Rugby league: Warriors coach Nathan Brown accused of 'ignorance' as club's Māori trio pulled from All Stars match

New Warriors coach Nathan Brown. Photo / Photosport

New Warriors coach Nathan Brown has been accused of "ignorance" after his decision to not release three of the club's leading Māori players for this month's All Stars game.

The Māori All Stars take on the Indigenous side later this month in Townsville, but three Warriors players - Tohu Harris, Kodi Nikorima and Chanel Harris-Tavita - won't be available for the clash.

According to 1News, the trio were called up by Māori coach David Kidwell but weren't allowed to attend All Star week despite their desire to represent their culture.

Warriors forwards Jamayne Taunoa-Brown and Josh Curran were given the go-ahead to join the Indigenous side.

Brown admitted that blocking the players' availability was a "selfish decision" but said he wanted the team to catch up on lost time to prepare for the upcoming season.

"It's a decision I made, I spoke to [CEO] Cameron George about why we needed to do it," he said.

"Sometimes it's hard and I understand why people get disappointed, I get that.

"But head coaching is not a popularity contest and sometimes you've got to make decisions which you know are the best interests of your club, but they affect other people.

"I understand that I've got to cop the heat that comes with that."

Brown pointed to the potential downsides that could come from allowing the key players to participate in the match.

"I think we have six weeks [to prepare] before we play our first and only trial match. If we let players go and play representative football, well there's a week they're gone in the lead-up and then there's a few days recovery.

"You lose a week-and-a-half and if they do get a bump it can lead to two weeks.

"I'm a big fan of representative football … and the cultural side of it is quite big but it's just a decision we needed to make in the short-term."

It will be the first time the Māori team will feature no Warriors players in the annual matchup.

Brown's decision led to criticism from New Zealand Māori Rugby League boss Hemana Waaka, who called it "ignorance".

"I think that is an ignorance in terms of releasing the desires of Māori people to represent their race," Waaka said.

"The players acknowledge this is the only time they can get together as a whānau, as a rōpu, as Māori.

"And recognise who they are in terms of the different tribes and the different history that goes behind them."