Updated
Newcastle Knights duo Willie Mason and Timanu Tahu will make a return to representative action during next month's All Stars match at Brisbane after being added to the squad as coach's selections.
A representative from each of the 16 NRL clubs was chosen by rugby league fans to represent the NRL All Stars and the best Indigenous talent for their opponents in the preseason showpiece at Lang Park on February 9.
And Mason might also fall into the "coach's favourite" category judging by NRL All Stars coach Wayne Bennett, who could not hide his admiration for his larger-than-life Knights charge on Wednesday.
"I picked him on his football ability but he will help in the talking it up stakes," Bennett laughed.
"He has trained great. He is as enthusiastic as I have ever seen him - this is a just reward for him."
Mason better get used to surprises.
Indigenous All Stars coach Laurie Daley, who will hold the New South Wales State of Origin reins for the first time in 2013, revealed Mason was already in the mix for a Blues jersey - five years after the forward last played representative football.
"I spoke to Wayne before about Willie," Daley said.
"He's a player who adds experience and size and we could do with a bit more size in the front row for New South Wales.
"He's a guy who needs to continually play well and, if he does, who knows what will happen?"
Mason has not looked back since being thrown a lifeline midway through last season, earning a two-year contract extension last November.
Once the NRL's class clown, it seems Mason has become teacher's pet at Newcastle under Bennett after earning the Coach's Award at last year's end-of-season presentation.
Bennett said Mason's boxing training for last month's charity bout against rugby union player Troy Flavell had ensured he would pick up where he left off from last year's impressive comeback.
"To just come into the competition when everyone else had played seven or eight games, it was pretty impressive stuff," he said.
Daley chose Tahu, another comeback kid from the Knights, as one of his coach's picks along with Canberra rookie Jack Wighton.
Melbourne half-back Cooper Cronk was the other player added to the NRL All Stars squad by Bennett after South Sydney sensation Adam Reynolds was named at number seven by an online fan poll.
"Once the team is picked, I can do whatever I want but Adam will start. The fans wanted that and I have been pretty respectful of that," Bennett said.
The two squads were named after more than 40,000 fans voted online.
A representative from each of the 16 clubs must feature in the NRL All Stars but fans could pick from all of the competition's indigenous talent for Daley's team.
Wests Tigers star Benji Marshall will again captain the NRL All Stars, which features Billy Slater at fullback and Parramatta livewire Jarryd Hayne on the bench.
The Indigenous side is led by Queensland playmaker Johnathan Thurston and features an electric backline including Ben Barba, Justin Hodges, Greg Inglis and Blake Ferguson.
| NRL ALL STARS | INDIGENOUS ALL STARS | |
|---|---|---|
| Billy Slater (Storm) | 1 | Ben Barba (Bulldogs) |
| Akuila Uate (Knights) | 2 | Reece Robinson (Raiders) |
| Shaun Kenny- Dowall (Roosters) | 3 | Justin Hodges (Broncos) |
| Josh Morris (Bulldogs) | 4 | Greg Inglis (Rabbitohs) |
| Brett Morris (Dragons) | 5 | Blake Ferguson (Raiders) |
| Benji Marshall (c) (Tigers) | 6 | Jonathan Thurston (c) (Cowboys) |
| Adam Reynolds (Rabbitohs) | 7 | Scott Prince (Titans) |
| James Tamou (Cowboys) | 8 | George Rose (Sea Eagles) |
| Cameron Smith (Storm) | 9 | Travis Waddell (not contracted) |
| Ben Hannant (Broncos) | 10 | Andrew Fifita (Sharks) |
| David Taylor (Titans) | 11 | Joel Thompson (Raiders) |
| Anthony Watmough (Sea Eagles) | 12 | Greg Bird (Titans) |
| Paul Gallen (Sharks) | 13 | Nathan Peats (Rabbitohs) |
| Interchange | ||
| Robbie Farah (Tigers) | 14 | Ryan James (Titans) |
| Tim Grant (Panthers) | 15 | Aidan Sezer (Titans) |
| David Shillington (Raiders) | 16 | Joel Romelo (Bulldogs) |
| Feleti Mateo (Warriors) | 17 | Jake Foster (Raiders) |
| Jarryd Hayne (Eels) | 18 | Dane Nielsen* (Warriors) |
| Willie Mason* (Knights) | 19 | Timana Tahu* (Knights) |
| Cooper Cronk* (Storm) | 20 | Jack Wighton* (Raiders) |
* Coach's selections
AAP
Topics: sport, rugby-league, nrl, brisbane-4000, newcastle-2300
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