The men's teams couldn't be separated after 80 minutes, while a star-studded women's Indigenous All Stars staged an impressive second half comeback to make it three consecutive wins in the NRL's All Stars fixture in Aoetearoa / New Zealand on Sunday.
A scoreless final 20 minute quarter left a 16-all full time scoreline in the men's fixture despite desperate attempts from both sides to seal a win in the thriller. The Māori All Stars retain the Arthur Beetson Trophy from their 10-6 win in 2025's arm-wrestle.
The FMG Stadium Waikato crowd was treated to a higher-scoring contest in the NRL season curtain-raisers' second venture across the Tasman.
In the manic final exchanges, Jayden Campbell, son of the fixture's founder Preston, was denied a fairytail match-winner for the Indigenous side on review from the bunker after producing a special piece of rugby league five minutes from full time.
Minutes later, Tallis Duncan was held up over the line, before the Māori All Stars' dying seconds drop-goal attempt was charged down to seal the result.
It only took the Māori All Stars three and a half minutes to get their afternoon going when Jacob Laban broke the line from 10 out.
Jacob Laban strikes first for the Māori side! 💥 pic.twitter.com/Bj6NmM2NXS
— NRL (@NRL) February 15, 2026
Footwork and fast ball movement, started by Connor Watson out of the play the ball, gave the Indigenous All Stars their response through young Roosters back rower Blake Steep.
Watson crossed over for his own soon after before Josh Addo-Carr was denied from making it three in the opening quarter on review from the bunker for obstruction.
The Māori All Stars had all the momentum either side of halftime but couldn't convert it to the scoreboard.
A 12-10 advantage to the visitors was pushed out to a converted try when Josh Addo-Carr got on the end of a Braydon Trindall grubber, and bumped off contact and crossed over wide on the left side.
Addo-Carr became the all-time leading try scorer in All Stars games in the process.
The home side had their response through Trent Toelau six minutes out from the final change (the match played over four quarters) with neither able to edge ahead late in the piece.
Addo-Carr coming through like a freight train! 🚂 pic.twitter.com/iI1mRdOZDd
— NRL (@NRL) February 15, 2026
Māori fullback Keano Kini took home the Preston Campbell medal for player of the match. He had 161 running metres - 51 post-contact, five tackle-breaks and three offloads in a fine performance.
Captain James Fisher-Harris led with actions running for a match-high 165 metres and 34 tackles.
Trey Mooney was unrelenting in defence with 42 tackles of his own.
For the Indigenous All Stars, Sharks duo Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trinall impressed in the halves.
Hynes ended with seven tackle breaks and his sides most running metres, while Watson was also among the most influential and creative on the ground.
Stunning second half keep Fanning-Murphy a trophy in Indigenous All Stars hands
After struggling to gel in the opening half, the Indigenous women put on four unanswered tries after the main break to hold on to bragging rights in Hamilton.
The Māori women raced to a 14-nil lead in the opening 30 minutes before being overcome later on.
Rima Butler crossed over early before Tenika Willison had her first, and later second four-pointer to establish a healthy buffer via a two-player cut-out pass from Zahara Temara on the left side.
The margin didn't last long on return to play with Indigenous women crossing over twice in quick succession to intensify the contest.
19-year-old Australian schoolgirls representative Phoenix-Raine Hippi bumped off a good shot and spun to beat two māori defender over the line to get them on the board.
Keira Dibb's pin-point kick hit Caitlin Turnbull on the fly made it two in as many minutes and cut the difference to four points.
The Māori All Stars had their chances, and were imposing in defence throughout.
Starting the final 15 minutes in similar fashion, creativity taking space by Tahlia Fuimaono put Hippi in space down the left side from their own half.
Hippy found Krystal Blackwell to give the visitors the lead for the first time.
Speedster Jada Taylor couldnt be caught down the left touch line to seal the result with an 80 metre effort in the final minute.
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Blackwell claimed the Trish Hina Medal for player of the match.
She had 121 running metres with the ball, a line break, two line break assists and five tackles breaks to go with her try.
The Māori and Indigenous All Stars went win-for-win across the six years meetings from 2019. Wins in 2025 and on Sunday gave the Indigenous side an 5-3 edge on the overall record.
Sunday's meetings in the Waikato was the All Stars weekend's second time in Aotearoa after Rotorua hosted events 2023 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Indigenous representative team to tour the country in 1973.
