Kangaroos reminded how to sing national team song

[DIEHARD]

Kangaroos reminded how to sing national team song amid Queensland controversy

THE Kangaroos were reminded about the lyrics to their official team song at this year's ANZAC Test, following the 2012 fiasco that saw Queensland players hijack celebrations with their own ditty.

The first gathering of Australia’s 24-man World Cup squad at Allianz Stadium on Thursday attracted plenty of questions about a much talked about split along state lines.

While they acknowledged hatred was rife during the Origin series, players from both sides of the Tweed promised that no residual ill-feeling would contaminate the six-week campaign.

But just to make sure everyone was singing from the same hymn sheet, Australian team officials brought a banner spelling out the words to the official team song, "We Are the Aussie Boys," to their most recent clash against the Kiwis in Canberra.

Prop James Tamou felt the move was in response to the controversy that erupted in Townsville a year ago, after Queensland-bred players belted out their “Yi Yi Yippee Yippee Yi” victory song to the bemusement of their teammates.

“I still remember that time - it definitely won’t happen again,” said the Blues bookend, who was making just his second appearance in the green and gold at the time.

“We (the NSW players) didn’t physically go up to them and put the finger in the face and say, ‘Don’t do this or that.'

“It’s something that we’ve just got to come together for. We’re representing our country, we are a team now.

..“We’ve got our own song for the Australian team that we’ll be singing now, I think they brought that in purposely.”

While Tamou believed the Canberra song was new, a spokesman for the Kangaroos later confirmed it was the same one that had been used for many years.

However, a banner was unfurled with the lyrics in the winning dressingroom to remind all players what they were meant to be singing.

Straight shooting lock Greg Bird didn’t attempt to hide his feelings about the Queensland ambush during the Origin series, claiming there was tension between players from different states.

Bird’s comments supported anecdotes about Queensland and NSW players eating breakfast at different tables on past tours.

However, a healthy mix of top stars including skipper Cameron Smith, vice captain Paul Gallen, Johnathan Thurston, Luke Lewis, Cooper Cronk, Robbie Farah, Josh Morris and Bird were happily drinking together after last week’s Dally M ceremony at The Star.

“They were cheeky comments made through the Origin period when hatred is at its peak,” Bird said Thursday.

“When I come up against Gal (Gallen), I hate him. When I’m playing with him he’s one of my best mates.

“We have that respect for each other that you might not have coming up against each other.

“I did make a few cheeky comments but a lot of it was exaggerated when pen went to paper.

“I can’t imagine there would be too much of a divide. In the past there’s been no divide.”

http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/kan...-1226736979348