Blues stars reveal passion to sing anthem ‘loud and proud’

While the Blues indigenous contingent will hold a silent protest on Wednesday night, other NSW players are planning on belting out the national anthem.

NSW stars Boyd Cordner, Jake Trbojevic and Damien Cook have vowed to sing the Australian national anthem “loud and proud” at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night.

And NSW’s indigenous players claim to have “no problem whatsoever” with teammates singing the anthem.

Indigenous Blues Cody Walker, Latrell Mitchell and Josh Addo-Carr will stand silent during Advance Australian Fair, as will Queensland centre Will Chambers.

While respecting their contentious stance, Cordner, Cook and Trbojevic said they would offer up an emotional rendition of the national anthem before the game.

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“I am a proud Australian and I will be singing the national anthem, definitely,” said Cordner, the NSW skipper.

“In regards to the other boys, that’s fine. It’s how they want to go about it but, for me, I will be singing the anthem.”

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NSW players during last year’s Game 3 anthem. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Cook will also be singing Advance Australia Fair.

“I will be singing the anthem loud and proud,” Cook said. “Cody knows that I will and he respects that, as I respect his decision not to.

“I am very proud of Cody for standing up for what he believes in but for myself, I’m proud, and I will definitely sing that anthem proudly.

“It’s special to sing it before a game, it’s a special moment, and you can ask Cody, he respects me for doing that. We have a good relationship.

“Cody didn’t speak for anyone else but himself and his own family and he has had some support in the last couple of days from other indigenous players.”

Privately, most players regard singing the anthem as one of the most hair-raising and proudest moments of their rugby league careers.

Mitchell and Addo-Carr will boycott the anthem. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“That is their opinion (to stand silent) and good on for them if that’s that the way they feel but I will be singing it,” Trbojevic said.

Addo-Carr said he would not object to any teammate signing Australian’s anthem.

“I have no problem at all,” Addo-Carr said. “It’s just our beliefs, they have their belief.

“The media asked for our opinion and we gave it. That’s the way we indigenous boys feel. It’s just our opinion, everyone has an opinion.

“It (his stance) is something I am very proud of. I’m a proud Australian man and indigenous man as well.”

NSW’s indigenous players believe the anthem discriminates against their people.

The line which offends them is “for we are young and free”.

“We aren’t young and free,” Latrell Mitchell told Channel 7 last week. “We’re the longest-living culture in the world.

“I guess just for those words to be in that, it just contradicts the whole anthem for us singing it.”

Addo-Carr added: “It’s nothing to do with black, white, brown. We’re all one, we’re all Australians, and we just want to get recognised.

“We’re not using the Origin stage for this. It’s just our opinion, it’s how we feel, and we’re very proud indigenous men and Australian men.”