Much had been said in the lead up to 2024's NRL All Stars game, with outspoken critics questioning why clubs would put their best players into a highly-emotional spectacle, just weeks out from the season opener.

The same critics intimated that the game 'meant nothing', but anyone who has been following this fixture since its inception in 2010 knows just how much this game means to the players and the fans.

In hot and humid conditions in Townsville, and in the midst of the NRL Pre-Season challenge, the All Stars game did not disappoint. From the opening war cries, to big hits and incredible tries, the match absolutely whet fans' appetites for a big 2024 NRL season.

Here are six headlines from the 2024 Al Stars game.

1. Cronulla Sharks' halves combination on display

Slick, measured, balanced and creative, last year's Preston Campbell medal winner Nicho Hynes was complemented by a firing Braydon Trindall. Dazzling with seasoned game management and kicking flair, Trindall poetically picked up the Preston Campbell medal for best on ground, giving Sharks fans plenty to be excited about in 2024.

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2. Fox and Hammer primed for a big season

Josh Addo-Carr collected two tries, but it was his aggression in hit ups and in defense that was the bigger talking point. With a bullock-style technique bringing the ball out of his own end, 'The Fox' was also extremely solid in defense, putting a number of big shots on and seemingly putting away his tendency to rush out of the line looking for an intercept play.

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow also looked extremely sharp in his first hit out, scoring a try, showing off his scintillating speed and also mesmerising with a dancing in-goal escape (which was later shown to be semi-howler from the referee who missed The Hammer's toes touching the dead ball line).

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3. SuperCoach implications...

Nicho Hynes appeared to be less ball-dominant in his partnership with Braydon Trindall, who will wear the 6 for Cronulla this year, despite being more in the mould of a halfback. Despite a quieter game from Hynes, he still racked up over 70 SuperCoach points.

Shaquai Mitchell and Josh Kerr both pumped out over 130 run metres in around 45 minutes on field, while Joseph Tapine was in a deadly mood, blasting 110+ SuperCoach points in only 49 minutes.

Other players who will have piqued the interests of SuperCoach players include Xavier Willison, Matthew Timoko and Jack Howarth.

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4. War cries spectacle

Once again, the pre-match cultural rev-ups were stirring, filled with high emotion and connection to tradition. Close-ups of the players' faces during the telecast showed just how much the expression meant to the players.

Just as the Australian National Anthem has cultural significance, the NRL All Stars game showcases pride, unity and strength among the Indigenous and Maori playing groups. It highlights another dimension of what diversity brings to the league.

5. Indigenous women get the W

Kirra Dibb, Jaime Chapman and Kimberley Hunt all starred for the Indigenous All Stars women in a 24-6 victory over an error-riddled Maori outfit.

6. Injury scares

South Sydney Rabbitohs, Sydney Roosters and Cronulla Sharks fans will all be nervously waiting on updates after Latrell Mitchell appeared to tweak an existing knee injury, while Brandon Smith copped a head knock plus a mild twisted ankle. Star five-eighth Braydon Trindall left the field early with a shoulder complaint.

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