The Aboriginal rugby league knockout season is short, yet sweet, just like the games.

There's Lismore, there's the Murri Carnival in suburban Brisbane before the focus turns towards the Koori Knockout, this year held in Bathurst over the NRL grand final long weekend.

It's the gold standard of the 40-minute tournaments that others are measured against.

That length of its existence is the longest, entering its 52nd year where the NSW Koori Rugby League Knockout also hosts the most teams and the most players.

The Queensland Murri Rugby League Carnival though is growing at a faster rate at what has been termed by Bo De La Cruz, the recognisable first Indigenous woman to play for Australia in touch footy, "like our modern day corroboree" for Communities in the larger state.

So when Murri carnival MC Ian Lacey, a former Brisbane Broncos hooker and also a wily seasoned Queensland Cup campaigner, nowadays tied to the Arthur Beetson Foundation, reported to dignities and teams' representatives that this year was the biggest turnout of players in its 12 years, no one in the room batted an eyelid during the official launch.

"The carnival gets bigger and bigger because you guys put your team in every year," Lacey said.

"So, I can say this is our biggest carnival to date: we now know we have 105 teams that has participated at the QMC for this year.

"There was 95 last year, so we have gone off with regards to all the extra girls' division in the teenage-age groups.

"So now we have an age group for every Community members, from under-6s right through to men and women's open.

"Well done and thank you to everyone, who put their teams in because this carnival wouldn't be what it is without you guys."

The count for the eight days of participation was more than 3500 players taking to the pitches at South Pine Sporting Complex in Brisbane's northern suburbs.

The Arthur Beetson Foundation, named after Gubbi Gubbi and Wiradjuri man and Australia's first Indigenous national captain, effectively runs the knockout and the foundation's chairman Steven Johnson was in awe of what the carnival has become in Beetson's memory.

"Everyone has already said how big this carnival is, but I'm sure that Arthur would be smiling up there, acknowledging the wonderful work of his family's sons and even grandsons … and he would be looking down at the work that's been done for the Community, and living his legacy," Johnson said.

"Arthur was a very proud Indigenous man and he was also very proud of the work he did in creating opportunities for everyone from his path of the first Indigenous rugby league captain and coach of Australia.

"So we're very proud to keep continuing Arthur's work and we will keep doing it for years to come."

Queensland Rugby League chief executive Ben Ikin had a new appreciation for the growth of the Murri event, not only after joining the Indigenous Advisory Committee, but since a recent invitation to Kowanyama to visit Country with the Arthur Beetson Foundation.

Ikin told a story of how the touring party was assured there were no crocodiles in the local river of Kowanyama and it was soon after having a swim with others did someone later spot a sign to be aware of five-metre crocodiles.

The former Gold Coast, North Sydney and Brisbane winger called the trip "eye-opening" in expanding his horizons.

"I had never been to a remote Indigenous community before," Ikin said.

"So to see how they operated and to get an insight into different culture was really powerful.

"Doing the trips on Country and hearing all the backstories on the back of a car with a guy you know as James Roberts who was learning some of this stuff for the first time himself as well, was something I'll never forget.

"The other thing it showed me is how well rugby league travels across the state.

"It's not only in my bones and I am pretty sure it's everyone else's bones that are here.

"But to see how that can impact a Community like that and bring people together made me really proud to be a rugby league person and an Australian.

"So to think communities like get the opportunity now to travel hundreds and even thousands of kilometres to come together because of this game and to celebrate culture, and to also learn stuff as well together, I think it's just a great testament to the game I love, and to the people who have organised this carnival that I know it's becoming bigger and better every year."

The final day of the carnival was capped off with Urapun Thayak, who arrived from Badu island in the Torres Straits, capture the men's open title with a 20-16 win over the Darkies Connection.

While several thousand spectators cheered on a thrilling finish, the grand final was also streamed live back onto the islands.

What viewers more than 2000 kilometres away witnessed was a literal game of two halves.

Darkies Connection pulled away to the interval 16-0 after 20 minutes before the turnaround from Urapun Thayak, who under captain and former NRL star, Ben Barba, tallied a point-a-minute to grab a late win by four points.

Mungindi Panthers hung on against South East Queensland Magic 20-14 in a top women's grand final after leading 14-nil at halftime, capturing back-to-back titles.