RUGBY LEAGUE: Warwick rugby league official Jim Stevens has been re-appointed coach of the Queensland Murri Under 16 team to play an interstate game in Newcastle on February 9 as part of 2017 Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars celebrations.

Stevens is based in Warwick in his role as an NRL game development officer.

He played Queensland Cup footy for Brothers in Brisbane in 1997 and returned to the field two years ago as part of a Warwick Cowboys Old Boys team which plays masters footy at the Gold Coast.

Last year, he coached the Queensland U16 Murri team on a tour to New Zealand.

"It is awesome to coach Queensland, we lost by four points to the New Zealand Maoris side and beat a divisional team 28-0,” he said.

"I am excited to be coaching this side, they are a great bunch of young men and I am sure there will be NRL talent scouts watching them in Newcastle.

"This game is part of a program through the Arthur Beetson Foundation to give indigenous players a pathway to higher honours and improve them from a football and personal perspective.

"The game in Newcastle will be a great steeping stone for the players, some will play in the Queensland under-16 Origin team against New South Wales this year.”

The Queensland Murri team will go into camp under Stevens for three days in Newcastle before the game against the New South Wales Koori U16 sides at 6pm on February 9 as a curtain raiser to the Redfern All Blacks clash with the Cherbourg Hornets.

There are four players from the South-west area in the 18-man team, Jackson Smith and Lochie Pollock (St George), Watjerra Briggs and Ben McKellar (Charleville). Gary Halliday from Toowoomba is manager and assistant coach Kieron Lander is originally from Charleville.