The scratchings of Manu and Waerea-Hargreaves come on the back of Josh Addo-Carr’s withdrawal from the Indigenous All Stars side, which was reported first by the Herald on Friday.

Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould told The Sun-Herald that Addo-Carr’s omission had nothing to do with injury.

“He has only been training for three weeks – he is not ready to play,” Gould said. “As per the RLPA policy they have enforced, players have to have a certain amount of time off between seasons. Clubs have no say in the matter.

“It was always going to be an issue with the World Cup ending late last year, and then trying to fit in an All Stars game early in February.”

Addo-Carr, who along with Mitchell is the most popular Indigenous player in the game, told Fox Sports: “I don’t want to go there and not be as fit as I could be and there’s a lot of risk in that with injury. Everyone here is easing me into training so I just thought it was the right thing.

“I just feel like I need to get my mind and body right. I’ve only been back the last three weeks, I sat down with the coaches, and they went through some stuff that I needed to get right, and that’s all it was.”

The NRL confirmed early on Saturday Brisbane’s Ezra Mam, Penrith’s Chris Smith and Wests Tigers veteran Will Smith will also skip the All Stars game. Daine Laurie, Albert Kelly and Isaiah Tass will be their replacements.

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The Indigenous players spent time on Saturday running camps at Redfern, Mt Druitt, Campbelltown, as well as Ballina, on the far NSW north coast.

Elsewhere, Parramatta look set to be without another forward for the season opener against the Storm with Bryce Cartwright suffering a fractured jaw.

Cartwright, who suffered a similar injury on the eve of the season two years ago, joined Ryan Matterson on the sidelines with Matterson to skip the opening three games because of suspension.

Matterson had the chance to pay a $4000 fine for his grand final shot on Dylan Edwards, but refused to do so and said at the time: “If you do something wrong at work, they don’t take money off you.”

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