All Stars shortlist revealed
Wednesday 28 November 2012 9:39 AM
Newcastle Knights winger Akuila Uate has received the second highest number of votes in the first stage of online voting for Wayne Bennett's 2013 NRL All Stars.
After six weeks of voting Jarrod Hayne was the overall favourite with 9491 votes, 208 ahead of Uate.
During the voting process, fans had the chance to choose their two favourite backs and two favourite forwards.
Alongside Uate, Knights players Darius Boyd, Danny Buderus and Kade Snowden were chosen in the 64-man shortlist.
Bennett will now have two weeks to review the list and place the players into preferred positions, including how he would like to see the make-up of the interchange bench, ahead of Stage Two voting opening on December 10.
The public will have until January 14 to select just one player from each of the 16 NRL Clubs to join automatic selections Benji Marshall and Cameron Smith in the final 20-man squad, which will also feature two players chosen by Bennett and the NRL All Stars coaching staff.
Voting for the Indigenous All Stars team will also open on December 10 with both teams announced on January 16.
The fourth annual Rugby League All Stars match will take place at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on February 9.