Rabbitohs Leaders in All Stars Vote

The Rabbitohs have two international forwards and two second-year backs as their leading vote-getters in the final week of voting for the 2013 NRL All Stars Team.

New recruit and Australian squad member Ben Te'o leads the forwards at the Club with Dally M Rookie of the Year and John Sattler Rookie of the Year award winner, halfback Adam Reynolds continuing to lead the backs.

Reynolds is number amongst the Rabbitohs and number seven across the entire NRL, having attracted 7,377 votes as of the end of last week. Andrew Everingham is the second-highest vote-getter to date amongst the backs, drawing in 3,832 votes.

In the forwards, Ben Te'o leads with 5,021 votes, closely followed the Rabbitohs and Kiwis hooker Issac Luke on 4,994 votes.

Online voting at www.nrl.com/allstars closes at 11:59pm on Monday 26 November, after which a ‘shortlist’ of 64 players (top two forwards and two backs from each club) will be announced for Stage Two voting.

This final voting stage opens on 10 December and closes on 14 January, with the public having to choose only one player from each club.

The top 10 players for the 2013 NRL All Stars in Stage One voting so far are:

1) Jarryd Hayne (Eels)
2) Akuila Uate (Knights)
3) Brett Morris (Dragons)
4) James Tamou (Cowboys)
5) Billy Slater (Storm)
6) Fuifui Moimoi (Eels)
7) Adam Reynolds (Rabbitohs)
8) Josh Morris (Bulldogs)
9) Cooper Cronk (Storm)
10) Michael Jennings (Panthers)

The top players for each of the 16 clubs in Stage One voting so far include:

Jack Reed (Broncos)
Josh Morris (Bulldogs)
James Tamou (Cowboys)
Brett Morris (Dragons)
Jarryd Hayne (Eels)
Akuila Uate (Knights)
Michael Jennings (Panthers)
Adam Reynolds (Rabbitohs)
Josh Dugan (Raiders)
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Roosters)
Glenn Stewart (Sea Eagles)
Paul Gallen (Sharks)
Billy Slater (Storm)
David Taylor (Titans)
Feleti Mateo (Warriors)
Chris Lawrence (Tigers)

Members and fans have until 26 November to be a selector in the first stage of voting at www.nrl.com/allstars.

They must choose two forwards and two backs from each of the 16 NRL Clubs to form a shortlist for Bennett to then refine his team for Stage Two of the voting.

At the completion of Stage One voting, Bennett will place the 64 players chosen into his preferred positions, as well as outline the make-up of the bench positions.

Stage Two of voting will commence 10 December, where the public have the challenge of selecting just one player from each of the 16 NRL Clubs to join NRL All Stars captain and New Zealand skipper Benji Marshall and Australian captain Cameron Smith, who are automatic selections.

Bennett and the NRL All Stars coaching staff select the remaining two players to form the final 20-man squad.

Overview of NRL All Stars voting:

• The first player to be chosen in the NRL All Stars team will be the player who scores the highest number of overall votes in a position.
• Once a player from one club is placed in the team, no other player from that club can be selected.
• If a player withdraws from the team due to injury, he will be replaced by someone from the bench.
• The open bench spot will then be replaced by someone from the injured player’s club, depending on the position needed for the bench.