Why Mal Meninga won’t force silent Test stars to sing Advance Australia Fair

Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga won’t force his Test stars to sing the national anthem, but admitted the quartet could expect backlash by choosing to remain silent during Advance Australia Fair.

Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga won’t force his players into singing the national anthem after four Test stars drew condemnation for remaining silent during Advance Australia Fair.

Meninga concedes the players - Payne Haas, Kotoni Staggs, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Selwyn Cobbo - were “public figures” and could expect a backlash.

Haas, Staggs, Tabuai-Fidow and Cobbo declined to sing the national anthem before Saturday night’s Pacific Championship Test against Samoa.

“We don’t know (why they don’t sing) but most of those boys are Indigenous and there is that animosity, I guess, around Australia Day and those sort of things,” Meninga said.

In contrast, Samoan rookie Connelly Lemuelu was in tears during his nation’s anthem while teammate Luciano Leilua was fighting back raw emotions.

Former Test captain Max Krilich blasted Australia’s four players, saying: “If you don’t want to sing the anthem then don’t play for the Kangaroos.”

Former Indigenous Australian centre Steve Renouf denied the players’ stance was politically motivated, while ex-NRL star Anthony Mundine claimed the quartet remained silent because of a “white supremacist anthem.”

The 2006 Kangaroos singing the national anthem. Picture: Sky Sports UK

The 2006 Kangaroos sing the national anthem. Picture: Sky Sports UK

Asked if he would pressure players to sing the anthem before Australia’s remaining two Tests this year, Meninga said: No, and there won’t be (pressure) either. I shouldn’t have any input or (offer) any persuasion on this matter.

“It’s a personal decision based on their personal values but they are still worthy of playing for Australia. It’s their decision.

“I’m Australian, mate, and I will sing it but it’s about their own personal desire based on their own personal situation. This is bigger than me too. I can’t make a decision on their behalf. I always sang it – I’m a proud Australian.

“It’s okay for the old fellas to complain about it. That’s their freedom to have an opinion. These players also have the freedom to make a decision too.”

Pressed on whether criticism directed at the players was unfair, Meninga said: “Not really. Everyone has an opinion. They are public figures and everyone has assumptions without even knowing the situation, and that can be very difficult.

Anthony Mundine says the players have a right not to sing the anthem. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

“But those players are no less emotional and passionate about playing for their country, I can assure you. I’m not trivialising (the anthem) but if they stand there and acknowledge it and don’t shy away from it, that is their personal decision.”

A whopping 90 per cent of respondents to a Daily Telegraph online poll said players who refuse to sing the anthem should be banned from representing Australia.

Vision of a 2006 Test between Australia and England showed the entire Kangaroos side signing the anthem. Origin players boycotted the anthem in 2019 over the anthem’s “young and free” line, which has since been altered to “one and free’’.

“I don’t think it was being disrespectful and anything political,” Renouf said. “I listen to the anthem now and still get goosebumps. Sometimes I sang it, sometimes I didn’t. I always thought it was embarrassing to try and mime it because I can’t sing.

“Selwyn is young and he would have thought: ‘I’m not going to sing if I can’t sing’. Those four all wore the jersey proudly on Saturday night.”

Former St George, Broncos and NSW star Mundine explained why he felt the players remained silent.

“The players shouldn’t be judged in any way, shape or form if they decide not to sing it. If the brothers don’t want to sing it for whatever reason, then we have to respect that,” Mundine said. “It’s a joke – where are we going? People need to pull their heads in.

“They might not want to sing it, or don’t feel comfortable singing it, because they’re paying respects to their parents, their elders, family, who knows? Where is the democracy or freedom of speech? Every individual is different.

“It is a white supremacist anthem which is disrespectful to First Nations people. Listen to the words, it represents caucasian colonisation. It is racist to native people.

“The boys will play their hearts out but how do you expect a team to be united when the anthem is racist and divisive? Come on. Let’s walk together, side-by-side, not one in front of the other.

“I’ve been saying to change the anthem to be all inclusive, and where there is no division, and also change the flag, for the past 25 years and we’re still talking about it. If we do that we will incorporate everybody.”

Originally published as Why Mal Meninga won’t force silent Test stars to sing Advance Australia Fair