The countdown has begun ahead of Aboriginal rugby league competitions across league heartland.

However come September, the hype is not about finals football of another long season, nor is it focused on the NRL Grand Final.

Instead, the dates are routinely marked off the calendar for the game's annual knockout carnivals.

The starting point kicked off in New South Wales' Northern Rivers region where cars are packed for the drive to the Lismore Aboriginal Rugby League Knockout carnival.

The competition is one of the precursors to the NSW Koori Rugby League Knockout and is hosted the weekend ahead of the Queensland Murri Rugby League Carnival, held in the northside of Brisbane.

But Lismore Knockout coordinator Chris Binge likes to promote the event as more than just a warrior clash over the white line of blackfullas battling on the footy field.

The physical combat is downplayed for uniting First Nations families and friends from most northern parts of the state on the traditional lands of the Bundjalung nation.

Nearly all of the 15 different clan groups of the Bundjalung people were represented at the first Lismore Knockout that returned to Oates Oval and the nearby Crozier Field since the playing surface and grandstand was severely damaged by devastating floods in 2022.

"This is a great gathering," Binge told the media ahead of the three-day tournament.

"All of the communities are coming together.

"You've got 13 clan groups of the Bundjalung nation are represented – unbelievable.

"It's not just a footy game, it's not just about rugby league, it's about culture.

"I think it's all about cultural immersion."

The Aboriginal peoples of the Bundjalung Nation, according to oral traditions, were the first of the surrounding mobs whose Dreamtime stories contain talk of arriving in Australia around 12,000 years ago after being settled by "The Three Brothers" and their descendants.

Gold Coast NRL veteran Brian Kelly said the carnival in Lismore allows the 28-year-old an opportunity to proudly reconnect with his Bundjalung heritage.

"I always come down here every year after the NRL season and represent my mob, and get to see all the family and friends," he said.

But Kelly also said there are footy games to be won, and Lismore, as the first major knockout of the year, is a good way to renew close knit rivalries between families.

"There is definitely some old uncles that are out there that will try to take your head off and that," the smiling Titans centre laughed.

Sunday's grand final was a big-ticket item for most and is a forerunner to next month's Koori Knockout in Bathurst.

A number of NRL and NRLW players returned to their ancestral roots, including eight of the 10 female stars playing for Northern United that barged their way through the grand final with a terrifying 50-8 victory first-up.

Altogether, 19 teams entered the men's competition with nine a part of the women's draw, together competing for $30,000 in prize money.

Toomelah Tigers took out the men's decider 20-18 in golden-point victory against the North Storm.

The largely Gamilaraay side that is located just over the border from Goondiwindi scored first through Gary Prince up the short side, slamming the ball down in the left-hand corner despite the Storm almost holding up the dynamic winger.

In a first half that struggled to have the last two teams pierce the line, tensions finally boiled over with more than a bit of push and shove that loosened the players up for a thrilling second 20 minutes.

Storm scored first after the interval through an open break in the midfield, and it required a Tigers' penalty goal to square scores up at 6-all.

Tyrel Roberts smartly crossed the line out of dummy half just metres out to double the Storm's advantage to 12-6 after a second conversion.

Just moments later, Nick Torrens backed up the Storm frontrunners going forward to sprint with ball in hand to the line.

The momentum shift almost appeared to determine the trophy's direction and $20,000, but it swung once again.

Brayden McGrady, a Queensland Cup veteran who played one game for NRL side Dolphins last year, burst over the top of Storm defenders to etch the Tigers back within a six-point deficit.

Prince thrillingly scored again in the left corner down the other end, but following the long dash to take the carnival final into golden point, a timely penalty against Storm gifted Toomelah field position to kick the winning goal to snare the 20-18 win.