![Bradman Best. Picture by Simone De Peak Bradman Best. Picture by Simone De Peak](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/AFKkRPHwQbXhqFfb42nFTx/47a8aac5-8ba3-462d-87f0-2b97c00209a4.jpg/r0_241_3609_2511_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A DESIRE to play alongside his younger brother Jacob for the first time has prompted Knights veteran Dane Gagai to make a surprise appearance for the NZ Maori against the Indigenous All Stars in the annual pre-season representative match in Townsville on Friday week.
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The two Gagai siblings were named on Thursday in the 20-man Maori squad, which also features Knights prop Leo Thompson, who last year played in three Tests for New Zealand.
The Indigenous squad, to be coached by Newcastle's Ron Griffiths, includes Knights lock Adam Elliott, but NSW Origin centre Bradman Best was disappointed to rule himself out after suffering a quadriceps strain.
Dane Gagai has previously played three times for the Indigenous side and once for the Maori, most recently in 2019.
At 33, it is understood the veteran threequarter was leaning towards bypassing this year's All Stars, but when he learned that his 28-year-old sibling was being considered, realised this would be a unique opportunity to play in the same team.
While Dane has played in 268 NRL games, 22 Origins and seven Tests, Jacob is yet to make his top-grade debut.
Like Dane an outside back, Jacob played lower grades for the Knights and the Broncos, and had a stint in the Newcastle Rugby League competition, before linking with South Sydney last year.
He is yet to appear in the NRL but is part of Souths' full-time training group and could come into calculations after surgery that is expected to sideline first-choice centre Campbell Graham for six months.
Knights football director Peter Parr said that Best had been eager to play his first game in the Indigenous team, but erred on the side of caution after consulting Newcastle's high-performance staff.
"Bradman has a minor quad strain and he felt he would be able to play in the game, but he probably wouldn't be able to train fully with the squad," Parr said.
"It's only a short camp and, given that he wouldn't be able to prepare properly, he felt it was the best thing for the team and himself.
"He's disappointed, because he was looking forward to participating, but you can't be taking any risks at this stage of the season.
"Hopefully he'll be fully recovered and right for our trial against Melbourne [on February 24]."
In Best's absence, Griffiths still has a formidable centre pairing in Kotoni Staggs and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.
The other notable Newcastle absentee, in this case from the Maori squad, is skipper Kalyn Ponga, who declared himself unavailable last week to instead focus on his pre-season preparations with Newcastle.
Neither Ponga, nor his main rival for the Queensland fullback role, Reece Walsh, will be involved in the All Stars after Walsh - who like the Gagai brothers could represent either of the teams - declined selection.
The unavailability of Ponga, Walsh and other crowd-pleasers including Selwyn Cobbo and Ezra Mam has not left the match devoid of drawcards, as the likes of Latrell Mitchell, Nicho Hynes, Josh Addo-Carr, Joseph Tapine, Brandon Smith and Jahrome Hughes have all committed.
In the curtain-raiser to the main game, Newcastle champion Tamika Upton will play in the women's Indigenous team, against a Maori squad that includes Knights teammates Shanice Parker and Rima Butler.
Former Knights Kirra Dibb and Bobbi Law will both team up with Upton, while winger Jasmin Strange, who has returned to Sydney Roosters after helping Newcastle win last year's grand final, has been named in the Maori squad.
Next week's women's match will kick off at 5.50pm, followed by the men at 8.10pm.