sports

The female sport warriors who are "tougher than the guys".

Clear your schedule, we’ve got your Friday night plans covered and it’s footy, footy, footy.

For the second year in a row the women’s team will be competing in the annual NRL All Stars round as the curtain-raiser for the men’s match.

Kicking off at 5.30pm, the women’s game will celebrate the league’s Indigenous ties.

“There’s so much talent in these games, I think it’s the best of the best in Australia,” All Stars player Tanisha Stanton told Mamamia.

“It’s such a great game for our people and we have some many good role models in sport at the moment, and we have had for some time.”

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Unfortunately the 21-year-old won’t be on the field this year due to an ankle injury, but she’ll be putting her expertise to use as a commentator on NITV, where the game is being exclusively broadcast.

“I wish I could have been there but I know most of the players as well, so it will be really nice to have this opportunity to celebrate them,” she said.

Stanton, who has also represented Australia in netball, has been a footy fan since she first started playing in the backyard with her dad as a kid.

She was signed to Rugby Sevens in 2015 and is hoping to be back in time for Koori Knockouts, an annual Indigenous rugby league carnival at the end of the year.

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“I definitely think [the game] brings our community come together,” she said.

“It also gives opportunities and gives young girls role models to look up to as well, not just boys.”

The All Stars team is widely regarded as great pathway for Indigenous girls from smaller competitions to higher honours, like the Jillaroos.

Tanisha Stanton in action. Source: Supplied
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Stanton is also thrilled tomorrow night's game will be broadcast free-to-air and sees it as part of a nationwide push to give women's sport the airtime it deserves, such as the launch of the AFL Women's League.

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"I know so many young Indigenous girls in my community in Sydney and in Newcastle," she said. "They all want to play football and most of them are just as tough if not tougher than the guys."

This year marks the first the All Star round hosted in Newcastle.

According to Stanton, the players to keep an eye on tomorrow night are Caitlin Moran, Koori Knockouts stand out Nakia Davis-Welsh, captain Rebecca Young and assistant captain Lavina Phillips.

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Players from embrace after last year's All Star game. Source: Supplied

"There is so much opportunity, now more than ever, for young girls in sport. There’s endless opportunity out there at the moment," she said.

"No dream is too big. Whatever they want to accomplish on and off the field as long as they believe in themselves and have a good support network anything is possible. It’s just how hard you’re willing to work for it."

The Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars is officially back for its seventh year and 2017’s match will be kicking off for the first time in Newcastle on February 9.

For the second annual year, the women’s Indigenous All Stars and the women’s World All Stars will be competing. NITV (Channel 34 and Foxtel 144) will have the exclusive live broadcast of the game, make sure to catch all the action on Friday, February 10 from 5:30pm to 7:00pm.