Sportsnewsfirst.com.au

By AAP

4 February 2012 10:36PM EST

NRL All Star Nathan Hindmarsh is tackled during his side's exciting win. Getty Images

THE NRL All Stars have claimed the Arthur Beetson Trophy with a

36-28 win over the Indigenous All Stars in a scintillating clash at

Skilled Park on Saturday.

Wayne Bennett's side outscored Laurie Daley's men by six tries to five, in a match

played at breakneck speed throughout.

Despite the new season being a month away, both sets of players showed some

flashes of brilliance to light up the third annual clash between the two sides on

the Gold Coast.

However, an ankle injury to Greg Inglis cast a shadow over the match, with the

Queensland and Australia centre limping out of the game 10 minutes from time.

Stirring Aboriginal and English versions of Advance Australia Fair were sung

before the game with the Indigenous side then marching up to their opponents

as a part of a traditional war dance with spears.

The pre-match ceremony certainly fired up the Indigenous side, with Jharal

Yow Yeh opening the scoring with just six minutes on the clock.

Despite the theme of the week leading up to the match being reconciliation,

there was very little being shown on the field as both sides ripped into each

other in the opening exchanges.

New Zealand enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves was at the thick of the action,

trading blows with Sam Thaiday and then fronting up to Nathan Merritt and Ben

Barba in another stand-off on the touchline.

The Indigenous outfit doubled their lead on the stroke of quarter-time when

Merritt scampered over from close range after Chris Sandow's grubber-kick

deflected into the path of his former South Sydney team-mate off Paul Gallen's

shin, but shortly after the restart Frank Pritchard reduced the deficit when he

bulldozed his way to the line.

Bennett immediately used his first power play to reduce the Indigenous side

to 11 men.

However, it proved to be a missed opportunity as the Indigenous side extended

their lead, despite their numerical disadvantage when Matt Bowen pounced onto

a brilliant Thurston chip-kick to score.

Laurie Daley then invoked his side's powerplay and the NRL side emulated the

success of their rivals' success when Luke Lewis darted over for a try.

However, with 10 seconds of the powerplay remaining, Merritt raced over again

in the left corner for his second try of the game on the stroke of halftime.

The NRL outfit started the third quarter superbly when Gold Coast skipper Luke

Bailey fended off three tackles to score.

Canberra star Josh Dugan then demonstrated superb handling skills to pluck

the ball millimetres from the turf after a hand-off from the impressive Cooper

Cronk with Benji Marshall's conversion giving his side the lead for the first time.

The final quarter then saw England international Jack Reed stretch the lead

with a try in the left corner following smart work from Cronk.

Indigenous skipper Thurston then called for his side's second powerplay and

Inglis took advantage of the shortened defence with a try, only to sink back

to the ground in visible pain clutching his left ankle.

Chris Sandow's kick closed the gap to 30-28, but Vatuvei sealed the win with

a late four-pointer and Marshall added the extras to add some gloss to the

scoreline.

Merritt was awarded the Preston Campbell Medal after being named man

of the match.