As some of rugby league's biggest names prepare to represent their culture and people in Saturday night's All-Star match, the next generation of Indigenous stars faces new hurdles in its quest to emulate its heroes.
Around 13 per cent of NRL players identify as Indigenous and the likes of Latrell Mitchell, Jack Wighton, Josh Addo-Carr and Cody Walker are among the game's top players.
But NRL Indigenous Pathways Manager Dean Widders believes both the league and the 17 clubs could be doing more when it comes to Indigenous pathways systems.
Where up-and-coming players could once drop into NRL clubs straight from the country, the decline of the game in rural and remote areas means the gap is greater than ever before.
Given the majority of Indigenous players and coaches come from the bush, it makes the journey to the top level all the more difficult.
"A lot of our kids are in rural and remote areas and the gap is getting too big to bridge for young people entering the pathways system," said Widders.
"Our kids are usually smaller in size at around 15 or 16, when they enter that pathway, compared to some of the kids in Sydney when they get that elite training from that age.
"Some of the Pasifika kids become world-class athletes really quickly once they enter those programs, they're amazing at that age. Indigenous kids can fall behind because they miss those opportunities.
"So we struggle to get those kids into the entry level of that pathway and these days if you're not in the elite system and those elite competitions by the time you're at that age you won't make it, because the game is struggling in the bush and you can't catch up.
"There's some work to be done there and, to me, that's where we are right now."
For Widders, the solution is to provide those communities with easier access to top-level training programs to ensure the transition to the elite pathways is easier.
The biggest obstacle to doing so is simple – money. Be it by incentivising NRL clubs to put more money into development or via sponsorship or government funding, Widders believes finding the cash to deliver those opportunities will make all the difference in the long run.
"There could be salary cap exemptions or concessions because if you do sign these kids you're going to need to be patient with them," said Widders.
"We need to work harder with our Indigenous clubs and communities to become more professional and we do that by getting people qualified as sports trainers, coaches, those sorts of things.
"We need to work hard to get those qualifications because a lot of those Indigenous communities and the teams don't have that, they're just run by volunteers who don't have easy access or opportunities to get that kind of training.
"We have to make it easier for them to gain that experience. That costs money, so we need to invest more out there and find revenue streams, funding or sponsorship models that can sponsor programs that will strengthen our Indigenous communities and their clubs around how they can provide a more professional and enjoyable experience for young kids playing our game.
"That's a challenge for everyone in every sport, and every workplace as well – how do you get opportunities out to those places? But that's definitely something the game has to work on."
While there is work to be done, the rapid progress for Indigenous players in women's rugby league show change is possible.
Six of the Jillaroos World Cup-winning squad last year identified as Indigenous and it would have been seven had Queensland star Tamika Upton not missed the tour through injury.
Half of the coaches in this year's NRLW season will be Indigenous, including Newcastle's Ron Griffiths, Dragons mentor Jamie Soward, new Broncos coach Scott Prince and Widders himself, who coaches Parramatta.
However, Indigenous coaching at the elite levels of the men's game has lagged behind. No club has had a full-time Indigenous head coach since Arthur Beetson led the Sharks in 1993.
"Less than 1 per cent of the coaches at the elite level of the men's game are Indigenous," said Widders.
"So there's work for all of us to do, that's clubs, Indigenous communities and people at the NRL like myself."
Griffiths, who will coach the men's Indigenous All Stars side on Saturday night against the Māori All Stars, has become something of a trailblazer for Indigenous coaches in recent years and a shining example for what can happen when Indigenous coaches are given an opportunity to shine.
After cutting his teeth at Newcastle All Blacks, Griffiths joined the Wests Tigers system before taking up coaching duties with Newcastle's NRLW side, who he steered to the club's maiden premiership last year.
"Ronnie Griffiths's appointment is a really good step in that direction. He came through the community, he progressed up the ranks and he's worked hard for his opportunity and hopefully, that provides a lot of inspiration for all the Indigenous coaches out there," said Widders.
"You don't have to have a big name or have played NRL to get an opportunity, you can work your way through and there's opportunities in the game that give you that experience and open doors so you can get a role in the future.
"That's got to be pointed out, how important coaches like Ronald will be in this pathway.
"The support isn't there for coaches. It's difficult for a lot of these small communities, because a lot of the coaches are already time-poor.
"They give up what time they have to coach two or three teams and all the other things they do to help their community, so doing courses or what have you isn't easy for them.
"We have to try and get it delivered to them where they are."
The final step to improving the pathways is educating NRL clubs on the specific needs of young Indigenous footballers and providing the right support systems.
Last week, Widders gave a presentation to that effect to all 16 NRL clubs on some of the challenges young Indigenous players face in the modern game as well as the unique aspects of their cultural background.
"It's really important, that education piece I did with the clubs the other day keeps them aware of the history in this country, what our players have been to and what our communities face so they can be part of supporting those players and be part of the answer for them," Widders said.
"If they don't understand the issues for our players and our communities then they can't be part of the answer.
"I sat in a room with some of the best minds in rugby league and most of them were unaware of these histories and what's happened in this country – and that's nobody's fault, we just need to work hard to educate each other."
