Kangaroos rally round JT’s words
THE Kangaroos will unveil a Johnathan Thurston- inspired call to arms in what he describes as “history in the making”.
Australian players will perform what Thurston said was an acknowledgment to country just before the clash against England in Melbourne on Friday night. Thurston has been working on the words for months while recovering from an injured shoulder.
It is expected the players will form a chevron around skipper Cameron Smith to recite parts of the acknowledgment. The rest of the squad will also say a few words.
The Kangaroos have stopped short of calling it a war cry or dance but it does support the RISE ( respect, inspire, selfless and excellence) values coach Mal Meninga has instilled in the team.
“I was back and forth with Mal and I wrote something down and sent it through to Mal,” Thurston said. “He loved it. It’s stuff about what we spoke about at the Anzac Test.
“The chevron, the coat of arms, the acknowledgment to country but also what we’re trying to do with the RISE campaign. “I’ve seen the boys do it. “When we spoke about it at the Anzac Test, the boys were talking about the history of Australia. The coat of arms, the Anzacs.
“Being indigenous, they wanted to have an acknowledgement of country there as well.
“It’s super important being of indigenous descent. I’m very proud of my heritage and country. It means a lot.’’
There have been calls for the Kangaroos to do a similar war dance to the Indigenous All Stars. An Australian team did a war cry about 50 years ago.
“It wouldn’t have any legs if it wasn’t for the playing group,” said Thurston, who was in Melbourne on Monday to practise the acknowledgment.