2019 and beyond.
"I think there's a broader discussion for us to have on what the calendar looks like over this next five year cycle. We've clearly moved international football to the end of the season," he said.
"We've got an innovative approach to State of Origin II, where it'll be on Sunday nights. So how we do things like All Stars and Nines are absolutely up for debate at the moment.
"But let me make it really clear, they're going to be part of the schedule. It's just a matter of where we play them."
That decision is certain to come with some input from indigenous NRL elder statesmen such as Johnathan Thurston and Greg Inglis, although Thurston is likely to be retired by 2019.
Friday's clash in the Hunter was the first time the game was moved out of Queensland, with Gold Coast hosting four matches and Brisbane two since its inception in 2010.
Greenberg said the governing body wouldn't just be consulting the players either.
"One would be the indigenous players themselves, to see their appetite about how they want to grow this. It has to be owned by the players," he said.
"Second of all we have a really diligent Australian Rugby League Indigenous Council chaired by Linda Burney. We would consult very heavily with them on location and regions.
"This is not just about a game tonight.
"It's much more about what we did this week, bringing 60 young indigenous boys and girls into camp, teaching them on leadership and culture and taking those back to the communities."
Greenberg also commented on the growing discontent among NRL stars over the ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations with the players' union.
Thurston has led a chorus of criticism levelled at the NRL over the uncertainty of next year's salary cap that has hampered contract talks between clubs and players.
Greenberg said the salary cap wasn't the only issue and urged more patience.
"People calling for a salary cap immediately, I understand why people want to see that. But this CBA's going to be much more than just about salary cap," he said.
"It's a lot about players' conditions, workloads, recovery times for players and the conditions they play in for the next five-year period.
"The CBA now runs out at the end of October. Clearly we want to do a deal, but we'll do it in the fullness of time, once we have articulated all the details both for the players and the game."
Share
