On Thursday, it was announced an audio recording of a reworked version of the anthem - written in 2009 by Judith Durham of The Seekers fame - will be played to the crowd. Australian Rugby League Commissioner Chris Sarra, who is indigenous, is the driving force behind both anthems being played, but others across the game were shocked when told about the initiative.

Broadcasters Channel Nine and Fox Sports have strongly advised the NRL against it, forecasting its divisive nature. However, Nine are expected to show it briefly before Friday night's broadcast.

While some indigenous Australians, including Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston and NSW coach Laurie Daley, are not offended by the current national anthem, many indigenous Australians are. Even more mystifying is that the NRL only plays the anthem before club matches on very special occasions, yet it has chosen to do so over a round of games when it can offend the most.

The lazy alternative in these situations is to call outspoken boxer Anthony Mundine, who last year called for NRL and AFL players to boycott the anthem on grand final day.

Instead, this column phoned highly respected broadcaster Stan Grant, whose impassioned commentary on Aboriginal rights and recognition has stirred important debate in recent years.

"It really complicates and politicises a round that's meant to be celebrating the achievements of indigenous players," Grant said. "If you're going to play alternative anthems, you are inviting this type of politicisation.

"If you're going to have an indigenous round, it's to acknowledge the impact indigenous players have had on the game. Any sport has the right to play the national anthem of this country, as does any Aboriginal have the right to not like it. That's democracy. To play both is a bet each way.

"This sport has been an amazing avenue for Aboriginal people to achieve things in life, and secondly it has been an incredible outlet for reconciliation and bringing people together. We can celebrate that without opening up a political hornet's nest."

Rugby league has a proud link with indigenous Australia but it needs to be mindful of how it goes about these themed rounds. Is the NRL merely ticking a box?

We'd hope not. The NRL spends about $4 million a year on indigenous footy and programs each year, but some argue it could be more. Last year, the Indigenous Round was spread over two rounds because clubs wanted to maximise as much profit as possible from one-off indigenous-themed jerseys. Several clubs were reluctant to make players available to promote the round.

The anthem remains a point of contention among indigenous players. Souths star Greg Inglis said earlier this year he understood Mundine's anger over the anthem. His Queensland teammate, Johnathan Thurston, does not.

"Obviously there are going to be a lot of people who are patriotic about the national anthem we have now, but I think if people really read the lyrics and understand the lyrics then I think they'd be a fan of the new one as well," Thurston said.

On Anzac Day, I was standing next to Daley and noticed he didn't sing the anthem before the match between the Roosters and Dragons at Allianz Stadium.

Daley is a former Indigenous All Stars coach but is often accused of not making enough noise about Aboriginal issues.

"There's no hidden agenda," he said. "I don't make political statements. But I don't have a problem with [the national anthem]. I don't know as much as some of the elders and some of the people who know more about it than I do. For me, it was the anthem I grew up with and I feel comfortable. I'm not saying it's the best one we can come up with but that's what we've got. As an Australian, I'll support what's in place. It's our song, it's something some people don't like. But in terms of being Australian, we should be proud of where we are, who we are."

NZRL could do no more

The New Zealand Rugby League has been copping it in the neck for not adequately babysitting Jesse Bromwich and Kevin Proctor, who ventured out after a team dinner last Friday night and were later captured on CCTV doing lines of cocaine with a Canberra man. Bromwich received painkillers after the Anzac Test and was told by medical staff to neither head out nor drink alcohol. Then he did. Then he did coke.

Ignored medical advice: Suspended Kiwis captain Jesse Bromwich. Photo: Tony Marshall

On Friday morning, Kiwi players were sitting in the breakfast room talking about former teammate Shaun Kenny-Dowall being busted with half a gram of cocaine at the Ivy in Sydney the night before.

What more could coach David Kidwell ??? who has been strong throughout this entire episode in banning both players from the World Cup ??? have done? Nothing.

Storm chief executive Dave Donaghy took the extraordinary step of calling Nine chief executive Hugh Marks and Fox Sports boss Patrick Delany to apologise for the adverse publicity Bromwich had caused.

That's class. Did anyone from the NRL do the same?

Shifting into Tigers' den

The ABC's loss is the Wests Tigers' gain, with journalist Natasha Exelby working at the club as a media consultant.

Exelby left the national broadcaster after it ridiculously cut her shifts following her innocent on-air gaffe while reading the news for the ABC News 24. Exelby was playing with her pen and then gasped with embarrassment when she realised she was back on air.

The moment newsreader Natasha Exelby realised she was on-air. Photo: ABC News 24

Now, she's landed at the Tigers, a club that needs all the help it can get following years of adverse publicity and headlines.

Exelby's XLB Media company website describes itself as "a media consultancy firm which provides clients with the practical experience and skill set to attract positive publicity and deal with intense interviews, media scrums, scandals and every day media requests."

Sounds like another day in rugby league paradise to me.

Coates' class shines

Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates last Friday addressed the traditional cocktail party on the night before the annual general meeting.

"Let the games begin," he said, tongue-in-cheek.

He then shook hands and exchanged some brief words with former Hockeyroo Danni Roche, who was trying to bring down Coates' 27-year reign. The next day, Coates won the vote 48-35.

Wrongly painted in this ugly battle with Roche as an overpaid elitist, Coates walked across the road from the AOC headquarters at the MCA building at Circular Quay and shouted his staff and family beers at the Fortune of War, Sydney's oldest pub.

Roche and supporters went to MCA level six for a private function.

THE QUOTE

Eddie McGuire remembers the life and career of Lou Richards.

"Lou Richards is a person who could be in the Logies Hall of Fame, the AFL Hall of Fame, the Collingwood Hall of Fame, the publican's hall of fame."

- Collingwood president Eddie McGuire's emotional tribute to the AFL legend, who died on Monday aged 94.

THUMBS UP

Stephen Ferris, Sydney DJ and co-host of FBI Radio's hilarious Fire Up! rugby league show on Friday mornings, was responsible for the outstanding playlist during breaks of play in the City-Country match. While the Rolling Stones and Blondie all got a run, he resisted giving JJ Cale's Cocaine a spin.

THUMBS DOWN

IT'S A BIG WEEKEND FOR ...

The AFL-mad fans of Shanghai as the Gold Coast and Port Adelaide go to war at Jiangwan Stadium in the first game for premiership points outside of Australia and New Zealand.

IT'S AN EVEN BIGGER WEEKEND FOR ...

Australian point guard Patty Mills, whose San Antonio Spurs will on Friday morning meet the Houston Rockets in game six of the NBA Western Conference semi-finals.

Andrew Webster is on Facebook.