Rabbitohs second-rower Dave Taylor has earned selection in the NRL All Stars side for the 2012 clash with the Indigenous All Stars, to played on the Gold Coast on Saturday 4 February. Taylor attracted almost 5,500 of the fans’ votes to be selected in Wayne Bennett’s All Stars side in the second row. He was the fifth most popular player overall in voting. This is Taylor’s second time to be picked for the NRL All Stars, having won selection in the victorious 2011 NRL All Stars team. Taylor will come up against South Sydney team mates Greg Inglis, Nathan Merritt and Nathan Peats who have all been selected in the Indigenous All Stars team.

Popular Rabbitohs forward Sam Burgess had been withdrawn from NRL All Stars voting today. South Sydney officials confirmed that Burgess, who played in the inaugural NRL All Stars team in 2010 before making his NRL debut, is still recovering from an injury sustained last season and will not be quite ready to return for the 2012 Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars match at Skilled Park on February 4. Burgess is expected to be fit for the start of the 2012 NRL Telstra Premiership. Burgess was currently the top-ranked Rabbitohs player, marginally ahead of David Taylor in overall votes for the one South Sydney position on the team and was polling well in the second row and props positions in the Stage Two public voting process which started on December 27. Michael Crocker replaced Burgess as one of the four Rabbitohs’ “shortlisted” players in the 64-man list.