Led by Johnathan Thurston and inspired by veteran Wendell Sailor scoring the first try and then using the corner post like a didgeridoo in celebration, the Indig boys have won. Campbell played on this night but is nowhere to be found, having climbed the fence and dashed up to the nosebleeds to shake the hands of family and friends and whoever wants to shake his hand on this night. There are plenty. When you do find him, well after full-time and with the lights about to be turned off, he is ready to leave the ground. He is still wearing his jumper, which bears his surname across his shoulders. You are right behind him. You reel off a photo on your mobile phone for prosperity. Then Preston opens the back door. The stadium is empty, but hundreds of them have merely moved to the back, waiting to see their hero. The man of the moment.

For most of his rugby league career, Campbell was the smallest player on the field. On this night, he is a giant. "It was very emotional," the 37-year-old says when you remind him of the moment. "There are a lot of things that happen in the Indigenous community. You talk about violence, a lot of death - very preventable deaths. Unless it's a wedding, the only time we get to see each other is when a loved one has passed, or something negative has happened. To see so many people come together for a football game and be happy about it, I was so proud." So now you can tell me the Indigenous-All Stars match doesn't mean anything. Tell me it's a waste of time and should be abandoned. Tell me, coaches, if you think they should scrap it because of a fear players could get injured or burnt out. That the NRL premiership means more. The All Stars match makes its return on Friday night at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast after it was put on ice last year because of a busy schedule following the 2013 World Cup - although the NRL still managed to find a place for the Auckland Nines. The Nines dangle a large, juicy $400,000 carrot in front of competing teams. The All Stars match isn't played for prizemoney. It's played for something far more important.

"It's not always about winning a competition," Campbell says. "Winning comes in different ways." He understands the on-field demands on the modern-day player, but says it's what the player can do off the field that should never be forgotten. "I didn't have the chance to represent my state or country, but even playing for my club was a lot of footy," he says. "It's a big ask for a lot of players, and I understand that. If you ask the players, I would hope they sit back and think about how they became successful. The community loves them and that's why they are successful. Because people see greatness in them." The importance of the All Stars week is significant, although rarely seen. "It's not just about a game of rugby league," Indigenous coach Laurie Daley says. The players from both sides connect with the community every day, but it is the workshops with disadvantaged children and teenagers - away from the cameras and reporters - where the real progress is made.

"In Indigenous culture, reciprocity is a massive thing," Campbell says. "We're almost obliged to give back, or help each other, whether we think it's right or not. That's what the All Stars are about for me: doing something for someone, without expecting anything back. With great power comes great responsibility. The power that rugby league has is the power of influence. We need to be careful how we use that. "I need to be careful because I am not a politician, but for me rugby league meant I felt equal. It didn't matter that I was Indigenous. I had the skills and the talent to be a rugby league player. It was the only place where I felt equal in the community. I had a great family life, but everything around me was scary. On the rugby league field it was the only place where I felt I was equal with everyone else. They didn't look at me as a black man or a minority or someone who was beneath them." For the player, it helps them grow. The likes of Thurston and Greg Inglis have grown as men and role models before our eyes over the past decade, and both regularly credit the All Stars camps as something that's been fundamental to their development. So what can it do now for a player like Ben Barba?

We still don't know the full story about his turbulent life over the past two years in which he has moved from the Bulldogs to Brisbane to the Shire again. The last time the All Stars match was played, he was considered the best player in the game. He was the reigning Dally M Medallist. He was the man of the match after the Indigenous side humbled the NRL team 32-6. In the dressing room at Suncorp Stadium afterwards, he was also named players' player. Barba went to speak but became emotional. Few knew of the tumult in his life off the field. The bubble was about to burst. "I love you," he told the room. "You don't know how much it means to myself to be with you."

Barba is back in camp and will play on Friday night. So tell me again that the All Stars game doesn't mean anything.