Why is All Stars important?

Is the match worth keeping?

There is always cynicism about special-event matches, but in its third year this fixture has become widely discussed and it should provide plenty of entertainment.

There is absolutely no doubt that the indigenous players take this match very seriously and are desperate to take part. Less certain is the motivation of the NRL All Stars. Leading players including Cameron Smith, Ben Hornby, Tony Williams and Sam Burgess have withdrawn from the team through injury. So it goes. The NRL All Stars still have plenty of great performers ready for the match at Skilled Park. Just the opportunity to see Australian halfback Cooper Cronk team with New Zealand five-eighth Benji Marshall is mouth-watering. It provides an opportunity for boom fullback Josh Dugan to show that his disappointing 2011 was an aberration, and for veteran fan favourites like Nathan Hindmarsh and Luke Bailey to pull on a rep jumper again.

There is no doubt that the labyrinthine public voting process is an imperfect way of selecting the NRL All Stars, but at least it provides a talking point in the non-rugby league months of the year. Almost 30,000 Australians voted for their preferred players online, a reasonable level of public engagement.

Another important reason for maintaining this clash as an annual fixture is that it means a lot to many indigenous Australians. This group has been marginalised in Australian society and, sometimes, in rugby league. Recognising their importance to the 13-man code is highly worthwhile.

And, lastly – it's an extra game of footy! What fan of the sport wants to turn that down?

Which players will provide the excitement?

In the absence of injured superstar Billy Slater, Dugan will be anxious to show he is a force to be reckoned with. The NRL side's bench forwards provide size and aggression; it will be fun to see internationals Frank Pritchard, Adam Blair, Anthony Watmough and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves ripping in.

However, the real sizzle comes from the entertainers of the indigenous side. It is hard to imagine a more spectacular collection of backs: in positional order, Ben Barba, Jharal Yow Yeh, Greg Inglis, Justin Hodges and Nathan Merritt behind halves Johnathan Thurston and Chris Sandow. These men are responsible for some of the best tries ever scored. Hodges is already talking up his clash with clubmate Jack Reed, and look for Inglis to test his strength against the sometimes lazy defence of Michael Jennings.

Which team will win?

The score is one-all from the first two clashes. The NRL team cannot match the indigenous side's backline brilliance, but it is a seasoned combination with a clear advantage through the coaching of Wayne Bennett (as against the indigenous team's Laurie Daley). The decisive factor could be the size and intimidation of the NRL side's reserve forwards versus the limited bench depth of their opponents. However, greater desire and motivation will doubtless belong to the indigenous side. We're tipping their extraordinary backs to score enough tries for a 32-22 victory.

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of BigPond Sport.