Selwyn Cobbo turned out for the Cherbourg Hornets at Townsville's inaugural Dreamtime Knockout, despite his recent omission from Australia's World Cup squad.
The event brought together 32 First Nations teams and offered $120,000 in prize money.
Preliminary games used two 25-minute halves, with 30-minute halves for finals, and teams could include unlimited representative players.
Those conditions meant Cobbo could play for his junior club, despite ongoing back and ankle injuries cited after his omission.
Kevin Walters named Australia's squad on October 5 without Cobbo, an in-form NRL outside back, and the 23-player selection had no specialist wingers.
His appearance was striking because Australia began its 2026 World Cup campaign in Sydney on Thursday night, around 1,700 kilometres away.
The Townsville Bulletin reported that Cobbo impressed, but Cherbourg lost 24-22 to Badu Kulpiyam.
Badu Kulpiyam featured fullback Brenton Baira, who played for the Ipswich Jets in the Queensland Cup in 2026.
The tournament continues over the weekend.