For proud Gomeroi-Muruwari man Braydon Trindall, there is always something new to discover about his rich culture – and that's a key reason he loves being part of Indigenous All Stars camp.
"You think you know it all when you get in there, but there's so much that you haven't learnt and you've still got to learn," the Sharks playmaker explained.
Friday night's match against the Māori All Stars will mark Trindall's third time representing the Indigenous team in the showpiece pre-season event.
He will start alongside Cronulla teammate Nicho Hynes in the halves, a terrific opportunity to continue developing their promising combination, but the significance of the game goes far beyond a warm-up for an NRL campaign.
"My mob obviously means the world to me," Trindall said.
"My family, where I'm from, my country out there - it means the world and I'm so proud to be able to represent them. I'm really proud (of doing that) the past two years. The week that I get in there is one of the most special moments of my life."
Trindall aims to live by the values that have underpinned Indigenous history.
"Just a big one in our culture is respect. You grow up respecting your Elders; they know more than what anyone else knows on the country," he said.
While the All Stars game is the crescendo, the various community activations and cultural workshops during the week are part of the magic.
"Just being around the boys and connecting with them, spinning some yarns and seeing some old friends - it's awesome," Trindall said.
"Big one is my family - I'll be thinking about them (at kick-off time) and just being able to represent them the best I can. The last two years I've done a talk in my language and I can't wait for that again. It's just special to go up against the Māoris."
