The NRL All Star game has been rocked by more high-profile withdrawals just a week out from the game.
After Josh Addo-Carr withdrew from the Indigenous All Stars squad on Friday, Maori players Daejarn Asi, Joseph Manu, Starford Toa, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak have all pulled out too.
The showpiece pre-season event will be played at Rotorua International Stadium in New Zealand on Saturday.
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The Storm on Sunday announced Asofa-Solomona had pulled himself out of the Maori side, having only rejoined his club on January 4 after an extended off-season following the World Cup.
Melbourne said Asofa-Solomona was in the middle of a “heavy training block”.
“It was an honour to again be selected to wear the Maori jersey but unfortunately I’m not physically in the position to be able to play in such an intensive match so soon in my pre-season preparations,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to seeing my Maori brothers in action again and wish them all the best against the Indigenous team.”
Addo-Carr confirmed on Friday he wouldn’t play for the Indigenous side for similar reasons.
“I just feel like I need to get my mind and body right. I’ve only been back the last three weeks, I sat down with the coaches and they went through some stuff that I needed to get right and that’s all it was,” he told Fox Sports.
“It was a disappointing decision but at the same time I thought about the team before myself.
“I don’t want to go there and not be as fit as I could be and there’s a lot of risk in that with injury. Everyone here is easing me into training so I just thought it was the right thing.
“I’m shattered, but it’s just one of those things”.
Manu and Waerea-Hargreaves have also been ruled out of the Maori squad after suffering injuries at the Roosters’ pre-season camp in New Zealand.
Manu reportedly suffered a facial fracture at the camp in Queenstown, while it was a back and hamstring complaint that saw Waerea-Hargreaves pull the pin.
Both are expected to be ready for round one of the season proper.
The players called into the Maori squad on Sunday are: Tukimihia Simpkins, Leo Thompson, Paul Turner, Austin Dias, Creedence Toia, and Sheldon Pitama.
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