Campbell described the opportunity to play alongside Robbie McCormack was an honour and was full of praise for the opposition.

“That’s what they were, legends,” he said.

“A lot of them still have it and keep themselves pretty fit and like us they went out there and had a bit of fun and put on a good game.”

Campbell was one of the best players for the locals and did a good job as leader, grabbing two tries in the process.

While he said it was always good to score tries, the night was about more than the scoreboard.

“At the end of the day the score didn’t matter.”

“It’s about putting on an exhibition and the crowd were enjoying it and the guys playing were all really excited about it.

“Supporting the Men of League is the most important thing.

“They do lots of great things and it’s a credit to the Hawks, the sponsors and Jamie Petrie who played a big part in this happening.”

Interestingly Campbell played without his trademark headgear for the first time in a number of years, no doubt causing a bit of confusion for the crowd initially.

“I think they were looking for a bloke with a headgear and were a little confused,” he laughed.

Another former star that played for the RSM Invitational was Nathan Blacklock, who will continue to play locally as captain coach of the Tigers this season.

“It’s good to come back here and play with some of the guys again,” said Blacklock.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and it was great to have the opportunity.”

“I still get to play with some of them from of them from time to time but it’s great to have them up here showing their skills to the town.”

Blacklock also highlighted the importance of supporting the Men of League and said it was great to see the community come out in support.

“It was good to see some of the guys out there playing again and I’ve got to give the crowd a rap because it was good to have them all here in with such a great atmosphere.”

One of the former Hawks players who returned for the match was premiership winning forward Damien Smith who said it was great to be able to play again and come up against the NRL players.

“They still have plenty of time to do what they want to do and they still hit pretty hard, so it was a good effort,” he said.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had a game, but everybody seemed to enjoy it and it was played in a good spirit, so it was really good.”

“A few of our guys haven’t played for a while, just like the NRL players, but it’s good to see them put a bit of time and effort in.

“It all goes out to a good cause and not a lot of big things happen up here in Inverell so it’s good to see so many people come out and support it.

“There hasn’t been a lot of footy around so it’s great to get back out onto the paddock and it looks like a lot of people really enjoyed it.”

Despite being one of, if not the oldest player on the field, one of the stars for the Legends side was former Manly great Cliff Lyons, who showed the crowd he still has all the skills.

“The skills are still there, just not the speed,” he laughed.

“I haven’t played for a long time but it was really exciting to put the boots on again actually. My heart was racing and I was thinking about what I was going to do and how to play.”

Lyons, who has been involved with the Men of League before said it was great to come and play in Inverell and catch up with some old mates and support the foundation at the same time.

“All footballers need help every now and then, so we’re happy to help out,” he said.

“You never get to see the guys much through the year, so it’s a bit like a mini reunion.”

Lyons said he was impressed by a number of the Hawks players and was also happy with the number of people who turned out to watch.

“I thought their five-eighth (Mitch Porter) was very talented and the winger Harold Duncan looked very electrifying and quick, so they’re not too bad.”

“It was great to get out there and have a bit of fun and entertain the crowd.”

“It was a really great atmosphere so well done to the Inverell people.”

The crowd all cheered loudly for the local players and were no doubt very proud of them for their performance.

Kialu Brown, Troy Goldman, Luke Walker, Mitch Porter, Preston Campbell and Nathan Fenton were among the try scorers for the RSM Invitational, while David Peachey, Chris Caruana, Harold Duncan, Steve Calman and Isaac Butterfield (who played in place of his father Tony) scored tries for the Legends.

Credit must go out to all the players involved who did a lap of honour for the fans and stayed out on the field to meet the crowd for a chat and have their photos taken.

Preston Campbell in particular drew a lot of attention from the fans and was easily the most popular man on the field, taking time out for photos and to speak to the kids.

The community also had the chance to meet the players at a function at the RSM on Friday night, while the kids learnt some valuable skills at a free coaching clinic on Saturday morning.

The Inverell Ladies League also played a trial on the day, while Tingha beat the Hawks in a curtain raiser to the main game.

Organiser Jamie Petrie said the event was a big success and will hopefully become an annual event in the future.