Competitiveness to take hold for All Stars

Anthony Watmough believes competitive instincts will ensure next Saturday's inaugural NRL All Stars clash on the Gold Coast will carry plenty of intensity.

And the Manly Indigenous All Stars backrower has even entertained the prospect of recreating Arthur Beetson's famous introduction to State of Origin in 1980 when he lines up against Sea Eagles teamamate George Rose in the Skilled Park showdown.

Watmough said he would have no hesitations taking a shot at the burly front-rower should the two come together, just as Beetson did to then Parramatta team-mate Mick Cronin in the first Origin clash.

Beetson's swinging arm on NSW's Cronin is seen as the incident which gave life to Origin football.

And while the All Stars game is unlikely to ever rival the NSW-Queensland clashes for intensity, Watmough said there was no way the players would be going in half-hearted.

"It's going to be intense but it's not going to be a State of Origin or a Test match where you've been building up for the whole year," Watmough said.

"It's about getting a few cobwebs out, learning from the players you're with and trying to make something special happen.

"I'm pretty sure if me and Georgie tangle it'll be no different to playing a mate in any other team, you've got to do your job out there.

"Unfortunately he's on the other side of the field this time and I dare say if he comes at me I'm going to try to get him."

The match will mark the second anniversary of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's apology to the stolen generation, and while NRL All Stars hooker Cameron Smith admits the motivation for the indigenous side is obvious, he denied his side would be treating it like a game of touch football.

"We're not going to go out there thinking we've got to let the indigenous team win," said Smith as the team gathered in Sydney on Sunday for the week long camp.

"We want to go out and win because it's the way we're built.

"It matters to all the players because we're very competitive blokes. Once you pull the jersey on and get on the field you want to do your best and you want to win.

"There's a game to be played and there's a game to be won. We want to win it and hopefully along the way it's going to be a great spectacle for the fans.

"I can't see us going out there and playing a game of touch football."

- AAP