Hurdle for Kangaroos' adoption of Indigenous war cry cleared by Players Association

Australia's national rugby league side the Kangaroos is set to discuss the adoption of the pre-game war cry made famous by the Indigenous All-Stars.

The Rugby League Players Association has backed a «respectful process» to consider the Kangaroos performing the dance.

NRL Indigenous pathways manager Dean Widders said senior players were already discussing the move.

The unity dance has been developed over the past decade by Widders and others in the Indigenous All-Stars program.

The Indigenous All-Stars play New Zealand Maori All-Stars in the traditional curtain-raiser to the NRL season this Saturday.

Rugby League Players Association chief executive Clint Newton believes players want to promote Indigenous culture.

«Rugby league is cloaked in a rich history of indigenous people who have contributed so greatly to the game,» he said.

«We are happy to support a respectful process that works toward getting to a point where all relevant stakeholders can put forward their views safely, and all those views are treated with compassion and care.»

An acknowledgement of country, which borrowed some aspects of the unity dance, was adopted by Cameron Smith and the Kangaroos in the 2017 World Cup.

In the Araatika: Rise Up! documentary, which recently screened on SBS, Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga expressed his view that this gesture didn't quite hit the mark.

«It wasn't really widely accepted, was it, what we did because there wasn't really an understanding of what we were trying to do,» he said.

«We were genuine, but it didn't get any traction because no one understood it.»

Widders praised the efforts of that side and sees this year's World Cup in England as the next opportunity to refine the team's pre-match routine.

«What Cam Smith and those players